Calling all Nexus, ArtPro, PowerLayout Users/Gurus

[EmptyWords]

OK Nexus, ArtPro & PowerLayout gurus...

I have a dilemma, we are currently getting files from clients that are gangs for the most part, we impose in ArtPro/PowerLayout, then off to the Nexus box to get screened and exposed to our platesetter as 1-bit tiffs. Then run & die cut.

Here in lies the problem, lately we have been getting pre-screened files in, this causes us a few problems, especially if the screened job is ganged up w/ a non-screened job, we have to send it through the rip to get screened so the one already w/ screens looks like shit on press. So what do you guys do when you get pre-screened jobs in, even when you run all pre-screened jobs and when you have to combo the jobs w/ un-screened artwork???

This issue has been driving me nuts the past few weeks and I have yet to find a good answer/solution and the looks of the jobs coming off press could lose us business.

Any ideas, thoughts, workarounds, etc that any of you know about????

Gracious thanks for any help.......
EW

[beck]

We have more customers wanting to give us pre-screened tiffs.

So far we've been able to hold them off by telling them "If you pr-screen them, we can not be held responsible for quality" - all our software is calibrated to OUR screens, OUR press, OUR proofing software, etc.

So far we haven't lost anyone because of this, as far as I know.

As for a work-around, I have none.

beck

[andyfest]

We have more customers wanting to give us pre-screened tiffs.

So far we've been able to hold them off by telling them "If you pr-screen them, we can not be held responsible for quality" - all our software is calibrated to OUR screens, OUR press, OUR proofing software, etc.

So far we haven't lost anyone because of this, as far as I know.

As for a work-around, I have none.

beck

Same here. We cannot be held responsible for "uncalibrated" screening. So far it's worked as we haven't received any such file yet. You could maybe try using low-res links/OPPOs to see about ganging tho'

[gnubler]

Why would customers provide you with prescreened files? And how are they doing it?

[EmptyWords]

Thanks everyone, Beck & andyfest, your are lucky, we are getting files from some media houses who for the life of me I don't understand, think that the pre-screened files are the way to go "it screens how they want it to look and will be consistent throughout all vendors" (bullshit, I call).

gunbler, they are sending in pre-screened/pre-separated DCS files, some are coming from film scans, I can understand that, since the artwork is long gone/lost, but the ones who do have current live content, then pre-screen the files, that I really have no explanation for, maybe extreme stupidity????

Seems that I am one of a few who are struggling w/ this issue, I have talked to another ArtPro guy and they pretty much import, then let it fly to the rip. Since we did not buy a license for the nexus processor/import part of the rip, we can't do what they do. You should see some of the garbage coming off press, since the screens & ppi really don't match, like sticking a turd through a blender. I feel ashamed of what is coming off press, I actually still give a shit about what I do and can't stand  having big clients think we are and joke and don't have a clue.

If some of the files were much simpler, I would just recreate the files, but most are very complex, with all kinds of funky artwork, like paintings etc.

Again thanks for the input everybody, it's saving what little sanity I have working w/ these files.

EW

[Joe]

Is your RIP re-screening the screened files or just using the screening that is already there? It should be just using the screening that is already there and not try to re-screen a screen and it shouldn't look bad unless the original looked bad. The secret is to make sure they are screening the files at whatever your output device is setup for. For example, if your CTP is set to output at 2400 dpi then they should send you screened files at 2400 dpi. Anything else will moire badly. Also, when these screened files are setup they need to be aware that all output devices are different and what prints at say 5% on one machine might output at 10% on another machine and maybe at 1% on another machine. The calibration for the output device should be done at the time they screen the files. Unless they have been calibrated to your machine it will always be a bit of a crap shoot.

[beck]

Why would customers provide you with prescreened files? And how are they doing it?

They are doing it so us lowly printers "don't alter their files".

They want us to "just drop their tiffs into our layout" and hit the PRINT button.  Yet they never take the time to learn ANYTHING about our process.

Arrogant pricks.

beck

[EmptyWords]

Joe,

Our rip is re-screening the files sent in since they have both screened and non-screened artwork ganged on a presssheet, I tried to do a screened page for the live artwork and try to match the screened file a bit, but everytime I do that and plug it into ArtPro/PowerLayout and run it through a unscreened rasterise separations, I get a failure at the make presstek file, f I run it through a screening workflow, it works fine and does not fail. The other trick you talked about, is that the files are coming from all over the place and I know for sure that 3 I just had run were actually originally done at 2400 and re-rezed to 2540. Moire's well I have seen quite a few of those w/ all this pre-screening coming in, it's been nothing but a crap shoot along, but you know how some people are, they read something in a mag and thinks it's the greatest idea every, so from then on, everything they do is based on a uneducated quick read/buzz word.

