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1. Type from the end user C fund Delimited 2 E ro eS Itis most important when forming jobs with the barcode reader er that the various shortcut keys allocated are unique for each template Layout and Pack Item being used by the igor ce at i application If two templates share the same shortcut key no i A JE template will be selected when pressing this key or being read aE iS E Hach on by the barcode reader E 7 meme ZA If a shortcut key is allocated to a pack in the Pack Set editor this key will be used instead of the shortcut key defined as the Template Property shortcut key The jobs are formed using the Find panel in the main application The order information required is NeoPack Chapter 10 Forming NeoPack jobs Page 100 e Either the image number or image tag e The matching Pack Layout required e The matching Pack Item if required To create the pages choose which image number to match on then click the cursor in the Find image gt of entry box Read the barcode that contains the image number The selected image is displayed in the image list Note the cursor is advanced to the layout entry box SF ind image with number with tag of Add pack layout design Next read the barcode that contains the ordered layout The layout is selected and added to the queue Finally
2. Each license in the list will note e The name of the licenses application e The version number licenses e The number of licensed users If you have more licenses to add do so until you are finished Timestone Software License Manager Ea Allocated Codes List La 10000 NeoPrint 1 unlimited La 10001 NeoPack 1 unlimited Add file oo Setup Exit Configuring workstations to run Once the license server is installed and licenses added each of the workstations of the LAN need to be configured When the Neo application was installed the License Server setup control panel was also installed On each workstation that will use a Neo application license open the Windows Control Panel and start the License Server setup control panel Enter the computer name of the PC that is hosting the hardlock and press Test If the computer could be found over the network and its License Server was running correctly OK will be displayed in the Last Error area If an error is displayed ensure that NeoPack Chapter 4 License Server Page 10 e The license server PC is switched on and the License Server is configured and running Itis connected to the network e The workstation you are configuring can browse the network and see the License server PC Close the control panel The Neo application will now be able to launch as long as a valid license is found on the License Server Backing up y
3. License Server configuration Open the Windows Control Panel Locate the License Server icon and double click it The License Server control panel opens Enter the computer name for the hardlock server and press Test The License Server will then check to confirm the presence of the hardlock on the PC If the hardlock is correctly detected the control panel will report OK If an error is displayed confirm the following e Check you have entered the computer s name correctly e The hardlock is connected to the PC s Parallel port The parallel port is functioning correctly e Both the License Server and Support Files components have been installed If an error is still given contact Timestone Software or your distributor for support License Server Setup Server Computer Hame Jaiax Error OK OK Cancel NeoPack Chapter 4 License Server Page 8 Enabling your licenses When you purchase the Neo applications you will purchase a number of user licenses Timestone Software will supply a number of enable codes that will add licenses to the license server These files are supplied either as an e mail to your system administrator or on a CD Rom The enable codes are shipped to you separate from the hardlock for security reasons Adding the licenses to the license server Ensure that the hardlock and server software has been installed and successfully configured From the Star
4. rea VE Figure 25 Text entry dialog box Figure 26 Text placed into a template NeoPack Chapter 7 Creating Templates Page 60 Times New Roman Font selection drop down J VA Text scaling option Text size adjustment Text Style Text color Text alignment Figure 27 Text formatting toolbar Set the font Choose the text you wish to format then choose the font from the drop down dialog Set the style Choose the text you wish to format then choose the font style from the available styles Set the alignment Choose the text you wish to format then choose the alignment Controlling the text size By default text will scale to fill the box you draw on the template This ensures that any text that appears in a text box will never be clipped because it is too big As you enter more text the font size will reduce automatically Se Pattee Sle ger ines See ale gare Eines Here is some text Add another line and the text scales down automatically s ere is some text Relative font size You can control the relative size of the text using the Relative scaling control If you want some text to be bigger than the rest ea ls select it then click the Up or Down buttons in the Relative size entry box Satie Len oP le a Here is a line of text second line that is bigger Aud a dhd that ia am aliar E NeoPack Chapter 7 Creating Temp
5. 5choolLagd Cancel Entering the code Depending on how you create the jobs you will have defined some default fields in the Main mode in this example a field SchoolLogo has been created that will reference the logo file Labeled holders need to have the same code as the field in Main Choose OK and the labeled object is placed NeoPack Chapter 7 Creating Templates Page 65 Controlling Labeled holder scaling Images placed into a labeled holder can be scaled exactly as for a normally placed graphic Choose the scaling you want to use by choosing the appropriate scaling from the toolbar Ral El Ea Distort image to fill box Clip image to fill box Fit image to box Using the labeled graphic Once the codes have been entered to your template and images associated to the relevant fields the graphic objects will be placed into the final job created in Main mode In this example we are allocating a school logo The logo is common to every image and we have placed a labeled object SchoolLogo A field SchoolLogo has also been defined for this file Choosing the image of images then allocating the logo image superimposes it over the portrait image Allocating the Logo Image for the SchoolLogo field Superimposes the logo over the portrait NeoPack Chapter 7 Creating Templates Page 66 Creating Job files Once you have created the necessary Layout and Pa
6. 255 Any pixels in the design that have this value will become transparent When saving the background image you must use a file format that does not change this value relationship For example JPEG format will distort the white pixels close to a darker area in the image resulting in flecks through the merged image Use either PNG format for compressed images or un compressed TIFF or TARGA images for your backgrounds Do not use JPEG format for background images Transparent areas in the background The 1 bit transparency support means that you must carefully build in a color that will appear as transparent in your background images First choose a color that you will use to indicate transparency perhaps white or R 255 G 255 B 255 When designing the image make sure that only transparent areas use this color For example select the areas that are not to be transparent and use the Photoshop or similar Levels command to limit the maximum pixel value for these areas to say R 250 G 250 B 250 These areas will not be considered as transparent It is also important to carefully prepare the edges of the transparent areas in your design Many image editors use anti aliasing when placing selections Anti aliasing is a process that softens the edge of a selection making it blend well into the image However this anti aliasing means that the edges of your design can appear as a halo when used in NeoPack Likewise a drop shad
7. Timest software User Manual Updated for Version 2 3 SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT IMPORTANT READ CAREFULLY This is a legal agreement between you either an individual or a single entity and Timestone Software By keeping this package and using the software you are accepting the terms and are bound by the terms of this license If you do not wish to enter into this agreement please promptly return all copies of the Software User Manuals and Hardlock devices to Timestone Software for a full refund This User Manual and the software programs it describes are protected by copyright trade secret and trademark law By accepting this license you have the right to use them subject to the terms and conditions of this license agreement Definitions and Interpretation Software means the Program modules enabled and authorised for use for your installation Hardlock device means the hardware device used to enable the Software to function e Scope of Agreement Timestone Software hereby grants you the original purchaser personal non exclusive license to use the User Guide and the Software subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement Grant of License You may use the Software on a maximum of one computer that you own or operate at a single physical location You may transfer the Software from one computer to another provided that you do not use or permit the usage of the Software on more than one computer or c
