dear all,

I'm a new user of Qimage Ultimate and trying to find my way through it. Hope you can help.

I'm printing on an Epson 4800 with roll paper. I want to combine sets of small prints in one print job, add crop marks and later cut out the individual prints (eventually with a cutting plotter). Number and size of the prints will vary from job to job. Also within a job, sizes may be mixed. Of course, paper needs to be used optimally so page size varies per print job.

By and large I can do this (using optimal print placement), but I face the following issues in my current workflow:

• paper size: The only way I can find to adapt the paper size is for every job to set it manually all the way into the printer driver. Ideally, I would let Qimage adjust the paper length automatically. Second best would be to have an easily accessible option, e.g. in the "Edit Page" menu.
• print spacing: As the crop marks need to be visible, I need a small spacing between the prints. "optimal print placing" leaves no space. "Optimal/spaced print placing" uses the length of the page, which in combination with the previous issue is not really optimal. Putting border around the prints does not work, as the crop marks are then placed on the edge of the border and not on the edge of the print.
• optimal spacing algorithm: the spacing is somewhat optimal, but it looks like Qimage forces the sequence of the print to remain intact, resulting in a sub-optimal placing. Manual re-placing is often needed.

,

Do I miss something? Are there alternative workflows for what I want? For reference, I have been looking to Imagenest, that seems to do exactly what I want, but that's on Apple only and I'd rather stick to PC.



Regards,

Joost

Ray,

I think the point Joost is trying to get across which is one I come across using my HP Designjet 130 is if you set the page length long then use optimal spaced then Qimage fills the page negating the effect of the trim unsed paper setting in the driver as the gaps between the images expand to fill the page.

I would like to be able to load a selection of images with borders then for example specify a 10mm gap between images+borders then print optimally spaced this would mean I could set the paper length long then the driver would handle the top and bottom white space with the remove top/bottom blank areas of the driver. Perhaps a preference setting for the optimally spaced setting this could then also include Joost's other request re sorting.

Could we therefore have an optimally spaced setting with user definable gaps and the option to retain or discard sorting for roll fed printers. I am assuming in this that other large format roll fed printers can remove top and bottom unused space from prints.

Regards

Mark

I have the same option in my Canon ipf6300. Really works slick. I just make a custom size like 24x60. Add various prints and check the save paper check box. Really works nice.

Mike

Hi Joost,

Maybe the canvas fold marks will do what you want. They put the marks inside the border.

Best wishes,

Ray

Thanks Ray. I tried it, but I'm afraid these fold marks don't do the trick. They do not really resemble the crop marks needed for cutting plotters. I still think the best approach would to have option to contol the nesting space between images (which is now zero when choosing "optimal print placing" or non-controlled when choosing "optimal/spaced print placing". Mike, would this be feature you could consider?

An alternative could be to have the option to place the crop marks within the border. But there would be several drawbacks to that.

Joost