Mike Chaney's Tech Corner

Mike's Software => Qimage Ultimate Wish List => Topic started by: bgrigor on June 20, 2017, 08:21:40 PM



Title: Multiple media sizes in one job
Post by: bgrigor on June 20, 2017, 08:21:40 PM
This might seem weird to most, but it happens fairly often in my workflow. However, I deem this as a low priority feature.

E.g. I'll get an order for 9 copies of a file that, with borders, has print dimensions of 18.625" x 12.000". I will print this on roll stock. So I will do 8 copies, as 2-up on media size 24x18.625. The last copy has to be a separate job, which I will do 1-up on media size 24x12. AFAIK, this must be done as two jobs. It would be more efficient (for me), if I could set it all up as a single job that prints all 9 copies without further intervention.

Cheers!

Brad


Title: Re: Multiple media sizes in one job
Post by: Fred A on June 21, 2017, 09:34:16 AM
Quote
I'll get an order for 9 copies of a file that, with borders, has print dimensions of 18.625" x 12.000". I will print this on roll stock. So I will do 8 copies, as 2-up on media size 24x18.625. The last copy has to be a separate job, which I will do 1-up on media size 24x12. AFAIK, this must be done as two jobs. It would be more efficient (for me), if I could set it all up as a single job that prints all 9 copies without further intervention.

Cheers!

Hi Brad,
I know Mike is a genius, and maybe he can make QU switch from roll paper to sheet in your driver, but in the meantime, I wonder how this idea might work for you?
I just tried it and it works.

Set up your job with the 8 copies as you normally would in Qimage 2018.101
Open another version, perhaps 100 or even a 2017 version and set that to the sheet paper etc etc etc....
As soon as the first job starts, now switch screens to a shrunk to the taskbar secondary Qimage, and click Print.
The second job will automatically follow the first primary job.

Fred


Title: Re: Multiple media sizes in one job
Post by: bgrigor on July 04, 2017, 11:01:42 PM
Hi Brad,
I know Mike is a genius, and maybe he can make QU switch from roll paper to sheet in your driver, but in the meantime, I wonder how this idea might work for you?
I just tried it and it works.

Set up your job with the 8 copies as you normally would in Qimage 2018.101
Open another version, perhaps 100 or even a 2017 version and set that to the sheet paper etc etc etc....
As soon as the first job starts, now switch screens to a shrunk to the taskbar secondary Qimage, and click Print.
The second job will automatically follow the first primary job.

Fred


Thanks Fred. A clarification... there is no switch from roll to sheet--it would all be on roll stock. What it would require is the ability to have different media sizes in the same job.

For now, I just wait until QU has finished spooling out the first 8 copies and returns control. Then I setup the 9th copy and submit it. The jobs going into the same log. If I used two different QU instances, then the jobs would go into different logs.

Cheers!

Brad


Title: Re: Multiple media sizes in one job
Post by: Fred A on July 05, 2017, 08:34:30 AM
Quote
I'll get an order for 9 copies of a file that, with borders, has print dimensions of 18.625" x 12.000". I will print this on roll stock. So I will do 8 copies, as 2-up on media size 24x18.625. The last copy has to be a separate job, which I will do 1-up on media size 24x12. AFAIK, this must be done as two jobs.
Brad,
I wonder if you would indulge my curiosity?
How would this job (noted above), turn out if you placed only two images in the queue as you normally would; two up and 18.625 long.
Then in the driver, tell it to make 5 copies.
Upside: All one job, saves time creating 9 print files, and more time spooling, cutting etc
Downside: Wasted 6 inches of paper.

Would this even work in the Z3200? I see they offer number of copies like other drivers, so can you ty it?
Fred


Title: Re: Multiple media sizes in one job
Post by: bgrigor on July 05, 2017, 08:45:22 PM
I wonder if you would indulge my curiosity?
How would this job (noted above), turn out if you placed only two images in the queue as you normally would; two up and 18.625 long.
Then in the driver, tell it to make 5 copies.
Upside: All one job, saves time creating 9 print files, and more time spooling, cutting etc
Downside: Wasted 6 inches of paper.

Would this even work in the Z3200? I see they offer number of copies like other drivers, so can you ty it?
Fred

Hi, Fred. Yes, it works in the Z3200. I can dial up the copy count within QU. And I often to this. As it happens, in the case above (9 copies), since QU can't do all 9 in the one setup, I would/do/did run the first 8 copies as a 2-up arrangement times 4 copies in the driver. This reduces spooling time and spool file size. Then I setup the second media size (shorter) and do the final copy times 1.

In making 5 copies, there is also the extra ink used and the print time, in addition to the paper. Since I print on rolls, I'm careful to minimize wastage "down the roll". And if there is wastage across the roll, I'll set it up so I can trim off as large a piece as possible since I can use the scraps in sheet mode for small projects.

Cheers!

Brad


Title: Re: Multiple media sizes in one job
Post by: admin on July 05, 2017, 09:15:39 PM
Based on what you said in your first post, when you are done, you will have used 86.5 inches of roll paper.  Why wouldn't you just set your paper size to 24x86.5 to begin with and then add nine 12x18.625 inch prints and let QU lay them out automatically: see attached.

Mike