8. the filename extension prefic ext fro for tse Image tag Sequential number NeoPack Chapter 11 Printing Page 106 You can specify the main name used for the filename by clicking for use and selecting from the choices available The choices are Option Description Image No NeoPack uses the image number either the sequential or indexed number to name the file If multiple packages are created a sequential number is appended for each pack with the same image number Original image tag NeoPack uses the special image tag if used when importing the images to name the files If multiple packages are created a sequential number is appended for each pack with the same image number Sequential no NeoPack creates its own sequential number to name the files Different packs from the same image are gathered together sequentially but will be named different one to the other Once all the options have been set choose OK Set the outout path To print the job to Bitmap files choose File gt Print Choose the range to print see later Because the result of this print operation is a file you must choose an output path Either enter the output path or click Browse A File Browse dialog opens Choose the folder you want to use then choose OK Choose OK to print the bitmap files rae If Sequential number has been selected as the for use option you will
9. if you use the mouse to resize a pane past its minimum size it will close It is possible to open a closed pane by grabbing the closed pane edge and dragging to open it Shortcut keys There are many shortcut keys that allow quick selection of program options These shortcuts are either indicated within a menu selection or within the palette being used For example if you wish to adjust the image contrast press and hold the Control key then the C key The value in the Contrast adjustment is highlighted ready for use ae o aia Palette shortcut indicated Menu shortcut indicated within within the palette the menu selection Image Queue ip w Images Shitt w Lueue Shit F6 w Pack addiview Shift Ctri F6 NeoPack Chapter 5 Understanding NeoPack Page 18 Configuring NeoPack Setting the Program defaults There are a number of program defaults that need to be set to ensure NeoPack is most useful to you Things such as the location of various files default fields need to be set for your lab Measurement units You can choose the units of measurement by choosing Options from the File menu The options dialog is shown Units VIEW Size Imperial inch Size when viewing packs 1 Metic mm width i 1 0 height i 1 0 Image editing application EXE file H File Format Windows Bitmap BMF Figure 2 The Options menu Select your preferred measurement units then choose OK Set the view size Wh
10. read the barcode that contains the design if any The design is applied to the page If no design is required read a barcode that has three period full stop characters characters coded These characters are the No Design shortcut key Importing a text file If you have the order information recorded in a text file you can import the data to form the jobs automatically As with barcode entry the order is generated by using the shortcut keys allocated to the various templates and pack sets It is most important that these shortcut keys are correctly defined in order for the data import to function correctly Selecting the text file Open the file you wish to use then choose Queue gt Import text file The Text file to import queue dialog opens Navigate to the folder that contains the text file and click it once Configure the import In the Text file to import queue dialog click Setup The Setup queue text file import dialog opens The dialog is divided into several sections e Type specifies the file format you re importing e Field positions allows you to specify the field positions e Match on choose to match on image number or image tag Choose the type There are several common formats that text data that you will commonly use These formats allow you to define where a field begins and ends within each record of the text file These formats are commonly e Fixed length each field has a specified len
11. the interchange is not available Aspect ratios The aspect ratio of the image determines how tall and wide a print will be There are several common aspect ratios used in the photographic world but you may like to define some that are specific to your needs Determining the ideal crop When creating package prints it is possible for a number of different print sizes with different aspect ratios will be used in a single package It is important that the image is cropped so that it appears well positioned for all the various aspects Once an aspect ratio has been defined it can be superimposed onto an image Several different aspect ratios can be superimposed at one time so you can preview how an image will appear on each of the aspects In the example below three aspects have been defined e 5 7 suitable for 5 x 7 10 x 14 etc e 4 5 suitable for 4 x 5 8 x 10 etc e 1 1 suitable for 3 x 3 5 x 5 etc NeoPack Chapter 6 Configuring NeoPack Page 20 5 7 Aspect 4 5 Aspect 1 1 Aspect Figure 4 Cropping image showing 3 different aspect ratios As discussed later you can jog an image by zooming the image or moving it around Using these controls you can position and size the image so that it is cropped optimally for all the different aspect ratios Aspect ratios are used only when cropping images Print sizes are defined separately from the print aspect Defining Aspect Ratios Aspect ratios c
12. Abort to cancel the current operation NeoPack AN Cannot find bitmap image file film 17 70 6mp Retry Ignore Image numbering indexed or sequential Many labs using large numbers of images have various systems of tracking the images This can mean that the image files that are imported can have a unique name or number embedded in their filenames These uniquely named files are called indexed images Images that are not indexed are imported in a sequential order Sequential images When importing sequential images it is only important to retain the same image order as was on the original film In this case the image files should be named in shoot order i e 0001 9999 When NeoPack imports them the order is retained Indexed images Many labs use cameras or film editors that can allocate unique numbers to each individual negative or image This number can then be used to record various data within other management systems in the lab For example the Lucht Shooter File records pack order color corrections and other essential information that is used to create the required prints When importing images to NeoPack from such a system it is possible to retain the essential index number and so create the packs in the same manner as would be normal in this workflow NeoPack Chapter 8 Creating Job Files Page 70 Sequential vs lndexed images The following screen shots show an indexed and sequentially
13. NeoPack Chapter 5 Understanding NeoPack Page 15 Pack add view pane Image pane Details pane Queue pane eX NeoPack requires a minimum screen resolution of 800x600 amp 24 bit color If you re running at 640x480 you won t be able to use the application correctly You can adjust screen resolution via Windows Control Panel s Display option Using toolbars Each of the NeoPack toolbars features tooltips and docking Tooltips If you re not sure about the function of a particular toolbar button point the mouse at it for a second to display a tooltip Toolbar docking You can tear away a toolbar from a docked position to create a floating toolbar This toolbar can then be placed anywhere convenient on the screen To do this place the mouse pointer anywhere near the edge of the toolbar click and drag The toolbar will tear away Fe ga pe am Gee fah hiie Ja D ee oes C f f i LE EE ki ih E i klei ki i alal aji mE i a La ae i mj m mE 35 NeoPack Chapter 5 Understanding NeoPack Page 16 Selecting a tool or operation mode You can choose different program functions and modes by choosing a toolbar button The current mode of operation is indicated by which button is pressed in in the main toolbar In the below example several buttons appear pressed in indicating that mode is currently active or that window is currently
14. NeoPack Chapter 7 Creating Templates Page 34 Designer Options Grid Layouts Automatic spacing D Gridline every i Inches Subdivisions 4 Designs ltems tt Automatic spacing D Units Gridline every il Subdivisions cares ea The Template Orientation toolbar When designing graphic backgrounds for use within NeoPack you can create both Portrait and Landscape versions of the same template This is to ensure that the templates you design are suitable for both portrait and landscape images imported When designing the different orientations you must of course have background graphics that been designed for the portrait and landscape images In the below example a landscape image has been placed into a design created for a portrait image Note how the image is impossible to crop correctly for this design Using the Template Orientation toolbar you can create both portrait and landscape versions of the same design within a single template file NeoPack will automatically select the correct orientation for a portrait or landscape image when selected More detailed information about using the template orientations is given later in this chapter Sy 0 ou N Switch to the Portrait version Switch to the Landscape version Create a Portrait and Landscape version template NeoPack Chapter 7 Creating Templates Page 35 The Object Dimensions toolbar Objects pl
