B4Print.com

Imposition Software => Other Imposition Software => Topic started by: james on February 07, 2011, 07:47:19 AM

Title: Which Imposition Software should we buy?
Post by: james on February 07, 2011, 07:47:19 AM
Hello.
Basically I need some help.
I want a decent Imposition software for a Mac that can send complicated impositions, output separations and must be able to do colour bars to our Imagesetter
And I would like the SAME piece of software to be able to send files to our Indigo Press as a PS file and this must be able to do variable data.

At the moment we are using Dynagram's INposition extension in Quark 6 and
HP's Yours Truly Designer also an extension in Quark 6.

But we want to upgrade to Quark 8 and I was hoping that 1 piece of stand alone software can do the lot
(A piece of software that doesn't need Quark running to impose jobs)

HP want £1500+ for Yours Truly Designer which is alot

I have being told about
Design Merge
Fusion Pro
Kodak Preps

Any feed back appreciated. Thanks
Title: Re: Which Imposition Software should we buy?
Post by: mattbeals on February 07, 2011, 08:41:21 AM
Use Quite Imposing or Dynagram's Inpo2 and output the seps from Acrobat. You can do color bars with both. But I don't know how well they will handle variable data or how you are handling it. Couldn't an N-up or cut stack imposition accomplish some of what you need? How "complicated" the impositions are is relative. If you mean "complicated" then you might just have to buy Preps or Yours Truly.
Title: Re: Which Imposition Software should we buy?
Post by: james on February 07, 2011, 09:20:34 AM
Thanks for the reply.

Do you know how much Kodak Preps is? I don't want to contact Kodak just yet. I have also downloaded a 30day demo version. I just need to put it on a suitable Mac and have a play with it.
Title: Re: Which Imposition Software should we buy?
Post by: tapdn on February 07, 2011, 09:30:38 AM
If you really need to output postscript files- don't have a PDF workflow, youmight want to look at getting a copy of Preps 5 instead.
Title: Re: Which Imposition Software should we buy?
Post by: james on February 07, 2011, 09:42:56 AM
Its a few times this Kodak Preps has being mentioned.

I take it its popular and a powerful piece of kit then?
Title: Re: Which Imposition Software should we buy?
Post by: gnubler on February 07, 2011, 10:10:40 AM
Quote from: james on February 07, 2011, 07:47:19 AMBut we want to upgrade to Quark 8

You want to, or you're being forced to?  :death:
Title: Re: Which Imposition Software should we buy?
Post by: Joe on February 07, 2011, 10:16:19 AM
Quote from: james on February 07, 2011, 09:42:56 AMIts a few times this Kodak Preps has being mentioned.

I take it its popular and a powerful piece of kit then?

Yes, and I believe the price is substantial too. I know when we got it about 5 years ago it was around US $3000 per copy. As tapdn mentioned, Preps 5 might be a better option if you need PS but I'm not sure Kodak will sell you the older version. I've tried Inpo2 from Dynagram as Matt mentioned. It's a great impo tool but it is a plugin for Acrobat as is Quite Imposing so you would need to make PDF's and not use PS. That isn't necessarily a bad thing. For a stand alone app, Kodak Preps and Dynagram Dynastrip are the main two I believe. Both are about equal. Dynastrip might be a little cheaper. Not sure on that.
Title: Re: Which Imposition Software should we buy?
Post by: DCurry on February 07, 2011, 10:28:02 AM
I'll bet you can pick up a used copy of Preps 5. I'm not really sure how you would efficiently run variable data jobs with it, though.

As someone else asked, what exactly do you mean by "complicated" layouts? FusionPro's Imposer module won't do real complicated layouts. HP's SmartStream (used to be YoursTruly) can do a little more than FusionPro as far as impo goes.

Quark 8? Really? Have fun with that! If you do get SmartStream, know that HP is dedicating more programming resources to developing the plugin for InDesign than future versions of Quark.
Title: Re: Which Imposition Software should we buy?
Post by: Farabomb on February 07, 2011, 11:49:01 AM
Seriously, run far and fast from quark. This is from a former quark fan, indy has it beat dead to rights.

Preps has be able to do whatever I asked. Some times I had to plead but it always got it done. As stated above Preps 5 will suit you much better than 6 if you are running a non-PDF workflow.

Welcome to the forums BTW. We can be a bit crude but most here know what they are talking about.
Title: Re: Which Imposition Software should we buy?
Post by: tapdn on February 07, 2011, 12:44:08 PM
I was thinking a "used" version/ dongle for Preps 5 would be much cheaper. A quick search brought up this for $1200.
http://www.colorprintingforum.com/prepress-equipment-for-sale/kodak-preps-plus-5-x-dongle-for-sale-4322.html (http://www.colorprintingforum.com/prepress-equipment-for-sale/kodak-preps-plus-5-x-dongle-for-sale-4322.html)

Title: Re: Which Imposition Software should we buy?
Post by: Farabomb on February 07, 2011, 01:03:42 PM
P.S. if you do choose to go the used route you shouldn't worry about support. Lots of preps users here and we should be able to figure it out for ya, much quicker than Kodak most of the time.
Title: Re: Which Imposition Software should we buy?
Post by: mattbeals on February 07, 2011, 01:03:58 PM
I've got a copy of Preps 4 for sale.
Title: Re: Which Imposition Software should we buy?
Post by: Farabomb on February 07, 2011, 01:05:49 PM
Think that's what I started on. Might be old but Matt knows his stuff. Don't think he would sell you something that wouldn't work for you.
Title: Re: Which Imposition Software should we buy?
Post by: frailer on February 07, 2011, 01:08:37 PM
I have a PREPS 5 dongle and disks, and would go cheaper than that.   :laugh:     Gotta love online Dutch auctions.   :cheesy:

But your variable data requirements may be a fly in the ointment. Sitting that next to your PostScript requirements; looks a little messy.
Title: Re: Which Imposition Software should we buy?
Post by: mattbeals on February 07, 2011, 01:10:14 PM
Thanks!

