Part details

This frame allows you to describe in detail this component of the item to be printed. You can also specify constraints on the production method here. If you have arrived at this point through the selection of a Quick quote, you will find the details already populated, and may only have to change the quantity.

Finished page size after trim:- Enter the finished size of the job - letter, business card, book page size, etc. You don't have to type in the figures if the size is in the dimensions file Just key in the size name (or as much as will fit). E.g. you can simply type in 'A4' for the height and the size for an A4 page will be entered for you automatically. The gross page size will also be initialized to the same dimensions.

This specifies the net size of the finished page (or item if it comprises only 1 page). Printpak will work out the best arrangement of the job on the plate(s) irrespective of whether the page is described as being 'portrait' (height greater than width) or 'landscape' (width greater than height).

The only consideration you MUST make is in the case of a book, when you specify whether the book is hinged at the top or side. Then Printpak will arrange the pages specifically in the manner you have suggested. So if you are producing a 'Portrait ' 4 page leaflet, and you have described the height as larger than the width, you should specify it as hinged at the side.

Gross page inc.bleed/gutter etc.: Enter the gross size of the job, allowing for bleed, cut marks and gutters etc. This is the letter, business card, or book page size - the gross size to cater for any print needed outside the finished page size.

N.B. This is NOT the size of material you are going to print on . If it is a book you are printing, the 'Gross page inc.bleed/gutter etc.' will be normally be just a little larger than the finished page size - it will NOT be the opened out size of the book

Again, you can key in the size name (or as much as will fit). E.g. you can simply type in 'A4' for the height and the size for an A4 page will be entered for you automatically.

Printpak will, if the cutting calculation is operative, automatically calculate the post-press cutting for you (except in the case of 'book ' jobs) taking the bleed and /or gutters into account.

Grip and tail: If grip and/or tail are likely to be relevant to the printing of this item, how much extra should be allowed? You need to think about the grip your machine needs to print the job - and any space required for colour indicator bars or similar at the bottom of the sheet (tail). If you are printing a letterhead on cut-size paper - there is NO need for grip and tail unless, for example, you have to print a bleed on the top or bottom of the sheet.

Book leaf or pad: This concept is central to the way Printpak considers the job. You should read the following definitions carefully, as to make a mistake in classifying your job in this respect will have far-reaching effects on your calculation.

· Book- This is any job in book form (i.e. folded pages) that has leaves 'hinged' at the side or top. Thus a 'book' is considered to have the number of its pages divisible by 4, e.g. 4, 8,12, 32, 128, etc. If you are describing a '6 page' document, a folder (with flaps or pockets) or a '10 page concertina' document then describe it as a leaf and enter the overall (opened out) size in page size. Carbonless 'books', unless they are true 'books' with folded pages should be considered as pads

· Leaf- Any job in a 'flat' form - Letterhead, Compliment Slip, Business Card, etc. is a leaf. In this case the 'Leaves per item' is the number of different leaves making up the job- e.g. 4 different business cards, 27 leaves of a manual (to be punched for a binder - not in 'book' form), 2 different folders, etc. N.B. In the case of carbonless (NCR) sets, enter '1' in 'Leaves per item' - you will put the additional leaf /leaves description in when you enter the 'Number of parts'.

· Pad - If the job requires a series of carbonless (NCR) sets or a multi-set of similar size leaves to be padded or bound together (up to 9 parts) then treat the job as Pad.

Leaves per item(1 if carbonless) or Pages per book (divisible by 4): This is the number of pages in the finished job. If you specify the job as 'leaf ' or 'pad ' then this is the number of finished SHEETS required in each finished item.

If, say, you are printing 2 business cards the same size but with different content, you would specify this as 2 leaves. As books consist of pairs of pages hinged together, it follows that a book can only have a multiple of 4 pages. The calculation will make its own adjustments to the number of pages for books if necessary. Carbonless (NCR) jobs, if they are calculated as a single component, are limited to a single set, so for these you should enter 1.

Total different colors: If a letterhead is printed Black and Blue on side 1 and Black and Red on the reverse (side 2), then the 'Total different colours' would be '3' - the Black ink being common. Printpak will calculate the wash-up charges for the press automatically, using this figure.

Washes:- When you have put in the 'Total different colors', Printpak will enter the same figure in 'Washes' for you, , but you can change the number of wash-ups you wish to charge - e.g. double wash-ups for Silver or no wash-up for Black.

Numbers of colors required: This is fairly obvious, except when you enter 1 (single) color. If you have 1 in either of the boxes, you will notice a large black or coloured spot beside it. This indicator shows whether that single colour is black or a "spot" colour. You can toggle between the two by clicking the spot. This is particularly designed for digital press calculation, where a spot colour is charged at a full colour click rate.

Run type: This refers to the run rates set up under 'Parameters' for each press. Choose between light, easy running, medium (default) standard running; and heavy, difficult running.

Plate type: Four types of plate may be specified as standard plates, and used in calculation. Their descriptions are set in System Configuration, where you can also specify the default. This drop-down allows you to select which type to use for this job.

If work and turn, rest minutes per work and turn pass: Each work and turn or work and tumble pass will have an associated rest time, when the ink is drying after the first 'half pass'. During this time the press is usually inactive. Printpak will cost the time taken and it will influence the calculation of the best strategy. So for this job, how long do you estimate has to be allowed for this? If it is a single sided job, or if it is to be run as 'Sheetwork only' you can safely ignore this field.

on the plate (or artwork), then do so. Printpak will then calculate the job method to your specification. It is usually better to leave it set to zero, in which case Printpak will work out the best solution automatically.

Grain Aligned to:- You can, should you wish, ask Printpak to arrange the printed job so that the grain direction of the material runs down the height of the job or across the width. This feature is normally only necessary if the job is a cover (or similar item) and folding will crack or cause 'breakout' to the material or printed finish along the 'spine'. The way the grain direction is related to the job is always displayed in the paper window of the calculations tab of the job desktop (if calculated). Overriding the grain alignment will alter the way (in many cases) that the job fits both the press and material - and will often result in a different cost of production. N.B. It is not advisable to adjust grain alignment unless it is a specific demand of the job.

Sheetwork:- There are three options here. 'Sheetwork only' means that work and turn (or tumble) is not used. 'Work and turn' (which includes tumble) means that regardless of cost, work and turn or tumble will be used (for jobs containing more than a plateful, the w/t may be for just the left-overs) and and 'Either' means means that work and turn or tumble will be suggested if it offers a cost benefit.

Extra plates (if required). You can specify here if you have plate changes within the running of a job - e.g. to change an overprinted branch address. The calculation will automatically charge for the extra plates and allow for the associated make-readies. Note that if you are defining a multi-part set this feature will be disabled, since you can specify extra plates as 'plate changes' in the Carbonless definition screen.