15. accurately as possible In practice some operators will prefer to use the keyboard to make these adjustments whilst others will prefer to use the mouse and keyboard Using the mouse and keyboard e Select the image to be corrected e Hold the Control key down and use the scroll wheel to zoom the image e Release the Control key click and drag the mouse to adjust the image position e Click the next image and repeat the operation e When you need to see the next screen of images turn the scroll wheel ZA Note that the control panels associated with scrolling mice often allow the scroll wheel to move a certain number of lines per click You should set it to suit your needs If the scroll wheel is set to 1 line the image table is moved 1 row per click If it is set to 3 lines the image table is moved by 3 rows per click Using the keyboard e Select the first image by pressing the Home key e Choose the image to be adjusted with the Arrow keys e Hold the Control key down and use the Arrow keys to move the image e Hold the Control key down and use the Page Up or Page Down keys to zoom the image e Use the Arrow keys to choose the next image to be edited NeoPack Chapter 9 Editing images Page 87 e Use the Page Up or Page Down keys to see the next or previous page of images Adjusting the image color density and contrast Image color density and contrast can be changed using the image densit
16. barcodes Pack Items Sizeable item that has an abstract size and i scaled to fit within the pack item For now click Pack Layout to create a new A eee layout pack layout Fixed Size item that has an explicit size finches or mm and will be printed at that size in the pack item hole on the layout The Template Designer The designer is divided into several main areas e The main toolbar e The dimensions and units toolbar e The design canvas area Depending whether you are creating a layout or a design some of the buttons in the toolbar may not be available for use The main toolbar The Dimensions and units toolbar The Design canvas area NeoPack Chapter 7 Creating Templates Page 30 The designer toolbars There are a number of toolbars that allow you to set various options when designing templates The File toolbar The file toolbar gives you quick access to the y normal File menu options E Lar Fi Create a new template file S SET TE open template file Open an existing template file The Place Object toolbar The Place Object toolbar allows you to place the various objects you wish to use in the template There are 5 objects that can be placed into a template Image Object Defines where the images you import in the main application will appear in the template Images appear behind on top of or inside other objects in a design Graphic Object Defines where various graphic elements wi
17. desea nn ee ina acsa oa ose catenin arse asada tended pea eondius aad 6 Oh ICICONSE CLV OR sairssessascessesedcacsescscdacossccsucstassansesedsaaceucsedacsevedsucstastasessedisacescsedacses lt esaeetastanessedesacesesecsesescss 7 Understanding the License Serven sssrinin EEEa Rea ATEO ERE NEEN SA oc EENAA AANT ENEN Eea EEES 7 alin dated Dale s e N a E E E E 7 Configurine and testing the License Servet gcnnsocssicendanduewanpeusiisdnewainendpiewaiindowainnsdieeesibsaGncennsat dicta EEEE A EEEN A EEEa 8 Enabling your licenses gnc sciier cistron cise ardsiasaoiavansannsewacawstuinudabuade ndavskuandialasupeasoebuaudabevnedenanaendalelumtecoubeiindabardndarteunusooeseatsouens 9 Configuring workstations CO TUN cccccccccccecccccceceeeeeeeseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaeaeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaeeesses 10 Backing up your license Server configuration ccccceeecccecececceeeaaesusassssseseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaasssessesseeeeeseeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaeeeses 1 WCC SUA COP GI civ case cua vevccoaxetacsedusudccsnuetacsuecsvcceusvosesusvssiucsnxecaesueceveceunvensetvieuscevavencecuuxeents 12 NeoPack s main features gest aenacerne so seeestcuenaaassiestucnd sanauesees siuajaduduauasdivestiasiradendansise saute nonosceessaene sone eo sete neauseeseentecnereseereee 12 LoDE ea BOCES serae E NAA N ENAA N A E N 14 Handling image and package data nnno0ssssseeeeeeeeeessssssssssssssseterersssssssssssssseetrrrerrreesssssssssssseee
18. gt lt I gt Increase the value Click inside the Il value box or Press lt Control gt lt I gt Decrease the value Click inside the C value box or Press lt Control gt lt C gt Increase the value Click inside the C value box or Press lt Control gt lt C gt Decrease the value Click inside the R value box or Press lt Control gt lt R gt Increase the value Click inside the R value box or Press lt Control gt lt R gt Decrease the value Click inside the G value box or Press lt Control gt lt G gt Increase the value Click inside the G value box or Press lt Control gt lt G gt Decrease the value Click inside the B value box or Press lt Control gt lt B gt Increase the value Click inside the B value box or Press lt Control gt lt B gt Decrease the value NeoPack Chapter 9 Editing images marks in the images after they have been scanned NeoPack allows the correction of these defects via an interchange with an external image editor such as Adobe Photoshop Any changes made to the image in Photoshop are applied to the image within NeoPack Photoshop is an extremely competent and functional image editor Please consult your Adobe training material for information regarding Photoshop Editing images with an external image editor is only available when images have been imported rather than referenced Page 88 Choosing the image
19. have been made choose Start The images are imported Choosing Stop during the import process will stop the import after the current file The import options dialog can be hidden by choosing Hide The images will continue to be imported until ald AdiRen urine sas the last eligible file has been processed or the Cec ie Lact imaga i Dinei emeki p import process is paused or cancelled a lingo Slides Pausing the import Ba If you wish to pause the images as they are imported check Pause import The image import See T Baweineoring Hie is paused until the checkbox is unchecked The Import options panel NeoPack allows you to edit images as they are imported The Import options panel serves as a convenient control panel for the import as it happens The Import options panel can be closed without cancelling the import Images Import Options Panel Ea I Pause importing W Follow imported images Incoming images for files with sequentially numbered images Reverse order Toend Insert Replace Pausing the import If you wish to pause the images as they are imported check Pause import The image import is paused until the checkbox is unchecked Follow inserted images If Follow inserted images is checked the latest image imported will be displayed and automatically selected in the image preview area With this checkbox unchecked the image is not automatically selected Incoming image
20. imported images Now choose the template you have created Choose a Layout if necessary The image is placed into the hole in the template but no text is yet visible as none has been entered yet Note in the below example that the field values are empty Click the image you wish to add the text to ensure it is selected Now click in the First value and enter a first name Press Enter The text will appear in the page preview Continue entering some text for the Last and Message fields Vanessa Claridge Happy Christmas NeoPack Chapter 7 Creating Templates Page 64 Labeled holders When you design your templates you can place a Labeled holder to simplify your production workflow When creating the template you might want a logo graphic to appear in the final image Rather than re designing your templates to include each logo you can place a special box with a reference to the logo file When you are creating the work for a particular job you import the logo to the Details When the job is run the logo is positioned in the design as specified by the template Creating and positioning a labeled holder To place a labeled holder open the template you wish to use then choose the Labeled holder button in the toolbar Click and drag the mouse in the template where you want the object to appear It is not necessary to be 100 accurate at this stage The Labeled holder dialog is shown Labeled Holder _ x Label
21. include tagged graphics into a template you must first create a special Graphic field to contain the images It is best to set these fields as a program default Choose File gt Options then choose the Default tab and click Data fields gt Edit The Data Fields dialog is displayed Choose the tab you wish to use either Folder or File See the earlier discussion about the difference between these fields We will use the example of a School s logo for this example Creating a File graphic field Choose the File tab then click Add A new line is inserted to the list of fields Type the name of the graphic field In this example type SchoolLogo Now click the Type drop down and choose Graphic from the list Choose OK The graphic field is now available SchoolLoga graphic Adding a graphic to a graphic field Once the graphic field has been set as a program default choose File gt New to create a new file with this field or add it to the file by entering Details mode then choosing Edit gt Fields and adding the graphic as before You will see the new field in the list of available fields when All is chosen NeoPack Chapter 10 Forming NeoPack jobs Page 96 Value SchoolPict Ma choolPicl jpg SchoolPice AS choolPic jpg Schooloo a School ame Laureston College Year 2000 Double click inside the Value for SchoolLogo The Open Graphic dialog is displayed Navigate through and find the graphic file you
