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Q U A R K S O F T W A R E W O R K F L O W S O L U T I O N S A N D I M P L E M E N T A T I O N
Volume 4 • Number 5
X-RAY MAGAZINE • XRAYM
AG.COM
JOB JACKETS PART 2 • PARDON THE IMPO
SITION
VOLUME 4 NUM
BER 5
xry0610_01_frntmatter.qxd:Layout 1 9/21/06 7:20 PM Page 1
Reader’s Spread: A view ofdocument pagessequentiallyordered. This is thedefault view ofmost page-layoutapplications.
Imposed/Imposing/Imposition:Arranging pages in a document toensure properordering after the printed sheethas been foldedand trimmed.
Printer’s Spreads: A set of pages (as few as two)that have beenreordered to becomesequentiallyordered once abinding processhas beencompleted.
With a wide range of imposing software on the market
it is hard to make the right choice the first time to meet
the needs of converting your reader’s spread documents
to printer’s spread documents on the first try. Imposing
programs can range from software that makes a simple
booklet to a fully customizable printing application that
can handle large flats. So, is it necessary to have all the
features of the expensive programs? Yes and no.
Of course, you don’t want to pay a huge price for an
application with features you will never use, but if you
require imposition that changes with every project and
have custom-printing needs, you will be happy to have
all the features in the long run. It may also cost you the
same amount to have a patchwork of applications than
to just make the investment up front to meet the
majority of your needs. In the end you should look
at your specific imposition and printing requirements.
Perhaps customization of your flats is a high priority.
Do you have projects coming across your desk, all with
different needs? Maybe you only work with a basic
two-up or four-up flat. I think the following reviews will
help you narrow down your decision and choose what
imposition software is the right one for you.
20 X-RAY MAGAZINE | VOLUME 4 NUMBER 5
As in nearly all industries and even
dialects, words may mean different
things to different persons or can take
on a different meaning in different
regions. We’ve tried to define these
words as used within the context of the
article and in the context as used by
the manufacturer of the product.
When you see a word in color within
the text simply refer to the glossary
definition within the sidebar. The
definition slider color will
correspond with color of the text.
Pardon the Imposition BY RALPH EBERHARD
Flat: The assembledcomposite ofnegatives orpositives ready to make a plate.Many of theprogramsdiscussed in thisarticle will useplate or spreadinterchangeablywith this term toindicate the sheetof imposed pages.
Two-Up, Four-Up,and Eight-Up: Plate styles eachcorresponding tothe number ofdocument pageson a single plate.
xry0610_30_imposing.qxd:Layout 1 9/22/06 2:41 PM Page 20
Let’s start looking at imposing software with a basic
XTensions module. If two-up impositions are your main
requirement, Bookletizer should work just fine. Before
you start using the XTensions software make sure that
you are using a QuarkXPress project with facing pages.
Bookletizer will not work with single-page layouts. The
XTensions module only consists of one dialog box that
lets you define the amount of creep for your book.
Setting the creep amount will shift the pages on each
spread out or in to compensate for page folds and paper
thickness. Bookletizer does the rest. Your document will
be converted into two-up printer’s spreads.
The nice part about Bookletizer is that it allows you to
view your imposed document right in the QuarkXPress
layout. It is possible to make edits in this imposed view,
but not advised. It is best to unbookletize the document
and make edits in QuarkXPress’ reader’s spread layout.
While using the XTensions module, keep in mind these
three things: your total number of pages must be
divisible by four, there must be an even number of
spreads, and each spread can have only two pages.
Despite the limitations of Bookletizer, it is a good
XTensions software module for the price when all you
need is a two-up imposition. At well under US$100, if
you’re working with simple spreads that require a saddle
stitch this XTensions application is perfect. Vision’s Edge,
the manufacturer, also provides a fully functional demo
of Bookletizer to try before you buy. However, the basic
functionality of Bookletizer may not work for many
imposition demands. Let’s look at other XTensions that
deal with larger documents.
FEATURE • IMPOSING 21
Saddle Stitch: A typical bindingtype where thesignatures arefolded, and in thecase of more thanone signature,nested, and stapledthrough the spine.
Creep: The measuredamount an imagemust shift tocompensate for page folds and paperthickness whennesting signaturesfor binding.
Facing Pages: (See Reader’sSpread pg. 20)
Unbookletize: In Bookletizer,reverts the layoutview from printer’sspreads to reader’sspreads (facingpages).