Thanks....
EW

[EmptyWords]

Why would customers provide you with prescreened files? And how are they doing it?

They are doing it so us lowly printers "don't alter their files".

They want us to "just drop their tiffs into our layout" and hit the PRINT button.  Yet they never take the time to learn ANYTHING about our process.

Arrogant pricks.

beck

Amen Brother, your preaching to the Choir!!! And it really cuts to the truth of the matter, all about them, "oh exalted ones" than to communicate to the vendor and get out a quality product.

[Joe]

Joe,

Our rip is re-screening the files sent in since they have both screened and non-screened artwork ganged on a presssheet, I tried to do a screened page for the live artwork and try to match the screened file a bit, but everytime I do that and plug it into ArtPro/PowerLayout and run it through a unscreened rasterise separations, I get a failure at the make presstek file, f I run it through a screening workflow, it works fine and does not fail. The other trick you talked about, is that the files are coming from all over the place and I know for sure that 3 I just had run were actually originally done at 2400 and re-rezed to 2540. Moire's well I have seen quite a few of those w/ all this pre-screening coming in, it's been nothing but a crap shoot along, but you know how some people are, they read something in a mag and thinks it's the greatest idea every, so from then on, everything they do is based on a uneducated quick read/buzz word.

Thanks....
EW

I used to send mixed files to an imagesetter through a Delta RIP years ago and it would only screen the non-screened files and not touch the screened files. This was back in the late 90's and I don't know if there would be a setting on your Nexus RIP or not that could tell it not to rescreen the screened data.

Re-rezzing files to match the output device will not work. They would have to be created at the proper rez from the start.

Nevertheless....beck has hit the proverbial nail on the head.

[EmptyWords]

Joe,

Our rip is re-screening the files sent in since they have both screened and non-screened artwork ganged on a presssheet, I tried to do a screened page for the live artwork and try to match the screened file a bit, but everytime I do that and plug it into ArtPro/PowerLayout and run it through a unscreened rasterise separations, I get a failure at the make presstek file, f I run it through a screening workflow, it works fine and does not fail. The other trick you talked about, is that the files are coming from all over the place and I know for sure that 3 I just had run were actually originally done at 2400 and re-rezed to 2540. Moire's well I have seen quite a few of those w/ all this pre-screening coming in, it's been nothing but a crap shoot along, but you know how some people are, they read something in a mag and thinks it's the greatest idea every, so from then on, everything they do is based on a uneducated quick read/buzz word.

Thanks....
EW

I used to send mixed files to an imagesetter through a Delta RIP years ago and it would only screen the non-screened files and not touch the screened files. This was back in the late 90's and I don't know if there would be a setting on your Nexus RIP or not that could tell it not to rescreen the screened data.

Re-rezzing files to match the output device will not work. They would have to be created at the proper rez from the start.

Nevertheless....beck has hit the proverbial nail on the head.

I tried to find something along the lines of that but could not, course I am not a Nexus guru, never had even one class on the operation/building of workflows, maybe someone who knows Nexus inside & out could  tell me different.

[Joe]

At one time, switching all customers from camera work to digital, we had experimented with using screened files through Nexus and I swear it worked as long as it was created at the res of our imagesetter at the time. Fortunately our customers all converted fairly quickly and we never had to get into it. We don't use Nexus anymore so I can't really try it out now.

[gnubler]

Why would customers provide you with prescreened files? And how are they doing it?

They are doing it so us lowly printers "don't alter their files".

They want us to "just drop their tiffs into our layout" and hit the PRINT button.  Yet they never take the time to learn ANYTHING about our process.

Arrogant pricks.

beck

That's what I figured. Must be the very *advanced* desingers who insist on such a workflow. :snort:

BTW, is scanning old film called a copy dot?

[determined]

Why would customers provide you with prescreened files? And how are they doing it?

They are doing it so us lowly printers "don't alter their files".

They want us to "just drop their tiffs into our layout" and hit the PRINT button.  Yet they never take the time to learn ANYTHING about our process.

Arrogant pricks.

beck

That's what I figured. Must be the very *advanced* desingers who insist on such a workflow. :snort:

BTW, is scanning old film called a copy dot?

Yeah, old film seps into digital are copy dot files (and they're usually done as DCS files with a lo res that gets placed) At least where I used to work, that was the deal. Don't think you see much of it anymore, it was basically a way to use old film without having to burn plates the old fashioned way.

[haushold]

The only prescreened files we receive are either film scans from items we have ran in the past - or new jobs set up to our specs. I can only imagine the crap you would get - getting others prescreened files. Nothing I know of can fix it.