22. is used NeoPack Chapter 7 Creating Templates Page 59 Using text objects Text can be added to your templates as a fixed text message or as a variable code Variable codes use information entered for each imported image as the source for the text placed into the job Text can be formatted and stylised with font alignment and color style NeoPack allows text information to be associated with images you import and to place this information into templates This allows each template design to be customised to include things like the subject s name personal messages etc Fixed and variable text There are two types of text that can be placed in a template e Fixed The text appears the same in each job e Variable The text changes for each image according to information entered for the image Variable text is defined using an symbol at the beginning of the text placed into the template When NeoPack sees the symbol it looks to see if it has the necessary information for that image and uses it if it does If no information is available for the image the code is ignored Placing text objects Create a new template either a Layout or a Design Choose the Text Object tool isi from the toolbar Click and drag over the template where you want the text to appear The text entry dialog opens Enter the text you want to appear in the template Times New Roman Hello from of us here
23. multiple details for a number of images This is useful if the images share details such as a group name etc NeoPack Chapter 10 Forming NeoPack jobs Page 98 Select all the images that share similar details then click the Details field you wish to enter then type the value or choose the graphic image Forming the pages Forming the jobs is done by choosing an image then at least a layout template If required you can then choose a Pack Item template and matching text to complete the job The template selection can be done in a number of ways e Manual selection using the mouse or keyboard e Input using a barcode reader and barcoded order bags e Importing a text file with the order information Manually forming the jobs Templates can be applied to the imported images by choosing the image or images then the Layout and Pack Item template required The templates can be selected by clicking the on screen buttons displayed in the Pack add view pane When you design the templates you can also allocate a shortcut key as a file property see earlier in this manual for details Allocating templates to images You can allocate templates to either a single or several images at a time To do this ensure that the correct queue is selected from the Queue drop down then select the images you want to use You can select multiple images using the mouse and the standard Windows selection modifier keys e lt Shift gt click the first
24. numbered file Note the difference in image numbers A sequentially numbered image set Image lags When images are imported regardless of whether a file is indexed or sequentially numbered the original filename is imported along with the image data This information can be viewed once images have been imported by choosing Image gt Show tags With this option enabled the original filename is displayed next to the image number The Image Number The Image Tag Image numbering Once you know what numbering system you use and before any images are imported to the new NeoPack file choose File gt Properties The file properties dialog is displayed Choose if the images to be imported are sequential or indexed It is possible to change the file properties from sequential to indexed and vice versa However if an indexed file is changed to a sequential one all the unique index numbers are lost and so cannot be switched back successfully NeoPack Chapter 8 Creating Job Files Page 71 Properties Ed General Bitmap sizes Images in file are Indexed cancel Zoo Image numbering options Specify the image file size When importing the complete image data to a job file it is possible to adjust the size of the image as it is imported This is useful if the image files are larger than they need to be This option only has an effect you import the complete image data if you import the preview image onl
25. open mel in 7 hg The program is currently in This window is currently open l wt Image preview mode Resizing pane windows The three main pane windows can be resized freely You can open a pane so it takes up the whole program space or close it completely to allow space for other operations Passing the mouse over the edge of the three panes will change the cursor to salud aE the pane move cursor Click and drag the mouse the pane will resize as you drag Figure 1 Resizing a pane ZA Each of the panes has a minimum size If you drag the pane past its minimum size it will completely close and the other windows will expand to take its place Opening closing and maximising panes Panes can be opened completely to take up all the available program space or closed completely Wee Images Detals Queue b Opening or closing panes Images Shift F5 w Details Shift Ctrl F 5 Panes can be opened or closed by choosing the pane name from w Queue Shift FB the View menu If the chosen pane is currently visible choosing Eck addkiew SHINEIAYS it from the View menu will close it and vice versa If a pane is currently visible there will be a checkmark next to its name in a CUYale Mages the View menu Activate queue FE w Tools bar w Status bar NeoPack Chapter 5 Understanding NeoPack Page 17 Resizing a pane using the mouse can also open or close a pane Each pane has a minimum size
26. options that you would like to have installed The disk space fields reflect the requirements of the options you have selected Jw HeoPack 1 1 3 17255 k Jv Sample Templates 217E k J Hardlock Device Driver 1071 k License Server 213k A Documentation 4931 k Disk Space Required 25433 k Disk Space Remaining FBES31F k Page 5 e Choose Next to proceed e Select the name of the Program Manager group to add the icons to Choose Next to proceed Installing Z Current File e Once you re happy with all the settings choose Next to proceed or choose D a Back to change any of C AWINNT4 System32 Msstkprp dll your settings e The program files are All Files installed Time Remaining 0 minutes 6 seconds e Once all the files have been installed the Complete screen is shown Choose Finish to complete the installation Installing the Adobe Acrobat Reader If you want to view the application documentation you will need to have Adobe Acrobat installed If you don t have the software on your system use the installer on the CD rae Note If you ve installed over the top of a demo version you ll find that the documentation on the CD is likely to be a much larger file than the one you downloaded Although the manual is the same the version on the CD has images saved at a higher resolution You won t notice any difference viewing the manual on screen but you will certainly notice a diffe
27. package print layout ccccccceeeeeeeeees 40 templile S A oasaaicauasae See Templates TaT t e A EA AEAEE 13 47 Design mode OTIC SENES srccscuesvushataces o i iia 33 34 hole punch display ccccccccccceeseseeeeeees 34 OPE OIG a eta Be ai ene 35 PCE E IETEN encanta T epee sence are 34 SCALING OPTIONS ccecccccccceeesseseeeeeeeeeenees 32 Enable Codes essieicai iss tatenctetacaa A 9 Fi STORI n a Meats remer nen er eae neta 61 Graphic ODIECIS socca 31 43 54 Cd SetiD S acca ect se awseariceute ta decuenieae 33 34 37 Hard cut MAk S sie prondasvesandatectetea dares eosedsvees 45 Hard Disk Spaten ea er ieee 4 HardlOCk SeN eb renranneiri 8 Hardware requirements ccccssseeeeeeeeeeeees 3 Hole pune heses ee 44 46 Hols eea See Image holes ICC color management ccccseeeeeeeeeees 112 Imate Cropp eea 13 Miage cd S a E 13 Imate Doeser a 37 51 32 Image transparency masks ccceeeeeeeeeees 14 Images DaCksroundassoinssair nnna 29 COLON ZE donnie a 32 BO e E 30 37 40 are NOIES oria caer nee 30 40 lapered NOIJE S an cacgactestidertehsmateecinnsieiea 14 GEE E E A E E E A 57 S15 re EA reer Roe ee ern 52 NeoPack Index Importing PEXE INTORMANOM e a 14 SCAM A Oasan E 5 Labeled NOES reene 66 67 Landscape v portrait templates 35 lE S fo E E E E A EE ET 55 56 License WIAD AC CE ercran a 9 ICONS C SOV CU haea 7 DAC KING UD e 1 Mersine NAS ES i
28. pi cici karansan ma will see the transparent area indicated by the grid pattern Figure 18 A placed graphic object Positioning and sizing an object Click the object Hold the CTRL key down 1f necessary 1f several objects have already been placed Either click and drag one of the handles or drag the object to scale and position of the object with the mouse If you need more accurate placement click the object then enter an absolute origin and size in the Object Dimensions toolbar then choose Apply The object is positioned and sized exactly Choosing objects in other layers When several objects are placed within a template you can cycle between objects using a keyboard modifier with the mouse For example if you want to select the background page that is completely covered with objects perhaps to adjust its size click any object on in the template That object is highlighted Now hold the CTRL key on the keyboard Note that the mouse pointer changes to the Object Cycle tool Click the object again and note that the object in the next layer below it is highlighted NeoPack Chapter 7 Creating Templates Page 54 Figure 19 Cycling between layer objects Changing the layer order Objects can be positioned in front or behind each other The order of the objects can be changed with the Object Order toolbar The layer order of an object can be changed by selecting the object then choosing a layer order tool in
29. printer queue Creating a new print queue Using multiple printer queues is an optional process If your production does not need to different paper widths you need not create additional queues Creating a print queue Open the job file you wish to add the print queue to METIE Choose Edit gt Queue The Queue list dialog iDescpion a a opens E IS HMileca Middle School Choose New A new line appears in the Queue list Enter a description that has some meaning for the queue Click the Default Pack Set A dropdown box with all the available pack sets those that are the default for this document or have been created appear The default pack chosen here is the pack New Remove Cancel that will be displayed each time this queue is opened NeoPack Chapter 10 Forming NeoPack jobs Page 90 The order packs are displayed in the NeoPack main program can be changed by changing the order in this list If you wish a pack to 4 appear in a different place highlight it then use the arrow keys to promote or demote it in the list Choose Ok The pack editor is dismissed The queues are now available via the Queue drop down in the main application Switch between queues by clicking the drop down and choosing a different queue Any pages created in the previous queue are replaced with those in the newly selected one Creating the jobs Creating pages for a NeoPack job involves entering any variable text that m