BOOKLETIZER Mac or PC | US$69.00 WHERE TO BUY:
• • • • For casual users needing a two-up imposition, this product will workgreat. Stay away if you have any custom needs or larger jobs. http://www.thepowerxchange.com
Bookletizer: Mac or PC | US$69.00
xry0610_30_imposing.qxd:Layout 1 9/22/06 2:42 PM Page 21
Quark acquired the ALAP product line in early 2006.
ALAP’s imposing products have become a mainstay
of many companies over the years, and the renamed
QuarkImposer of the Quark Print Collection is no
exception. QuarkImposer, previously known as Imposer
Pro, has a new look for its QuarkXPress 7 release. The
dialog boxes are still very intuitive — you shouldn’t have
any problems adjusting to the new user interface.
QuarkImposer also has the functionality to edit bleed,
creep, crossover, gaps, and margins within one window,
making it easy for the user to quickly edit these values,
and any of the edits you make to these values in the
layout pane of QuarkImposer are easily viewed in the
preview pane. Another nice inclusion is the bundling
with MarkIt, Item Marks, and QuarkImposer for Acrobat.
The regular version of Imposer has been discontinued,
but this shouldn’t be much of an issue considering the
Quark Print Collection will give you more for your
money. With the upgraded release, Quark is also running
a 90-day promotional price of US$149 for existing
Imposer Pro customers.
To impose pages, you’ll start in the layout tab by selecting
either a two-up, four-up, six-up, or eight-up flat with the
desired binding. Standard, work and turn, work and
tumble, split web, or sheet-wise are available in the drop-
down menu. Using the work-and-turn option will produce
flats where the pages are turned from left to right to
accommodate the manner that the paper is fed through
the press. Work and tumble arranges the pages top to
bottom to accommodate paper that is tumbled before
being fed through the press to print the second side. Only
available in the eight-up configuration, split web allows
you to impose for a web press. While using split web, you
can specify the number of roll stands required for your
project by changing the number in the sheets field. Using
the sheet-wise layout, you have either four-up, six-up, or
eight-up plate sizes, the XTensions module will create
different plates for each side of the press sheets. Sheet wise
can also be used when using a web press to produce full
signatures that create one signature on a web press.
Changing the units fields corresponds to the units that are
produced while using sheet-wise printing.
22 X-RAY MAGAZINE | VOLUME 4 NUMBER 5
QuarkImposer: Mac or PC (Part of the Quark Print Collection) | US$299.99
Bleed: The measuredamount of image that extends beyondthe trim area.
Crossover: The allowablespace for the pages to impingeon the gaps.
Gap: The amount ofspace that will beplaced betweenpages and plates in an imposeddocument.
Margin: The space betweenthe image area andoutside trim edgeof a document.
Work and Turn:Printing one side of a sheet of paper,turning it left toright, and printingthe other side withthe same plate.
Work and Tumble:Printing one side ofa sheet of paper,turning the sheetfront to back, andprinting thesecond side withthe same plate.
Split Web: Imposition type for use with a webpress. Allows youto specify thenumber of rollstands required for the project.
Sheet-Wise: An imposition typethat will createdifferent plates foreach side of thepress sheets. InQuarkImposer,sheet-wise can alsobe used whenusing a web pressto produce fullsignatures thatcreate onesignature out on a web press.
Standard: Creates twounique plates(front and back)for a chosen sheetstyle. For example,in a two-upstandardimposition, pagesone through fourwill be used tocreate the twounique plates.
QUARKIMPOSER Mac or PC | US$299.99 WHERE TO BUY:
• • • • Two, four, six, and eight-up flat options and several layout types. Limited customization. http://www.thepowerxchange.com
xry0610_30_imposing.qxd:Layout 1 9/22/06 2:42 PM Page 22
Continuing on to the bleed, creep, crossover, and
margins settings you will finish using the layout tab.
All of your settings can be easily saved for future use with
the styles drop-down menu. Simply choose add and
give your style a name. In the future, when you have a
similar project come across your desk, you just select
that style and all of the same settings will appear.
In previous Imposer versions, one of the more
cumbersome elements of the Imposer XTensions
software module was using the printer’s marks and
color bars. You did have the option to turn the marks
and bars on or off but that was the extent of it.
Fortunately, QuarkImposer is now bundled with MarkIt
to allow for customization of both the printer’s marks
and color bars on your imposed document. At the
bottom of the QuarkImposer dialog box, there is a
button allowing you to quickly switch to MarkIt.
