| The Adobe illustrator Plug-in has been rewritten
from the ground up. |
Ease of use and productivity are enhanced with a
more streamlined and intuitive workflow, better stability and added
GERBER EDGE output functionality. |
| There is no more "Make Gerber Ready" and no more
"Panel Layer." They are no longer needed. |
The first step in previous versions of the plug-in
was to execute the command "Make Gerber Ready." This would add a
layer to the document called "Panel Layer." Although the Panel Layer
was meant to be a MacImprint-owned layer that stored all MacImprint–specific
settings, new users would often delete this layer. This often led to
confusion and frustration because all of the Gerber settings for the
job were stored on that layer. The MacImprint 2.0 plug-in no longer
has a "Make Gerber Ready" command and you can just get started right
away. |
| Automatic paneling |
Saves time because paneling now happens
automatically! Eliminates guesswork about output orientation and the
number of panel lines to add to a job. Auto paneling also includes
Same Size Panels and Maintain the Minimum Paneling for
the document size. If desired, users can override the panel
locations, add more panel lines and adjust the spacing between each
panel. |
| Repeats of paneled jobs |
Want 4 copies of your paneled job? Just do it. The
Panels palette now includes a new control called "Copies." |
| "High Heat" is available on both overprint and
non-overprint shapes |
Better quality output is made easier as you can now
select high heat on a per shape basis in Illustrator. MacImprint
previously had high heat available only from the printer driver. |
| Improved user interface
|
The user interface was overhauled to group items
together in a logical workflow, give the user more information, and
to provide access to additional settings and functionality from
within the plug-in environment. For example, the Layout palette
starts at the top with the dimensions of the document, flows down
with items such as weed border, portrait/landscape, repeats, repeat
gaps, and shows the effects of each step on the dimensions of the
job. For example, if you have a 5" x 7" document, add a .25" weed
border it will show 5.5" x 7.5" at that step. |
| Improved graphical feedback about output |
|
| |
Vinyl sprocket holes are drawn on the Illustrator
document to illustrate orientation of the document to the material
being printed on according to the orientation (portrait/landscape)
selected in the Layout palette. This can be turned on or off in the
Gerber Preferences dialog. |
| |
Repeats preview. Located in the bottom of the Layout
palette, a preview of the document is drawn that shows repeats in
both directions. The size of each repeat is kept large enough to be
visible. If there are more repeats than can fit in the preview, the
number of repeats are shown in text at the bottom of the palette
worded as "y" repeats across print head, "x" repeats along vinyl
roll. Sprocket holes are also drawn in the Layout preview for
orientation purposes. |
| |
Panel line drawing in the document window. Panel
lines have three settings - off, simple, verbose. Off does not
display the panel lines, simple draws with a single red line, and
verbose draws with the red line in addition to transparent shading
indicating overlap and trap. The settings can be changed in the
Gerber Preferences dialog. |
| |
The Panel Palette now shows the positions of each
panel line, and includes a clickable switch to determine whether a
panel is output. If you expand the width of the palette more details
are revealed for each panel, such as where each panel's printing and
cutting starts and ends, along with the size of each panel. There is
a button that brings up a "Panel Legend" window that gives a
graphical explanation of paneling, including overlap and trap. At
the bottom of the panel palette is a panel preview area where the
document is drawn with panel lines. Vinyl sprocket holes are also
drawn on this preview area for orientation purposes. |
| Parameter Sets
|
Users can capture and name all current MacImprint
settings and reuse them in other jobs. An example would be a "Window
Decal" Parameter Set which would apply static cling material,
reverse print order, backing white, mirror image, .5" weed border,
center on vinyl, etc. to the current document. MacImprint includes
some sample sets and also allows users to define and apply a
"defaults" Parameter set for new Illustrator jobs. If you want all
of your new jobs to use the EDGE 2 and enVision™ 375, GerberTone
Photo halftoning, ImageCal "P" vinyl, etc., this is where you do it.
|
| Improved Halftoning |
Yields smoother fades and halftone results more
consistent with GERBER OMEGA. |
| A new MacImprint Plug-In Preferences dialog
includes settings for scratch disks, heat settings, and enVision and
Odyssey settings |
Heat settings, enVision and ODYSSEY™ settings are
based on media family. For example, you can set the default speed,
force, offset, acceleration enVision settings for Scotchcal™ 225 to
whatever you like, then you will have those settings used
automatically if you don't override them from the plug-in palettes.
These preferences were previously available from the MacImprint
printer driver only, but used by both the printer driver and the
plug-in. It was previously the only way to change these settings for
the plug-in. |
| Additional Print to cut targets available |
Print to cut targets can now be set to "single
centered on panel," "single in original position," or "4 targets in
corners." |
| Print a job from a Postscript inkjet printer with
4 targets, then cut the job on an ODYSSEY plotter |
MacImprint can now optionally add four targets to an
Adobe-Illustrator job. That job with the targets can then be printed
to an inkjet printer using the standard printer driver (usually a
PostScript driver) or saved as a PostScript file. Once printed, load
the job into an ODYSSEY plotter and locate the targets using new
MacImprint 4-target software. Once the targets are located,
MacImprint will adjust the cut data appropriately, and cut the job.
|
| The EDGE and plotter printer drivers no longer
install automatically, reducing confusion about printing through the
MacImprint Plug-In versus printing through the EDGE printer driver
|
Gerber Device Setup is now available from within the
Plug-in, making the printer driver an optional install. The Gerber
printers and plotters can now be completely configured from within
Illustrator. In the past you had to go to the Chooser, select the
MacImprint printer driver, and configure your printers and plotters
with the printer driver. When the EDGE printer driver was installed,
some new users would try to print and plot from Illustrator through
the printer driver instead of through the plug-in. Printing and
plotting through the EDGE printer driver offers far fewer output
options than printing through the plug-in. |
| Full control of enVision and ODYSSEY settings
from a palette within the plug-in, override-able for each document
|
The Output Options palette contains settings for the
printer and plotter. If the plotter is an enVision or ODYSSEY
the controls for speed, force, offset, acceleration are revealed and
can be used to override the defaults for the selected media family.
If the selected plotter is one of the older GS or HS plotters only
the speed control will be revealed. |
| Foil conservation can now be turned on or off
from the plug-in |
Was previously available only from the printer
driver and affected only printing from the printer driver.
|
| Rewind after print and/or plot |
Allows the user to control the end position of print
and cut jobs. |
| Preshuffle before print and/or plot |
Allows for a preview of material usage and job
tracking. |
| Ability to automatically close or cut open shapes
|
Was not allowed in MacImprint 1.2 and earlier. |
| Centering Job on vinyl |
Used with paneled EDGE jobs and with EDGE jobs that
use a disproportionate amount of foil on one side of the print head.
|
| Updated Materials Palettes |
New vinyl families, new foils . |
| |
© 2003 GSP, Inc. All Rights Reserved |