30. required Use default size When selected the paper size chosen in the Printer Properties dialog will be used NeoPack Chapter 11 Printing Page 108 Pick the best from defined sizes Choose File gt Print setup The Print setup dialog is shown Enable best paper size selection by choosing Pick best paper size from the Printer options section With this option enabled NeoPack will check all the available paper sizes and chooses the closest match for the page currently being printed This check is performed for each job meaning that a queue can contain different size prints the best paper size will be selected for each page being printed Use custom paper sizes only Most print sizes NeoPack is required to create are not standard A4 Letter sizes Printer drivers that allow custom paper sizes to be created allow you to design sizes that are exactly correct for NeoPack prints In this case it is not desirable to allow NeoPack to automatically choose a standard paper size as it may not be exactly correct Choose Use custom paper sizes only NeoPack will only consider custom paper sizes when automatically choosing the one to be used Cut to size When using a Timestone Software printer driver choosing Cut to size will automatically create and use exactly the correct paper size required by the job You don t need to define the paper size as NeoPack works together with our printer driver to do this for you Pap
31. the toolbar Send object down 1 layer E n Send object to the back Send object down 1 layer Bring object to the front Place two Image Objects on the page making sure that they overlap each other Figure 20 The selected object in the top layer Click the Send down 1 layer tool The selected object is sent down 1 layer and will now appear behind the other in the finished print Figure 21 The selected object 1 layer lower NeoPack Chapter 7 Creating Templates Page 55 Merging images defining an image hole The area in your design where the images you import are to appear is called a hole As mentioned before this area is defined by coloring the areas of the graphic a specific color In this example the area has been defined by pixels that are R 255 G 255 and B 255 After the graphic has been placed and positioned click the Image Object button The mouse pointer changes the Place Object pointer Click and drag the mouse over the template where you want the image to appear It is not important to be accurate at this point When the object is placed it will be sitting over the top of the background Figure 22 The Image Object placed over a Graphic Object With the Image Object selected the handles are visible click the Send down 1 layer button The Image Object is moved down 1 layer and is now behind the transparent area of the Graphic Object Note in the picture below that it is possible to see the
32. then last image in a range this selects a block of images lt Ctrl gt click each image you wish to select this selects images to import individually Once the images you need have been selected click the Pack Layout button in the Pack pane or press the shortcut key Note that the selected images are placed into the Pack Layout and added to the current queue If a Pack Item is required for the selected images click its button in the Design panel or press the shortcut key Note the Pack Item selected is applied to the jobs NeoPack Chapter 10 Forming NeoPack jobs Page 99 Removing a Design A Design template can be removed from an image by selecting the image or image range then pressing the Remove Design button in designs the Design pane The design is removed from the selected images Adding more packages If more than one package per image is required hold the Shift key down and add more packs e If more of the same pack is ordered the number ordered will increase in the pack button package preview and print queue preview e If different packs of the same image are ordered the extra packs will be added to the pack preview and a new entry created in the printer queue Using a barcode reader You can form the jobs with a barcode reader if you have this information coded somewhere For example you might have the image number and order information printed on the order bags you receive
33. warrants that the media on which the Software is recorded and the User Guide provided with it are free from defects in material and workmanship under normal use for a period of 90 days from the date of your original purchase Except for the limited warranty described above the Software is sold as is and you are assuming the entire risk as to its quality and performance It is your responsibility to verify the results obtained from the use of the Software Limitation of Remedies If during the 90 day limited warranty period you discover physical defects in the User Guide or in the Media on which the Software was recorded Timestone Software will replace them as no charge to you This is your sole remedy IN NO EVENT WILL TIMESTONE SOFTWARE BE LIABLE TO ANY PERSON FOR ANY DIRECT INDIRECT SPECIAL INCIDENTAL CONSEQUENTIAL OR SIMILAR DAMAGES EVEN IF TIMESTONE SOFTWARE HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES Table of Contents IB SPS CLORC y OU PCO a A A E E A A E E A E 1 Scope and Judi NO sed oe EEO N E EE a E E EE l Preostala rega TGS e E EEEE l Peann N O e E T E E T E E T E E E EE E l Getting Help from Technical Support 0 0 0 0 ccccccccssssssseseeseeeeeeceeeeeeeeeeeaaaeaaaeessseseeeeeeeeeeeeeesseaaaeesseaessseeeeeeeeeseeeaaaas Z 2 SY SUC TIN Re S aa 3 Halwa 1 GUT CHIMING a pats wutindizatetnead dea E esnduaent sueinnnt sat E E A EE 3 Die MNS Cea AGN ON E EN E EE 5 Installine th Adobe Acrobat Reader is snare cuanto
34. wish to import Import the graphic Graphics for tagged objects are imported in a similar way as normal images When the graphic is imported a smaller screen resolution image is generated for use on screen As with normal portrait images there are several options you can set to allow NeoPack to find the high resolution images for printing e Remember the actual path of the file remembers the original location e Discard the path use the file searching options discussed in the Images chapter Load the graphic image Choose the import option you wish to use then choose Select file A File gt Open dialog appears Choose the image file and the reference options then click Open The graphic is displayed Open Greghir Berane Eroto SS Fileaol tre Graphe fier Cancel Re Pa bap he open bed breee edie Pr py e n file G Fersnbs the scha path of the lis C iiid that paih ari siach Pen Oh Ahe a r iei he sach paie hon er in Fa Dba Pahit regea Choosing the transparent area You can specify two types of mask that allow transparent areas in the logo Simple transparency mask If the logo has areas you would like to be transparent as a single color click it in the preview Note the hashed area indicating transparency To clear the set transparency click No mask ZA Make sure you design your logo graphics carefully Any area that is the same color as you click will appear as transparent in your design Pa
35. 2x18 depending on the model A long roll short length feed printer is a roll to roll printer with easel mask Again these machines have a maximum possible paper advance A good example is the Kodak MultiPrinter that has a maximum print size of 12x18 A long roll long length feed printer is a roll to roll printer that has no maximum paper advance aside from the paper roll length This style of printer can create very long prints in theory as long as the installed paper roll A good example of this printer is the Gretag Mileca Cut sheet or punching printers Cut sheet printers typically don t have a hole punching system built in Instead they cut each individual print and process it immediately Punching printers are roll to roll style that usually punch either the beginning or end of a print Once the roll of paper is processed the prints are cut by your lab s cutter into a stack of prints Additionally some printers are able to punch the paper within a single print You might be printing a series of packs that comprise 4 units per pack This style printer can place a punch at the beginning of each unit in a pack as well as at print start end Hard and soft cut marks NeoPack supports 2 types of cut mark NeoPack Chapter 7 Creating Templates Page 44 Soft cut mark the pack will be punched by the printer at the defined position e Hard cut mark NeoPack will split the pack into separate pages at the define
36. Chapter 7 Creating Templates Page 41 when A is pressed in the Form Packs mode that layout will be applied to the currently selected image To set these attributes choose File Properties The Template Properties are shown Enter the name that you wish to display within the main application for this template and the Quick Key you want to use Add Pack layou 10 Simple pack Description f 0 Simple Pack aiim Key fa optional 8 Simple pack Cancel If you don t set the template file properties the name displayed in the main program is the file name you use to save the template Save the Template Once the Properties have been set you can save the template to the hard disk The template must be saved into the directory defined earlier as the Template file path See Chapter 6 Configuring NeoPack for more details Choose File Save A Save File dialog is shown Navigate to the template directory give the file a name then choose Save The template is saved ZA You must quit and re start NeoPack before you can use the new template This is because NeoPack will only use the templates present in the template directory when it first starts Use the new template After you have saved the template and re started the program open a file that has some images You will see the new layout is now available for use Click an image then the layout button The image is placed into the pack Using