The process of page reordering could benefit by
allowing the user more customization. If you are looking
for an imposition program that will allow you to order
pages in any way you please, QuarkImposer may not
be the right XTensions application for you, though it is
possible to rearrange the pages in all of the binding types
except stacked. While using saddle stitched and perfect
binding, you can select where the first page will be
placed and the remaining pages will automatically be
repositioned accordingly. I have had some customers
who want a completely custom layout type (page 1 next
to page 53, for example), but the closest you can come
to this is selecting None for the binding type. This will
let you choose what page you would like to place and
where, but only within the two flats that are in your
preview screen. In other words, if you’re using a four-up
layout, you can place pages one through eight anywhere
you please, but above page eight is not an option.
Rather than rearranging the document pages inside of
QuarkXPress, QuarkImposer works in the print stream
to create printer’s flats. This is a nice feature to keep your
QuarkXPress document in its original state and since
pages are not moved, you don’t end up with very
complex linked text box chains.
For this article, I was working with QuarkImposer and
saving an 80-page document in four-up flats to a PDF.
While going through the printer options you will want to
make sure that you do not use the generic Mac OS PDF
option. QuarkImposer requires the output device to be
PostScript compatible and the Mac OS PDF option will
not work. To generate a PDF from QuarkImposer, you will
need to use an application such as Acrobat Distiller.
For testing, I ran my 80-page document through
QuarkImposer with a basic four-up configuration, saddle
stitched, 12pt bleed, 2pt creep, and 0.5” margins. Printing
to a PDF took only a couple of minutes. Initially, looking
at the newly generated PDF, I found some gaps in
gradient boxes that were not part of my layout. These
were just artifacts created by the zoom in Acrobat and
the layout seemed to print fine. I also ran the same
document in a two-up position with perfect binding and
two-up with none selected for the binding; all imposed
quickly and as expected. This is a mid-range XTensions
module when it comes to imposition, and though far
more advanced than Bookletizer, it may not meet some
printer’s needs — especially those requiring larger flats.
FEATURE • IMPOSING 23
Perfect Binding: As often seen withmagazines andbooks, this methodnests signatures of imposed pagesand adhesive isused to secure thesignatures together.
Stacked Binding: A binding typewhere yourfinished documentis three-holepunched, uses a spiral, or is comb bound.
Page Reordering:Changing thenatural page order(or pagination) of an imposeddocument.
Color Bar: Color or grayscaleswatches placedoutside thetrimmed edge of a document to ensure propercolor reproduction.
Printer’s Mark:Marks outside the trim area of adocument used bythe printer to helpwith cropping,folding, centering,and so on.
xry0610_30_imposing.qxd:Layout 1 9/22/06 2:42 PM Page 23
If you are not a QuarkXPress user or prefer to use Imposer
outside of QuarkXPress, you are in luck. QuarkImposer
is also available for Acrobat and is also bundled into the
Quark Print Collection. The interface and many options
are exactly the same as the QuarkXPress version.
Switching between them is very intuitive and shouldn’t
require any additional learning curve.
Using QuarkImposer for Acrobat quickly became my
favorite product in the Imposer line. For my workflow, I
prefer to export my QuarkXPress project to a PDF and
then impose it in Acrobat. Although you lose the
functionality of being able to edit the document directly
in QuarkXPress, QuarkImposer for Acrobat seemed to
run more smoothly than the QuarkXPress counterpart
in my testing. The main feature of QuarkImposer for
Acrobat that I appreciated was that a newly imposed PDF
was created. There was no worrying about page sizes at
output time, QuarkImposer for Acrobat simply creates
the flat based on the original PDF and it was much easier
than navigating the QuarkXPress print dialog boxes to
get the correct size for my output.
Summarizing the Quark Print CollectionBundling MarkIt, Item Marks, QuarkImposer, and
QuarkImposer for Acrobat was a good move for Quark,
you even get a lower price than the previous Imposer
Pro by itself. For those looking for a fully customizable
imposition product this would probably not be your
first choice. However, if you are looking for mid-priced
imposition software capable of handling standard
printing needs, this will be the right tool for the job.
If you’re looking for larger flats and a greater amount
of control over your imposition, read on.
