Mike Chaney's Tech Corner

Tried to figure this out myself but no luck so hoping this can be done.  ???

I sell prints based on the finished paper size with a minimum one inch white border. No cropping of artwork so borders often end up uneven which is fine.

My current workflow is to set up a page, centre the image and apply the border with no cropping and then print to file. I would then print this finished file to create my final print with borders. I would like to reduce the time it takes to do all of this as I have lots of images to work with.So, I recently discovered Templates which looks very promising BUT.....when I create a page template for example a 12 x 16 inch page with one inch white border this works fine, IF I add the image with cropping. BUT...for example, if I add a square format image to this page template, without cropping, Qimage automatically reduces the size of my page (to a square format). I don't want this. I really need to maintain the exact page size at all times and if cropping is unset I need the image to scale down and fit the available print space I have allowed within the template. Is there a way to lock the template page size, so that I can achieve this without Qimage altering my template size? If this is not possible to do, could this feature be added? It would literally half my production time during print sessions. Or is this already possible?

Just to clarify, in case my explanation is unclear. I create a 12 x 16 page template with one inch border. I drop a 10 x 10 image on the template and I want a 12 x 16 finished page with a 10 x 10 image in the middle (one inch border on sides and 3 inches top and bottom.

Anyone know how to do this?

Thanks
John

I want to be clear with regard to what you mean by "page".  If you had a 12x16 sheet of paper, you would only need to add the image at the 10x10 size in IntelliCenter placement.  Or are you working with a wide format printer where you want to create a 12x16 "work area" within a larger sheet of paper?

Mike

Hi Mike,

Yes I am working with large format printers so using roll media. In this example, I would require a 10 x 10 printed with crop lines around a 12 x 16 page. If the template I created could be locked to my chosen size with borders and treated by Qimage as if it was a regular page, then this could (in theory) be achieved. At the moment is seems that Qimage tries to save paper by creating a 10 x 10 image on a 12 by 12 page, thus preventing me using Templates and increasing my production time x 2.

Regards
John

Is this close to what you want?
It is a 10 x 10 print with a 1.0 inch border,and a 3 inch border in red so you can see it better.
If this is what you want, can do.
Fred

Sounds like Template/Centered placement is what you are looking for.

Try this.

(1) Set placement to Template/Centered (placement button under the Live View).
(2) On the Prints tab, set your print size to 12x16.
(3) Set a white 1 inch border on the Prints tab (use B, not B+).
(4) Still on the Prints tab, turn off cropping (button with scissors icon).
(5) Optional: on the Printers and Settings tab, click on "Cut Marks" and select "Mark Corners".
(6) Click the + button on thumbnails to add prints.

Step 5 will show you where to cut the pages as the crop marks will be at the template edges (12x16).

One final note...  If I were to do this, knowing I'm going to end up having to cut 12x16 sheets in the end anyway, I'd probably just cut some 12x16 sheets from the roll and sheet feed them.  That way I can go to Edit, Preferences, Print and Page Formatting, set Margins to a 1.0 inch total on all sides.  Then it's as simple as using IntelliCenter placement, keeping my 1.0 inch B border, and clicking "Fit to Page" as the size on every print.  But, as they say, different strokes for different folks.

Regards,
Mike

Mike thank you for the suggestion.

I will certainly give this a go tomorrow when I am back in the office. Unfortunately cutting paper to size first is not an option for me because I print so many different print sizes and aspect ratio's on every print run. Was hoping to build a separate template for each of my standard print sizes (about 30) and then drop the template on to the roll layout for each size required to fill an order. As I mentioned earlier the templates I built worked perfectly as long as auto cropping was set to on, but since I reproduce original artwork (paintings) these obviously cannot be cropped. If the template page size remained locked and the border was pre set then this would force the template to act like a virtual page. Hopefully your suggestion will achieve this. Will post back again after trying this out.

Regards
John

Fred

Did you achieve this using a template? Or was this set up manually?

Regards
John

That was done manually,

John,
Simple job once I understood     
1) I selected a page size to hold your job. I selected a 13 x 19 sheet.
2) Clicked the  PRINT TAB, then CUSTOM, and used top selection, Enter Specific Size  I typed 10.0 x 10.0
3) With auto crop on, (so we get our full 10 x 10) I add my image.
4) right click on selected image Choose Photo Mat uneven borders
5) Open that, and select color, type in 1.0 in the left and right size boxes, and 3.0 in the top and bottom.
Make sure the dot below is in GROW MAT so the 10 x 10 will be maintained for the picture.

Now SAVE it as a JOB.

Bonus.... By doing it this way, you can recall the job, and replace the image easily by clicking the QUEUE TAB and dragging a new image and dropping it on the old one.  See snaps 137 and 138
You can change or edit the mat by selecting it, and right click and EDIT MAT
See screen snaps.
Fred

Hi Mike,

I tested your suggested workflow and it appears to work great for single print setups. In fact, this will be very useful for my single print orders. Thanks for that! Unfortunately adding a second or subsequent print (different size) to the same page after using this workflow, changes the size I have setup for the first print. Maybe I have missed something?

Regards
John

If you recall the job, then all settings come with it. As I showed in the flying bird, it has the same dimensions 10 x 10 as the ibis.
The flying bird is a hard cropped image and still comes out the same size.

I believe that you want to do more than one per print job, calling for an identical set with a different image in the 10 x 10 on roll paper
The way I would do this is to start with a 10 x 10 template. Save that as a layout.