Any of the tools will work. The trick will be how do you currently work, can you adapt how you work, how adaptable are the tools. If you can output the black plate only (or not) you could simply fill a sheet with N-up. If you need to keep them in order you can do cut stacks. If you run as a plug-in for Acrobat you have a wealth of tools available for output as PDF or composite plus any additional features you can use from other plug-ins.

There are several ways of handling "variable data" depending on how you work, how adaptable you are and how adaptable the tools are.
Title: Re: Which Imposition Software should we buy?
Post by: frailer on February 07, 2011, 01:19:45 PM
Quote from: mattbeals on February 07, 2011, 01:10:14 PMThanks!

Being a bit tongue in cheek there, Matt.   :cheesy:     Besides, it's Aussie. My dongle drives on the other side of the road. Prolly crash.
Title: Re: Which Imposition Software should we buy?
Post by: Rabid on February 07, 2011, 03:55:26 PM
I think Preps Plus is cheaper than 3000K a copy. It's Preps Pro that is the more expensive version.
We use Preps all the time for simple variable jobs. We send down a background form for the shell
and impose the variable as a cut and stack. Works fine. Not sure how well it would work with really
huge jobs, most of ours are less than 10,000.
Title: Re: Which Imposition Software should we buy?
Post by: DCurry on February 07, 2011, 04:00:17 PM
Quote from: Rabid on February 07, 2011, 03:55:26 PMI think Preps Plus is cheaper than 3000K a copy. It's Preps Pro that is the more expensive version.

While you are correct that Pro is the more expensive version, 3k sounds about right for Plus based on what I remember when we bought it years ago.
Title: Re: Which Imposition Software should we buy?
Post by: Joe on February 07, 2011, 04:10:03 PM
Quote from: DCurry on February 07, 2011, 04:00:17 PM
Quote from: Rabid on February 07, 2011, 03:55:26 PMI think Preps Plus is cheaper than 3000K a copy. It's Preps Pro that is the more expensive version.

While you are correct that Pro is the more expensive version, 3k sounds about right for Plus based on what I remember when we bought it years ago.

You might be right because now that I think about it, I think the Pro version was more like $5K.

Also if you get into Preps 6 I don't think there is a Pro and a Plus version.
Title: Re: Which Imposition Software should we buy?
Post by: t-pat on February 07, 2011, 05:10:17 PM
Quote from: Joe on February 07, 2011, 04:10:03 PMAlso if you get into Preps 6 I don't think there is a Pro and a Plus version.

There is, and it's annoying because Pro has features I want, but we only have 1 pro license so I have to do everything in plus so that another operator could work on it if I die.


Title: Re: Which Imposition Software should we buy?
Post by: james on February 08, 2011, 02:42:35 AM
Thanks for all the feed back.

When I said complicated I think I have been a bit vague.
We do quite a bit of Bi-lingual work where Welsh is rotated 180 to the English so at the center spread they meet.
So it goes Page 1 - 16 and then 16 - 1

Any decent Imposition software should be able to rotate pages as I want then

Also the variable data could be done on an older version of Yours Truly Design through Quark 6.

Also I would like the company to start using Indesign as from what I read and have been told about more and more people are using it in their favour. I can only see Quark going one way over the next 5 years.
Title: Re: Which Imposition Software should we buy?
Post by: gnubler on February 08, 2011, 09:29:49 AM
Quote from: james on February 08, 2011, 02:42:35 AMI can only see Quark going one way over the next 5 years.

We have already seen quark going one way over the past 5 years.
Title: Re: Which Imposition Software should we buy?
Post by: t-pat on February 10, 2011, 05:44:04 PM
Quote from: james on February 08, 2011, 02:42:35 AMThanks for all the feed back.

When I said complicated I think I have been a bit vague.
We do quite a bit of Bi-lingual work where Welsh is rotated 180 to the English so at the center spread they meet.
So it goes Page 1 - 16 and then 16 - 1


We used to call those "coming and going" books - anyone else have a good name for that small nightmare?
Title: Re: Which Imposition Software should we buy?
Post by: Joe on February 10, 2011, 06:06:44 PM
We call it a flipflop booklet.
Title: Re: Which Imposition Software should we buy?
Post by: frailer on February 10, 2011, 08:05:57 PM
Quote from: Joe on February 10, 2011, 06:06:44 PMWe call it a flipflop booklet.

Which is probably what you're doing on the floor, waving you arms about, if one goes pear-shaped.   :undecided:    I don't like the sound of them. Is that what come-and-go in Dynastrip was? Maybe not.
Title: Re: Which Imposition Software should we buy?
Post by: t-pat on February 11, 2011, 03:47:29 PM
Quote from: Joe on February 10, 2011, 06:06:44 PMWe call it a flipflop booklet.

Not safe to wear flip flops in the shop, could hurt yourself :)
Title: Re: Which Imposition Software should we buy?
Post by: Amir on February 24, 2011, 10:48:58 AM
HP SmartStream Designer for InDesign CS5 have more imposition features than the Designer for QuarkXPress 8.

For imposition only, you may use HP SmartStream Designer at no charge.
A SW license is required for creation of variable data jobs.