24 X-RAY MAGAZINE | VOLUME 4 NUMBER 5
QuarkImposer for Acrobat: Mac or PC (Part of the Quark Print Collection) | US$299.99
QUARKIMPOSER FOR ACROBAT Mac or PC | US$299.99 WHERE TO BUY:
• • • • Same interface as the other Imposer products. I found it easierto work with PDFs than with the QuarkXPress Imposers. http://www.thepowerxchange.com
xry0610_30_imposing.qxd:Layout 1 9/22/06 2:43 PM Page 24
FEATURE • IMPOSING 25
By far, INposition 6.5 was the most-advanced imposition
software that I tested for QuarkXPress. Almost every
aspect of the software can be customized to your
specific needs. Where QuarkImposer leaves off,
INposition 6.5 launches and gives the professional printer
all the control they need over their documents. With all
the options this software provides, I could only scratch
the surface of the possibilities. Fortunately a demo is
available for you to try on your own and see what this
XTensions module can do in your workflow. Beware, this
product has a price tag to justify all these features, and
it’s certainly outside the range of the more casual users.
INposition adds its own drop-down to the menu bar.
You’ll start by creating a new plate style. The easiest way
to think of plate styles is in relation to QuarkXPress’
paragraph styles. The plate styles in INposition 6.5
encompass sheet guides, plate format, and imposition
order. It’s a good idea to name your plate styles
accordingly in this section; it will save you some time
in the future should you have similar documents. Start
creating your style by choosing how many pages per
plate you would like. The maximum allowable number
of pages is 32 per plate. You also get to choose how
many pages across you would like your plate to be. The
imposition order button lets you preview the plate and
define folds and page sequencing. If you choose to have
a custom page sequence, the shadow option is a great
feature. Select the page you want from the thumbnail
view, enter what page of the document you would like it
to be, and shadowing will automatically order the pages
on the proceeding plates. You only have to specify the
layout of the page in the first plate and INposition 6.5
takes care of the remaining plates.
From the initial plate styles window you will also find
a sheet guides button. I mentioned the limitations of
Imposer in regard to printer’s marks; INposition far
exceeds any expectations of customization in this area.
In sheet guides, you can start editing your page by giving
specific values to the spines and folds of your document.
This window also allows you to place any type of
printer’s marks that you may need. Color bars, grayscale
bars, crop marks, trim marks, center marks, and your
Center Mark: A printer’s markused by manystakeholders in the process thatindicates truecenter of the page.
Spine: The back of abound book thatconnects the twocovers. Also calleda backbone.
Imposition Order:The sequence your pages will be ordered. Seealso Pagination.
Plate Format: In INposition 6.5, a dialog box withthe total numberof pages per plate,number of rowsand columns, andthe row orientation.
Shadow: In INposition 6.5,used toautomatically selectthe paginationsequence. The userselects the pagenumber for thefront plate andINposition 6.5selects the correctpage number forthe back plate. Alsocalled mirroring inother applications.
Sheet Guide: In INposition 6.5, a dialog boxencompassing the settings forpage size, margins,gaps, and printer’smarks.
Trim Mark: Marks thatindicate to thebindery or finishingdepartment wherethe documentpage should betrimmed (cut)when printed on a larger sheet.
INposition 6.5: Mac | US$2,995.00
Plate Style: The plate styles in INposition 6.5encompass sheetguides, plateformat, andimposition order.
INPOSITION 6.5 Mac | US$2,995.00 WHERE TO BUY:
• • • •By far the most advanced imposition software for QuarkXPress.Fully customizable, will handle nearly any job. http://www.thepowerxchange.com
xry0610_30_imposing.qxd:Layout 1 9/22/06 2:43 PM Page 25
26 X-RAY MAGAZINE | VOLUME 4 NUMBER 5
Publication Style:In INposition 6.5,the publicationstyles dialog boxallows the user toset preferencesregarding paperthickness, bindingtype, and plate andsignature styles.
Signature: An imposed printedsheet after it hasbeen folded. Insome regions, it issimply the imposedpages whetherfolded or not.
Signature Style: In INPosition 6.5,where yourpaginationsequence is set.Also calledImposition Order.
own custom text, are only a few of the options you can
place on the plate. Every mark and bar you place can also
be positioned on the plate using X, Y coordinates for
exact placement. If that weren’t enough, you can also
add your own custom marks using EPS or TIFF images.
All of this is expected in a high-end product, and
INposition delivers.
After creating your plate style, you will need to create
a publication style. This is where you can specify binding
type, creep, bleed, and crossover. You may also combine
multiple signature styles that you previously defined in
the plate styles. If your document only calls for one
signature style, you can simply select repeat signature
and it will be repeated as necessary for the remaining
pages in your document.