37. Code 39 Bar color E e Code 128 Now enter the text to code This is the information entered for each image that needs a barcode You can either enter some fixed text or use a variable code For example you may have defined a field ID that will contain the ID information for each image Entering the text ID as the Text to encode will cause the ID information entered to be placed into the barcode Enter the Characters inch required by your reader ZA You will need to determine which settings work for particular your reader This is particularly true for the characters per inch setting You can set the color used for the barcode This is especially useful if you are printing to a CRT based printer These printers tend to bleed if solid black is used making the barcodes very difficult to read Set the color by clicking EEEE gy a the Bar color drop down Choose the color you a lie want or click More colors The standard oe eee Windows color picker is displayed BEE EB Eee Set the color as desired You may need to test i io ie the printed barcode to determine the optimum Cuemenier ETTET setting for example you may need to set the BEBE EEE luminosity to a higher value than zero to avoid CME a bleeding with CRT based printers After setting all the required parameters choose OK The barcode object is placed into the Layout In the template example at right note the use of a
38. aced into a template can be positioned and sized exactly using the Objects Dimensions toolbar To set the size and position of an object select it then enter the desired values to the toolbar Once done click the Apply button to set the values The Offset values set the position of an object s top left corner Offset 72 U A 0 Size Bi 4 1ml 6 Apply Set the template Set the object Offset Set the object size measurement units Creating Templates When creating your templates you must first make sure that you have all the elements that are required by the design The template designer has no built in graphic creation tools Instead it places images you have created in other design tools such as CorelDraw or Adobe Photoshop Create a Pack Layout template A Pack Layout template is a single print size or a group of print sizes that will form a package To create a new Pack Layout Template switch to Design mode by choosing Mode Design The Template Designer is shown Choose File New then choose Pack Layout from the selection A blank template is created Set the page size The first step when designing a layout is to set the page size required for your layout If you are creating a single print size this is the size of that print If you are designing a package it is the size of the completed pack Set the page size by clicking on the background page Note that the page handles become active and the Size entry area bec
39. ad beget val od kagari under the cae porches ian ee ea l Erase Hide Factors affecting the time required to import images NeoPack performs quite a few operations on each image as it is imported This means each image can take a number of seconds to import The time taken to import each image depends on several factors Speed of the PC e Amount of memory installed in the PC e Size of the images being imported e Operations requested in the import options rotation flipping To minimise the time taken to import the images try to ensure that you don t have to rotate or flip the images Editing images whilst importing images It is possible to edit zoom crop and color correct images whilst images are being imported During the import operation the editing operation is not as responsive as it would normally be and we recommend that you use the keyboard to perform the edits The image import can still be controlled even though you may have hidden the main image import dialog by choosing the Hide button Open the Import options panel by choosing Images gt Import options panel This small panel can be positioned on the screen so the image import can paused or restarted NeoPack Chapter 8 Creating Job Files Page 80 Managing images in an image set Once images have been imported to NeoPack it is possible to add delete or switch off images within a file set Blank images can also be added to allow pa
40. add them to the current file by choosing Edit Fields The Data Fields dialog is displayed Add the fields you wish to use as described in Chapter 6 For this example create the fields e First e Last NeoPack Chapter 7 Creating Templates Page 62 e Message Choose OK The fields you have defined will appear in the Fields column of the Details pane Cm J emea Create the template To create the code place a text object as described previously then enter the symbol followed by the Field name In the template you need to place the following codes e First to place the first name e Last to place the last name e Message to place the personal message Create the code Switch to the Template designer by choosing Mode Design Open or create a new template either a Pack layout or a Pack Item Click the Place Text object button and drag a text box onto the canvas template The Edit Text dialog opens Enter the following text Text Times New Roman oe Last N f E i h Yy z F x lacs J 3 ii i yy By Cc a ee p y Em Ne 8 Choose OK The text is placed into the template Add an image hole in the design and any other objects you need Save the template and re start NeoPack NeoPack Chapter 7 Creating Templates Page 63 gg ee F irst Last aM essage E TTT ee me A Using the code Open a file that contains some
41. ails Fields gt Edit button The Default Fields dialog is displayed Adding a new field Click Add A new line appears Click the cursor in the Name entry area and type the field name Field names are not case sensitive A field called Name is the same as name Set the field type After adding the field click the Type box A drop down list of available field types is displayed Choose the field type from the list Fields available include e Text Normal free key text e Integer no A number e Date A calendar date New in Version 2 0 Version 2 0 introduces a new Graphic field A graphic field indicates that the field should be replaced by a graphic image NeoPack Chapter 6 Configuring NeoPack Page 24 Defining the Image file location NeoPack imports the images used for your production in two different ways The whole image file can be imported to the job file meaning that the original high resolution image files are no longer required by NeoPack Alternately images can be imported with a reference to the high resolution image When importing images this way a smaller screen resolution version of the image is created for use on screen when cropping and creating the jobs The high resolution image is not required until the jobs are printed There are several ways in which NeoPack locates high resolution image files when they are required It can record the original location of the files when they are impor
42. an be stored as program defaults or added to an image collection New files will automatically contain the default aspect ratios which can then be added to Any aspect ratios that you add to an individual file via Edit gt Aspect ratios are available only to that file Program default Aspect Ratios From the File menu choose Options The Options dialog is displayed Choose the Default tab These are the default values that are assigned to newly created files You may edit them or import them from an existing file Aspect ratios Edit Import from file Details Fields Edit Import from file me e Figure 5 The Options Default tab Choose Aspect ratios gt Edit The Aspect ratio editor is displayed Any Aspect ratios defined here are available each time a new NeoPack file is created NeoPack Chapter 6 Configuring NeoPack Page 21 Defining Aspect Ratios Choose Edit gt Aspect Ratios the Aspect Ratio definition dialog is displayed Aspect Ratios Preview guide on off Aspect preview color Aspect ratio height Aspect ratio width Aspect ratio name Figure 6 The Aspect Ratio dialog You will notice that the first time you open this dialog there may be some aspect ratios already defined These are the program default aspect ratios discussed in the previous point Create a new Aspect Ratio e Choose New from the Aspect Ratio dialog A new Aspect Ratio is added to the list e Click i
43. arch directory to find the source images Using the code NeoPack adds the name of the TNJ file to the search path as the final part of the path statement In the above case each of the TNJ files would be named Job1 Job2 and Job3 So if the path is entered as ImageServer Data lmages and the file currently open is called Job2 NeoPack will search for the original source images in ImageServer Data lmages Job2 Same directory as job file If the path statement is entered as a NeoPack will search for the source images in the same directory as the TNJ file Sub directory from job file Images can be stored in a sub directory of the folder that contains the job file For example the job file is stored in a folder Images Job1 and the images belonging to that job in mages Job1 Source If the path statement is entered as Source NeoPack will search for the source images in the Source subdirectory Defining the Design File location Templates can be stored in various places within your local area The location of the templates must be defined before NeoPack will see them ready for you to use Adding a Design file location Choose File gt Options then choose the Paths gt Design Files tab Now choose New Anew line n O eu appears in the list box Enter the whole path ea for the location of the design files you want to use You can use UNC ComputerName ShareName or mapped drive