This is slick. Now go to Print tab and Custom and dot the row that says Layout. Select and open your saved Layout. I called mine 10 x 10
Now add your prints, as many as you want. (I added 10 images)
Each image gets the use of a new template automatically as you add images.
Remember auto crop on)

Now the slick part. Right click on the big image and choose SELECT ALL (Top of list)
Now Right click again, and select add mat.
Add mat opens and it remembered the 1.0 sides and the 3.0 top and bottom.
Click OK and all the prints have the mats as it was before.
The floating text is not there because I am guessing you want different text for each image anyway.

You can save the Layout  in the beginning with the text if you wish, and it too will recall.

Hope this helps,
Fred

Maybe I misinterpretted what you are trying to do.  My steps with the 12x16 size and 1 inch border will always work for any shape (aspect ratio) image.  It'll produce 12x16 "pages" with a 1 inch minimum border on the side(s).  The template size (12x16) is your page size, so any image you add at the (current size) of 12x16 will conform.  Any image added will have either a 1 inch border on all sides or a 1 inch border on 2 sides and a larger border on the opposing 2 sides (depends on the aspect ratio of the images).  So if you want 12x16 "pages", you should never be changing the print size.

Are you saying you want some "pages" at sizes other than 12x16?  If you want to do that, you'd have to separate the other sizes into different jobs since you can only have one "page" size per job.

Note: Fred's method is more flexible... but I was trying to get you to the simplest solution based on what you were trying to do (12x16 pages cut from a large sheet with uncropped images, 1 inch minimum borders on the sides).

Regards,
Mike

Mike,

It's a great solution and one that I am happy to use for many of my single print orders. On the other hand, most day's I get orders for all different print sizes. So in one print run I might have an A3,  A4, 10 x 8 +12 x 16 (for example). In each case these sizes need to be the finished paper size with a one inch minimum white border and no cropping. I have to try Fred's suggestion (need to read it carefully first), but do you think that would work for me?

Thanks
John

No Fred,

I am not looking for an identical set. I want to print up to 30 different sizes on the same page (Roll printing). I just need templates (Or similar) that maintain a specific size / aspect ratio and also apply a one inch border without cropping. Will your method allow for multiple saved layouts on the same page (Roll)?

Regards
John

Just make a template for each size you use.  i.e 10 x10, 12 x 12 or any other size that isn't square. 8 x 10, 11 x 14, 12 x 16 etc. It takes less that a minute to make them.
The rest you will have to listen to Mike as to which method you like and the placement on the roll.
Wish you the best
Fred

I just tried another way to see which was better.
I opened the 10 x 10 template, and the select it by clicking it. Then go to sizes and choose a different size.  The template will resize itself.
Maybe you can use this informatio,
You will have to revise your work flow to suit
Fred

That's my problem Fred. I can easily create templates to a specific size and adding borders to these works great too... BUT...they only work if crop mode is switched on. As soon as you deselect crop, you lose your original layout! Qimage tries to save paper and reduces the larger borders. Maybe this is one for the wish list, but if templates had an option to either lock the original size or reduce to save paper, this would be a really useful feature. Mike's workaround is great for one off prints but roll paper printing with multiple prints of different sizes becomes a pain to do under these circumstances. Would this be difficult thing to achieve in a future release?

Maybe I just don't understand.
When you select a print size, Qimage has to look at the aspect ratio of the image. Most cameras are 3:2, some 4:3 and most images are processed to taste my the user manually cropping as I do mostly.  The aspect ratio is now varied.  If it is imperative that  I fill in a requested print size, whether it is 10 x 10 or 12 x 16, the crop scissor is on to give QU permission to fill the print size request The images you select to print are likely to have various aspect ratios. Try them without templates.
Fred

I'm not aware of any software that will allow you to define multiple page sizes within a single job.  What you are asking is for QU to have a second set of bounds: you'd have to have a print size for each print and another for a "page size" for each print.  Borders are print borders: they appear around your print.  So if you have crop on and add a 1 inch B border to an 8x10 print, you get a 6x8 print with a 1 inch border all around.  But if you turn crop off and you have a typical 3:2 image, your print cannot be 6x8: it can only be 5.33x8 and you'll end up with a 1 inch border around that print which gives you a 7.33x10 inch print (including borders).  It's not changing the layout to save space: it's changing the layout because it has to since you've asked it to do something it cannot do.

It's possible that it could be added by, for example, introducing a third type of border: like a "fill border" that could increase the border size beyond what you specify to fill out the size to the original requested size (making two larger borders on 2 sides).  I'll look into it.  For now, it'd be best to just create the layouts you typically use.  That is, use my reply #4 and create a setup for 12x16, A4, A3, 8x10, and any other sizes you want and save them and name them accordingly.  Then when you want to print an A4, open the A4 setup, print, open the 8x10 layout, print, etc.  That's the easiest way I can think of in the current version.

Regards,
Mike

Mike / Fred

Thank you both for the time you have given to this. From reading replies, I think there may be some confusion, most likely caused by my own poor use of terminology/definitions. Sorry about that!

The existing template functionality is really very good. I can see how this would really suit most workflows. I guess that I would prefer my templates to act in the same way that a page works when using print to file. With print to file I can create a page that is A4 and drop an image with any aspect ratio on to the page with one inch border set and cropping switched off and Qimage does exactly what I want. With a template, I try to do the same thing and the template changes size if the image is a different aspect ratio. In simple terms, if I create a 12 x 16 template, I want it to remain 12 x 16 and the image to fit within the available space, allowing for borders. Just like print to file.

I really like the workflow Mike explained (this will save me many hours when working with single images). It's incredible just how many features I have still not explored after many years using Qimage. I will keep a close eye on future updates in the hope that I can someday use templates in my preferred way.

Keep up the good work guy's and thanks again!

John