Now we’re finally ready to start imposing. As I
mentioned earlier, a nice feature of QuarkImposer is the
ability to keep your original document intact for future
editing. INposition 6.5 takes this idea one step further.
When you create a new publication you actually create
an INposition publication file. This means that you keep
that specific imposition for further use. Should you
have to switch jobs for a bit, you can simply save the
imposition file and come back to it later. You do not
even need to have the original QuarkXPress document
open to work on your imposition.
Select new publication from the INposition drop-
down menu and you’re ready to start adding pages.
The publication palette is where INposition really
shines. It’s a fairly intuitive menu, but will take a bit
of exploration before you become comfortable.
(It would be nice if while you hovered the mouse
over buttons and options there would be tool tips, like
those in QuarkXPress.) There are two basic views in the
publication palette, reader’s spreads and printer’s spreads.
While in either view you can nudge, rotate, and scale any
page of the document. However, only while in printer’s
spreads can you edit the bleed, crossover, and print
options. You will also have to switch to this view to
send your imposed document to a print device.
Another remarkable feature of this program is its ability
to pull pages from virtually any source. You are not
limited to the single project you have open at the time.
Pages from different QuarkXPress projects can be added
at any time in the creation process. Opening a new
document in the publication palette will give you the full
range of pages within that external document. This is a
perfect solution for a workflow where documents are
coming from different applications.
Suppose you have different production artists working
on separate parts of a magazine. No need to combine
the documents within QuarkXPress prior to imposing.
Simply open the documents and pull what pages you
need. In this same scenario, suppose you have a guest
columnist, the due date for the article comes and you
are surprised to find the layout in a completely different
format, the columnist may not have used QuarkXPress
at all. Don’t worry, thanks to the Tempus Plug-in,
INposition 6.5 can pull pages and add them to your
layout from a number of sources including EPS, PDF, TIFF,
PostScript, PICT, and others. A dialog box will appear
when importing for these sources and require you to
select the bleed and positioning for your new pages. Files
from some sources will require set-up prior to importing
them using the Tempus Plug-in, but the added
functionality you will receive is worth the time.
To test this against the other products, I ran the same
80-page document through INposition 6.5 that I ran
through QuarkImposer with no problems. Being able to
set different plate and publication styles made switching
signatures a snap. Jumping from two-up to eight-up with
different printer’s marks took no time at all and worked
effortlessly. Importing pages from an external PDF worked
just as well. I added eight pages from a PDF and was able
to rearrange, scale, and reposition them in the reader’s
spreads without any problems. From a simple two-up
flat to a huge 32-up flat, INposition 6.5 can handle
everything you throw at it. With a price tag of US$2,995
this will not be the imposition solution for everyone.
However, for serious and complex imposition needs
this is the perfect product, look no further.
xry0610_30_imposing.qxd:Layout 1 9/29/06 11:56 AM Page 26
If you would like the quality of INposition 6.5, but don’t
want the price tag, you should take a look at INposition
Lite. A stripped-down version of the original XTensions
module, INposition Lite can be a cost-effective
alternative. Although the price has been drastically
cut, so have the features.
INposition Lite adds basic and advanced tabs to your
QuarkXPress print dialog box. Unlike its full-featured
counterpart that can handle a 32-up flat, INposition Lite
only offers one-up through four-up flats. The basic
binding settings of saddle stitch, perfect, and none are
included. Users can choose size and positioning of
color bars and printer’s marks. Trim, fold, sheet, and
registration marks are activated using check boxes in the
print tabs. The INposition-advanced tab allows you edit
margins, bleed, spine, paper thickness, and maximum
creep. All print settings can be captured for use with
similar documents in the future.
I was disappointed to see that much of the functionality
of INposition 6.5 was lost in this version. Unlike the full
version, INposition Lite does not create a publication file
for you to save and reuse at a later date. There is also no
implementation of the import feature that we saw earlier
and adding pages from external files is not possible
either. Many of the customizable features of INposition
6.5 are missing in the stripped-down version. While still
being able to take limited control of printer’s marks and
color bars, it is very low level and only specified by right,
left, center, or off options.
Having said all that, documents imposed with INposition
Lite came out perfectly. Both two-up and four-up flats
were no problem. I successfully changed the binding and
printer’s marks in my documents with little hassle. A nice
feature of the software is the preview pane. You don’t
have to blindly jump straight into printing. In the preview
pane you have the options to hide or show different
aspects of the document for a clearer view of the
finished imposition.
I should also note that INposition Lite has limited
support for QuarkXPress versions and operating systems.