44. as black amp white selected Hole placed with Image as sepia colorized selected C Fie Ed Deien Mode Hoe Cm O a a H E 2h Ce do G See G af oe rs Figure 9 An Image Object positioned in a Layout Positioning and sizing the object All objects can be positioned and sized using the mouse or more accurately with the Object Dimensions entries on the toolbar Choose the object by clicking it Note that handles are displayed to confirm that the object is selected NeoPack Chapter 7 Creating Templates Page 38 Sizing and positioning objects with the mouse l Oa eA eae To re size the object with the mouse click Ce Joa f e yf a See A os al a one of the handles and drag it in the j gt i desired direction To move the object click and drag inside the selected object The object moves as you drag the mouse Figure 10 A selected object Sizing and positioning objects with the toolbar Exact size and position for an object can be specified using the Object Dimensions toolbar Choose the object you wish to edit then click the value you want to adjust Pressing the Tab key switches to the next entry area Once all the required changes have been made click Apply Note that the measurement units can be changed by clicking the Units drop down Linch orsel MEE GS 12 see BY 7 25 sof 552 eee Figure 11 The Object Dimensions toolbar l its Fie Edt kenia Moje Help OM CO Gm eiiws EH i
45. ate deus astl eka nees ce wadaad 88 CHOOSING the image editor ANC MIC Torat aseainena A eset cadobiwoned a E S A AA 89 10 gt F ormins Neol ack JODS anicent arr a E S 90 Crean a He wilt Que Wet aane E A elec wiabia 90 CCCI LING JODS oc acah selection N moh sarahSarauted E E A NA ET 91 E E E a a a a a N a 91 MAT OU CIO tex daa ase E E E E E E T E E E 93 Conio ure Mep eere a alate a e a a a ltd 93 WASSER sraphic ODC uana a a teeta aR E a a a eaves 96 Creating a TdzecdohectTie diaa a a a E A A a A 96 Fornmine Depa E ears e a E r N EN ner Tener 99 PORCINE ALEX 1116 E EE AE E O E EN 101 COMET OUTS Dempo aan a a a E nae adgaom mae mae 101 Ovewecontolandsas M ornmmaHoinan n a aaa a aaa a aaa a a eoedetese 103 SOM eper EUe a cada cance ost ba aaa negtiatedie tics io due asa av ena wanna eas ta danaa ee aceutdaateats 103 Remo vino packs Toma GUUS aenean eE E EE E E EE TEET 103 Oa 1G A A E E waeteee 103 eE DONE si use pucessasdeusasaenscestosuvasevaeeveassesueesusnssducasccesecawersevads 104 Selec Une TINS DNET en e AEE E EE ETE EE E E 104 Choose AS ita Ti Oh Sh i a eh al NN al Ne Cad ea 105 Pintig to a standard Windows printer drivi s trcsscsesusedet bepsepeasasecd a ceesteoseunedat a 107 Automatic paper size SCICCHON eera a aa e Rea 108 AHonment nd CUCAIR S arenan E A NE E E 109 Pintto PACS aiena EE EEAO E TEE EAT 110 12 Calibration amp Color Management eeeeeccsoosssssssesseseecccocosossssssssssccccecccsossossosssssesesecceecesssssss
46. ation regarding monitor calibration NeoPack Chapter 6 Configuring NeoPack Page 28 Creating templates NeoPack uses templates to create all its jobs There are two different types of template that can be used e Pack Layouts Defines prints or packs e Pack Item Defines a design that is placed into a Pack Layout A NeoPack job consists of a chosen image being placed into a Pack Layout The Pack Layout defines the print size or package ordered and so is essential to create a job A Pack Item is an optional item When a Pack Item is chosen the selected image is placed into the Pack Item design then the combined image is placed into the Pack Layout Understanding Layouts and Items It is important to understand the difference between Pack Layouts and Pack Items Pack Layouts A Pack layout is a single or collection of print sizes that forms a final print Layouts can contain simple print sizes alone as well as background images graphic text and barcode objects To use a layout select an image then choose the layout You ll see the image appear in the layout with no further requirement to make another choice to print the job _ Pack Items A Pack Item is a graphic or text object that can be super imposed over an image When designing a pack item you place the various graphic or text objects as well as an image hole The hole determines where the image you want to frame will appear inside t
47. be able to enter the first sequential number to use Enter the starting number in the Next sequential number entry box Browse for Folder Fath to print file to Dlmages Printed B itmap x o Eg 3 Floppy A Printer cy System C Bitmap file Setup Ee Data D fg DeektopFolderDe Print what EMS Images f Al Unprintedonly Selected only Fry Printed 7 Output to file options Path D lmagesPrinted Bitmap i Nest sequential number i ef RIPTime Output H Samples DK Cancel Cancel Printing to a standard Windows printer driver There are a number of options that can help automate your printing when using NeoPack The main options are e Printer Properties configure printer specific options NeoPack Chapter 11 Printing Page 107 e Printer output options choose whether to output to a file or to the printer e Paper size selection paper size automation functions e Alignment and cut marks how the printed image is aligned and if cut marks are on or off Set the printer properties After selecting the printer to use you can configure the various printer properties by choosing Properties from the Print setup dialog The options displayed here are dependent on your printer s driver software and you should consult the driver software documentation for further information when setting these options Windows printer Name Properties Set the
48. ck Item templates you can now form jobs with NeoPack In order to do this you need to import images to a job file Once imported you can edit the images for cropping color and density add text if required then create the pages ready to be printed It is also possible to import pre matched text data as well as the order information for a particular job file This means that you can automatically add the required text information and form the pages via the import process Image import options NeoPack needs to import the images you wish to use to a job file The import process creates the small on screen preview that is used when you are preforming all tasks within NeoPack The preview image is stored using JPEG compression in the job file Creating a new NeoPack file Start the NeoPack application then choose File gt New or click the New Document button in the toolbar The New File dialog is displayed Choose the desired location give the file a name and choose Save The file is saved and an empty job file is displayed Specify the preview image size The size of the preview image can be changed from the Options menu The default size of 512k is usually sufficient for most operations but you might like to increase the size to improve the appearance of the preview The larger the image preview the larger the job file It is also possible that the program may slow if the preview image is set too high The preview size must be
49. ct size is 7 5 Click Apply The second hole is positioned and sized as shown 8 8 0 8x10 Print 5x7 Print Step 4 Place the second 5x7 hole After the 5x7 hole has been placed click the Image Hole button again click and drag another Image Hole onto the layout canvas Again it is not important to be accurate After placing the second hole select it by clicking it with the mouse Step 5 Size and position the hole With this print we want the top left corner to be positioned at the bottom left corner of the first 5x7 print This means that the second 5x7 print origin is 8 5 Enter these values in the Offset values of the toolbar Now enter the width and height to the Size entry boxes The correct size is 7 5 Click Apply The second hole is positioned and sized as shown 8x10 Print 5x7 Print 9 5 8 5 5x7 Print saving the Template After you have completed the layout you must save it in order to use it with NeoPack There are several attributes that you can set for each template to help identify it when using the program Setting the Template Properties You can specify both the name and a special quick key for each template that you design The name you specify is the name that is displayed within the application for that template A quick key is a special key that when pressed will automatically apply the template For example if you specify the Quick Key A for the layout created previously NeoPack
50. d if desired by entering a number in the Next sequential number box NeoPack Chapter 11 Printing Page 110 Calibration amp Color Management rae Note Timestone Software s Neo family of products use the ICC color management system that Microsoft has built into Windows 2000 If you are using Windows 2000 you should use the ICM 2 color management system in preference to taking the steps described in previous versions of this manual ICC color management involves creating color profiles for every display or output device on your system and is considerably more sophisticated than the previous method However the calibration method of color management and the creation of LUTs Look Up Tables to achieve consistent color correction is still valid if you have not yet upgraded to Windows 2000 and both methods are now described in our separate Color Management Guide which should be available on the same CD ROM that this manual was on or you can download it from our website at http www timestone com au NeoPack Chapter 12 Calibration Page 111 Index O COl Ss aR 66 8 bit transparency mask6 6 33 50 58 Background 1Mages ccccccccccceceeesseeeseeeeees 29 Barcode ODJECIS nesne nde 43 Bitmap v Vector graphics 1 0 eeeeeeeeeeeeees 48 Changing the layer ordef ccseeeeeeeeeees 56 Color management sich cinaoeieeean vacated 112 ColOriZ ed Maes siete tienes a2 Creating a
