Take control of your imposition needs with MadeToPrint with Imposition

QuarkXPress 8 brought a plethora of new features and capabilities, the likes of which I had been dreaming about for years. Having worked in QuarkXPress since the version 3.0 days, I have been more than pleasantly delighted with each new version, but version 8 was greeted with great enthusiasm on my end as it actually added significantly to my design aresenal and that’s always a huge plus.

So, when I found out that my MadeToPrint XT was going to be updated with imposition capabilities, it was as though I’d won a lottery—one that gave me an intuitive addition to QuarkXPress 8 that would allow me to impose my own layouts/projects easily and quickly—two key requirements for me. Translation? I could move on to more design and layout work. Time and money savings? You bet. And I wasted no time installing the new MadeToPrint.

With the release of the brand new version MadeToPrint XT with Imposition for QuarkXPress versions 6.5 through 8, you can print fully imposed PDF files. The product ships with time- and money-saving preconfigured imposition schemes that will cover a comprehensive list of common imposition tasks, thus making it a snap to get started.  You simply activate the Imposition function and compose your imposition scheme with the entries under the categories provided. These include Runlist and Sheet configuration.

You will find a new item under the file menu in QuarkXPress—MadeToPrint—once you have loaded the XTension. To set up a MadeToPrint job (in this instant we will use a simple business card project and make them double-sided on one page) you just choose MadeToPrint from under the file menu and you are presented with a dialog. You start by creating a new MadeToPrint job, choose a job name and enter that name with the General settings option highlighted/selected in the MadeToPrint Settings dialog box.

Next, you select Printer in the Settings dialog box and select File (PDF) in the Destination pull down menu. Keep in mind that the imposition function isn’t available for PostScript printing, so if PostScript does exist, you can use the Distiller to create your PDF file.

Then, choose the Pages option in the MadeToPrint Settings dialog. With this chosen/selected, make sure to deactivate the Use Single Page Output option by unchecking the box (or leaving it unchecked if it’s not). This will allow for smooth operation of the imposition.
You then select/highlight the Imposition option in the same MadeToPrint Settings dialog box. Once selected, you are presented with two pull down menus: Runlist and Sheet Configuration. Using the entries available under these pull down menus, activate the Imposition function and compile the required imposition scheme. You will need to make sure that under both categories, the number of pages match.

For our business card project, selecting the 8 Business cards double-sided (under the Runlist pull down) and then selecting A4, 8 business cards under the Sheet Configuration pull down menu is what we need. Too, keep in mind that if the imposition schemes provided in the pull down menu doesn’t directly cover your particular task or project, you can adjust the settings file in a Script editor if you are knowledgeable in programming. To take advantage of this, the files are located in the directory QuarkXPress X.X/XTensions/pdfToolbox4/var/Actions/Impose.

Our business card configuration is now finalized. Then, we just save the MadeToPrint job and in the MadeToPrint Settings dialog, choose/specify the Business Card imposition. We are now ready to process our layout documents.

MadeToPrint offers the capability of standardizing the output of QuarkXPress documents. Many times, as you know, files need to be sent to different locations and with different file requirements. Or, if your jobs are like the ones thrown my way, one file can contain multiple language versions. MadeToPrint allows saving all these settings in one painless PrintJob for consistent hassle free output. MadeToPrint also allows for full file-naming control, offering you the capability to define the name on a set of variables such as Time, Machine Name, Language version, etc, which is extremely advantageous for all kinds of workflow environments.

Features include:
- Output fully imposed jobs, from booklets to N-up, choose between run list (e.g. 4 pages step & repeat) and imposition sheets (e.g. 2 pages A4 single sided)
- Add infobar with flexible, dynamic information on pages
- Create single page files from a multi-page document
- Output layers and layer combinations flexibly for comprehensive language or price version handling
- Get full control over file-naming
- Take advantage of advanced features like scripting
- Output PDF, EPS or PS files (this version adds the capability to output fully imposed PDFs to its feature set)

The MadeToPrint Auto version integrates seamlessly into publishing systems like vjoon’s K4 or WoodWing’s Smart Connection Enterprise and Enfocus’ Switch automation platform. As with the regular version, the new Auto release now adds the capability to impose anything from simple booklets to fully-fledged brochures and books. It is a powerful yet very intuitive imposition engine that is easy to use and is ideal for digital and conventional printers. MadeToPrint PrintJobs can now also be exported and imported for easier exchange of output settings among users or towards customers.

In summary? I, for one, am thrilled with the latest addition of the imposition feature to my already valuable MadeToPrint. In this economy, we are all looking for ways to save and earn more and obviously adding hours to the day isn’t realistic. So when a product like this comes along offering me even more productive options, I’m immediately on it. The update that includes the imposition functionality is free to existing MadeToPrint current version users and is available with new full product purchases now. Take control of your imposition needs with MadeToPrint.