It is only compatible with QuarkXPress 4.1X and 5.X. If
you are a Mac user, Lite will only run on OS 8.6 and 9.X
— running in Classic in OS X will not work. For all the
Windows® users, the same QuarkXPress versions apply.
As for your operating system, INposition Lite will run on
Windows 95, 98, NT, and 2000. Taking all this into
consideration, for a simpler imposition program I would
suggest QuarkImposer. Less expensive, nearly the same
features, and greater QuarkXPress compatibility, it would
be a better choice for a printer looking to save a little
money while still meeting basic imposition needs.
FEATURE • IMPOSING 27
INposition Lite: Mac or PC | US$495.00
If you would like the qualityof INposition 6.5, but don’t want the price tag,INposition Lite can be acost-effective alternative.
INPOSITION LITE Mac or PC | US$495.00 WHERE TO BUY:
• • •Comparable to QuarkImposer with several features added. Can bepricey depending on your needs. Limited OS support options. http://www.thepowerxchange.com
Registration Marks: Printers marks ona flat generallyused to alignnegatives ordifferent colors inprocess printing.
xry0610_30_imposing.qxd:Layout 1 9/22/06 2:44 PM Page 27
INPosition 6.5 is great but you don’t use QuarkXPress?
INPosition Lite really won’t handle your heavy workflow?
If you’re looking to start at the top, your search is over.
Dynagram has created the most-comprehensive
imposition software on the market, Dynastrip. There is
simply no beating this stand-alone application in terms
of features and ease of use. Be warned, this software will
be overkill for anyone other than serious professional
printers. Independent from any layout software,
Dynastrip will let you import pages from a wide variety
of sources. Let’s take a look at what it can do.
When you first enter Dynastrip, you are greeted with,
well, nothing at all. Don’t worry just yet; your document
will come together soon. Start by creating a new
28 X-RAY MAGAZINE | VOLUME 4 NUMBER 5
Dynastrip: Mac or PC | US$2495.00
DYNASTRIP Mac or PC | US$2495.00 WHERE TO BUY:
• • • • •Bar none, the high-end leader in this field.Dynastrip will handle any job you throw at it. http://www.thepowerxchange.com
xry0610_30_imposing.qxd:Layout 1 9/22/06 2:44 PM Page 28
document from the pull-down menu and selecting
either Standard Method or Dynamo QuickLayout.
For our demonstration, we will choose the Standard
Method and create everything from scratch (the
Dynamo QuickLayout option will let you create an
imposition from pre-defined templates).
After you create the new document it appears in the
light table and this becomes the heart of the program —
all your editing and options are accessible from here. At
the top of this dialog box is the functions toolbar. Things
such as pagination, zoom, color specifications, and
output are found here. To the right of the palette is the
objects palette and actions toolbar. The objects palette
will let you change the view of the light table and what
you are currently editing. The actions toolbar is filled with
your edit options for your current view. It will change
depending on what is selected in the objects palette.
Start by selecting Sheet from the objects palette, this
will define the overall size of your flat. Next, move to the
Signature option in the objects palette. Define your
page size, number of rows, and number of columns
depending on your needs. Place the signature on your
previously created sheet. A very nice feature of Dynastrip
is the mirroring of the signature upon placing. It will be
set in the same position on both the front and back flat.
All flats are clearly labeled as front and back, that makes
browsing through them a snap.
The Page selection in the objects palette will allow you
to define custom gutters and move pages as needed.
Moving objects in Dynastrip can be done in several ways.
Once you select an object, it can be moved freely using
the mouse or using X, Y coordinates. If you choose to
use X, Y movement you will also be able to move your
selected object in relation to anything on the page.
Simply move the green distance line and place it at the
point you would like to measure, and the coordinates
will automatically be shifted. Whether you are creating
an imposition on the fly or creating a template to be
used many times, Dynastrip will let you be as simple or
complex as you like. Printer’s marks are virtually limitless
in this program. You can define the line style, length, or
width for any of the marks. Color bars and custom EPS
marks are just as easy to place and manipulate.
Once you have your signature set up, you will have to
create a pagination style for your document. Under
pages in the object palette, select the Page Numbers
icon to start. Dynastrip will ask you to select where each
page of your document is to be placed. Again, the
mirroring is available to speed up this process. Dynastrip
will automatically select page numbers for the back flat
depending on what you enter for the front. This option
can also be turned off if you have a custom fold.
What makes Dynastrip truly outstanding is its ability to
literally customize everything. From printer’s mark width
to pagination styles, it can all be defined by the user.
Once you have all your options set, they can be saved for
later use, combined, and rearranged as you like. With so
many options available in this program, there will be a
learning curve when you first jump into it. However,
Dynagram has done a great job of making the user
interface as friendly as possible without sacrificing
functionality. I highly recommend that professional
printers download the demo and give Dynastrip a try.
Dynastrip is also available in different versions with
different features. The version we looked at above is the
compact version. The only limitation of this program is
that sheets have a maximum size of 32" X 32". The full
version of Dynastrip will give you an unlimited sheet size
and be ideal for large printers. There is a price jump to
US$4,495 for this version.
The next two versions each have great features to help
Dynastrip integrate into your workflow and speed it up.
Dynastrip Automation will enable you to set up hot
folders to work with the software. Up to 200 hot folders
can be created where users can simply drop their files
and Dynastrip does the rest. This is especially useful for
documents such as newspapers where content will be
coming in at different times. The pages will be imposed
in the correct spot and sent to your desired output
device automatically. Dynastrip Automation retails
for US$6,495.
Our last version is especially useful for documents that
will need multiple languages. Dynastrip Fusion adds
versioning to the program. Up to 200 versions of the
same document can be created using a single template.
If easy editing and full customization are what you need,
look no further. The price of Dynastrip is fully justified by
the multitude of features you will receive — but only if
you will use this multitude. I would recommend this
program to anyone looking for a powerful and easy-to-
use imposition program.
FEATURE • IMPOSING 29
Pagination: (See ImpositionOrder pg. 25)
Gutters: The inner marginor from theprinted area to the binding.
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So far we’ve gone from the very basic to the extremely
advanced while looking at imposing software and for the
most part stayed within QuarkXPress. Here is a product
that covers what we missed; a mid-priced imposing
application exclusively for Acrobat. Quite Imposing from
Quite Software is somewhat of an oddity in our look at
imposing software. The user interface, and that it’s
exclusively an Acrobat Plug-in, sets it apart from most
of the other products we’ve examined.
In Acrobat, Quite Imposing will be listed under the
Plug-ins menu where you can bring up the control panel.
One of the first features I appreciated in this software
was the ability to see up front what options were
available. Everything can be executed directly from this
panel. With the easy imposition options you can start
editing your document. The booklet feature lets you
create standard two-up flats while n-up pages will allow
you to create larger flats. Join Pages will simply
combine your current page in the view with the next.
The next set of options is geared toward page
management. Most of these will probably be used prior
to imposing your document so give these a look before
jumping in and imposing. You can shuffle, trim, shift,
reverse, add blank pages and more. These options are
nice to have, especially while imposing a PDF where it
may not be as easy to just jump back to the original
document and make your edits.
Much like the other programs we looked at, you can
save your settings in Imposing for later use. I should
point out that Quite Software has put their own twist
on how this works. In QuarkImposer and INposition we
saw how settings were saved. In Quite Imposing it’s more
like saving an action in Photoshop. In fact, once you are
done editing your document select the Remember Last
button and all the actions you used in your last
document will be available. Give it a custom name and
use it the next time a similar document comes your way.
We’ve discussed the features in Quite Imposing that
more or less are also in the other imposing software, so
what makes this application different? As I said earlier, the
user interface has a twist that we haven’t seen much of
yet — it’s actually helpful! After selecting the action you
want from the control panel, Quite Imposing will walk
you through each of the steps necessary to complete
30 X-RAY MAGAZINE | VOLUME 4 NUMBER 5
Quite Imposing: Mac or PC | US$475.00
Reverse:Reorderingdocument pages indescending order.
Shift:Repositioning of a document pageon the plate.
Shuffle: In Imposing, page reordering as defined by the user.
Trim: When used as a noun, the finalfinished size of thedocument. Whenused as a verb, the action ofcutting the page to a trim mark.
QUITE IMPOSING Mac or PC | US$475.00 WHERE TO BUY:
• • • •For the price, a better option than INposition Lite but only works inAcrobat. The user interface may be cumbersome for advanced users. http://www.thepowerxchange.com
xry0610_30_imposing.qxd:Layout 1 9/22/06 2:44 PM Page 30
that action. Most every option is also accompanied by a
short explanation. For users unfamiliar with imposing
software, this is just the place to begin. With a little help
from Quite Imposing you’ll get your document ready for
print. However, for advanced users this interface will
probably become tedious. I found myself just wanting
one screen to enter my settings.
Running my same 80-page document through Quite
Imposing went smoothly, even quicker than I expected.
I started arranging my document with the page-
management tools. As I mentioned, these are valuable
tools for quickly editing your document within Acrobat. I
added four blank pages, shuffled the pages so all evens
and odds were grouped, and reversed the order of the
pages with no problem. After editing the single sheets I
moved on to imposing the document. I first used the
booklet option, which was a no-frills way of getting
two-up saddle stitched flats. N-up let me arrange the
pages in four-up and eight-up flats with some minor
work. You’ll have to define your own custom paper size
when working with these larger flats to get the correct
imposition. My choice of flat size did not always mesh
with my custom paper size. This resulted in having to
switch between dialog boxes to fix the paper size to
allow the larger spread. It would be nice if these larger
spreads were generated as easily as the booklet option.
While running my document through the software, I
noticed the lack of color bar and crop marks options.
You can add basic crop marks and frames around the
pages but don’t look much further than that.
After using Quite Imposing, it was hard to decide
whether this software or QuarkImposer would be my
choice for imposing in Acrobat. For a few more dollars
Quite throws in the page-management tools, which are
absent in QuarkImposer. Quite Imposing definitely wins
out for being more customizable but lost some points
with me when it came to the user interface. One feature
Quite Imposing could benefit from is a dedicated
preview palette like that of QuarkImposer. I would
suggest trying the demo for both these products to
drill down on your decision.
FEATURE • IMPOSING 31
Quite Imposing from Quite Software is a mid-pricedimposing application exclusively for Acrobat.
xry0610_30_imposing.qxd:Layout 1 9/22/06 2:44 PM Page 31
Like the other imposing software at which we have
looked, Imposing comes in two flavors, regular and plus.
Quite Imposing Plus has all of the same features as the
regular version, as well as several additions that printers
may find useful. With a higher price as well, this would
be a good candidate to run a demo first and see if it
meets your needs — before you make the investment.
The most noticeable additions are stick on and peel off
options in the control panel. Stick on will allow you to
add page numbers and masking tape to the PDF. The
masking tape will basically let you cover any part of the
document. As you might have guessed, peel off will strip
the document of these options if you later choose. This
process seemed analogous to Photoshop layers. In the
background, Quite Imposing Plus keeps track of these
latent layers and later allows you to delete them.
Also added to the control panel is a series of tabs at the
top. The sequences tab introduces us to a beefed-up
version of a remember-last button. Much like previous
action commands we saw, Quite Imposing Plus allows
you to create a series of commands to run within the
document. As an example, suppose you have multiple
documents that will require a two-up saddle stitch, two
blank pages added, and the pages will also need to be
trimmed. Quite Imposing Plus is just the ticket to get this
done. Set up each action to run in a sequence and you
can shoot all of your documents through, no hassle. The
sequences tab also allows you to speed up the process
by suppressing prompts and messages, a big
improvement from the regular version.
In fact, for me the most useful part of the plus version
was running the sequences. I loved the ability to
suppress the dialogs and prompts. I set my sequence up
to add blank pages, shuffle pages, and then create a four-
up flat of my document. I didn’t have much of a need for
the stick on functions but I tested them and everything
ran fine. The documents came out looking great. I have
to admit though, when I was finished I wasn’t sold on
the US$899.00 price tag. Like the regular version, give
this demo a try before you buy. See if it fits into your
workflow and budget.
32 X-RAY MAGAZINE | VOLUME 4 NUMBER 5
Quite Imposing Plus: Mac or PC | US$899.00
Seeing the pros and cons of each XTensions
module should give you a starting point to
decide which will best suit your needs. Not
everyone will need the bells and whistles but
when you need them, they are indispensable.
Review your own needs and available resources to
best decide what will work for you. Fortunately, all
of the XTensions and applications mentioned
here are available as demos. Test drives are a great
way to help decide your ideal product and could
save you some headaches down the road.
Conclusion
QUITE IMPOSING PLUS Mac or PC | US$899.00 WHERE TO BUY:
• • • •The Plus version adds actions to Imposing, which speeds things up.The same user interface as Imposing, and can be difficult to master. http://www.thepowerxchange.com
xry0610_30_imposing.qxd:Layout 1 9/22/06 2:44 PM Page 32
FEATURE • IMPOSING 33
Imposing Software at a Glance
xry0610_30_imposing.qxd:Layout 1 9/22/06 2:44 PM Page 33
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