51. d position In order to use soft cut marks you must use a Timestone Software printer driver with a printer that supports mid image punches Any printer can use Hard cut marks Using Hard cut marks Hard cut marks are a very powerful tool and can be used in a variety of ways Firstly if you have a short advance printer you can define a series of hard cuts in a long pack This makes long packs easily printable by most of the digital printers available today Secondly you can tune your production into manageable chunks Digital high speed printers need large volumes of image data delivered in a continual stream in order to keep the printer busy Images sent to the printer need to be delivered fast enough to keep up with it This is much easier if the file sizes being sent to the printer are a certain sweet size Files larger than this sweet size can cause the printer to pause while the large file is being sent For example the Gretag Mileca likes to have image files around 22Mb delivered to keep it busy If you send it a series of image files each 22Mb in size it will keep up easily If you send images that are 60Mb in size it takes longer to send the larger file to the printer In this case the Mileca will have finished printing the first print before the next is available and have to stop the paper transport The result is a white slug between the prints wasting paper You can use hard cut marks to separate lo
52. dding mis matched images Adding images Images can be added to a file or can over write existing images within a file Images are added by using the Images gt Import from Disk dialog The options available vary according to whether a file is indexed or sequentially numbered Add new files to the end of an existing file sequential files only Choose Images gt Import options panel The Images Options Panel opens Choose To end as the Incoming images selection Specify the files to be imported as previously discussed Images will be appended to the end of the file Incoming images for sequentially numbered image files Reverse order tf Toend leet Replace Insert or replace files within a file sequential files only To add images somewhere in the middle of an existing file first choose the image where the new images are to be inserted or replaced then choose Images gt Import options panel The Images Options Panel is shown Note that the options Insert and Replace are available Images that are imported with Insert selected will be added from the selected image Images imported with the Replace option selected will overwrite existing images from the selected image Incoming images for sequentially numbered image files Reverse order Adding files to an indexed file Any images added to an indexed file will automatically either be added inserted or replace existing images according to the sequence
53. e In this case you would enter e Image as the pre entry e 3 asthe no width entry exp as the post entry e tif as the ext entry With these settings made any files that don t conform to this filename mask will be ignored If the pre no width and post fields are left blank any eligible bitmap files found in the specified directory will be imported Specify a file range limit You can choose to import a range of images from the valid range For example if you want to import image 20 to 40 out of 100 valid image files you would enter 20 and 40 in the Limit from image no to image no boxes Image files 20 through 40 will be imported Once you have made all the settings choose OK The Images From Disk Masked dialog is dismissed Note that in the main Images From Disk dialog you will now see a list of the files that will be imported according to the entries made Import From Disk Masked Path D lmages Samples Kids Browse Filename format pre no width post ext me ME E eg image jpg Files to import Setup D lmages 5S amples Eids Dudes jpg DSimages S amples Kids G ameB oy jpg Dlmages S amples K ids Horse jpg Ds images S amples Kids T eddy jpg Dimages S amplessKids Teddy jpg D lmages S amples Kids T inni jpa Mote Leave the no width field blank for filenames with na image numbers Limit from image no to image na rea Empty list sel
54. e sharpening you should try to use these controls rather than applying a sharpening amount within NeoPack Once all the settings have been made choose OK The dialog is dismissed Choose the files to import There are two ways to choose the images to import to a NeoPack job file e Import images using a mask e Import selected images Import images using a mask If you have a range of images to import NeoPack can choose the images to import as well as identifying any important information embedded in the filename using the Import From Disk Masked dialog From the main Images from Disk dialog click Using mask The Import From Disk Masked dialog opens Choose the image directory Enter the path to the image files you want to import You can click the Browse button to open a Browse dialog Specify the file range to import NeoPack can use a mask to select the files to import as well as identify important information embedded in a filename For example a set of files file might be named Image 1 Image001 exp tif Image 2 Image002exp tif Image 3 Image003exp tif Imagexxxexp tif These filenames consist of a prefix the unique number then a suffix NeoPack Chapter 8 Creating Job Files Page 75 prefix img e number 001 xxx 3 digits long postfix exp extension tif The important information can be imported along with the image data by specifying the location of the data within the filenam
55. e correctly completed panel would be NeoPack Chapter 10 Forming NeoPack jobs Page 94 Field map Image numbertag First 1 Last Specify the field to match When importing the text data NeoPack needs to know which image to match the data to There are two choices e Match to the image number e Match to the original image tag Match on image number image tag Matching to the image number When images are imported to NeoPack they are allocated an image number as they are imported For example the first image imported is allocated image number 1 the second image number 2 and so on The matching image number should be contained in each record of the text file Matching to the image tag When images are imported no NeoPack the original filename is retained as the image tag For example if an imported file is named film 172 jpg it will be allocated the image tag film 172 jpg You can see the image tags each imported image has by fo al choosing Images gt show tags The image tag is displayed next to the image number Each record in the text file should contain the corresponding image tag Merging and updating existing data If you have already imported data but wish to update the contents you can choose from a number of options when doing the update import The options are e Leave existing details existing details will not be changed by the update e Always replace exi
56. e licenses or waiting until another user on your system exits his or her running Neo application Installing the License Server When installing the Neo application choose the License Server component The License Server service will be installed It is not necessary to install the License Server on any machine other than the one that will host the hardlock NeoPack Chapter 4 License Server Page 7 You will be required to re start the PC Do so Once the PC has been re started you will notice several things e Anew control panel License Server has been added to the Windows Control Panel e Anew service Timestone License Server has been added to the Services list e Anew program License Manager has been added to the Start gt Timestone Software menu Connect the hardlock to the License Server s parallel port Configuring and testing the License Server The hardlock can be connected to any machine in the local area network This machine doesn t have to have a Neo application installed to act as a Hardlock Server Hardlock and License Server installation First make sure the hardlock is plugged into the hardlock server s parallel port Run the Neo application installer and make sure that the License Server and Support Files components are chosen It is not necessary to choose the Neo application component if you do not intend to run the Neo application on this machine Allow the installer to re start the PC as required
57. e showing Aspect Ratio indicators Using the Aspect Ratio indicators The aspect ratio indicators show the edge of the various print sizes allowing the best crop for the various aspect ratios being prepared to be decided For information on zoom and crop operations see Chapter 9 Editing Images Defining default Fields NeoPack has powerful text handling features that allow information for each image to be entered The entered text is then automatically placed into the finished design as defined in a template The text is generated in a job by placing special codes into the template design In the main application the text that belongs to that code is entered NeoPack then places the entered text into the job You will want to define codes that are relevant to the sort of work you do For example you might want codes for a name if you are doing portrait photography or a product ID if you re producing a catalogue You can define default fields that every file you create will inherit After files have been created you can add more fields NeoPack Chapter 6 Configuring NeoPack Page 23 Adding default fields Choose File gt Options then choose the Default tab These are the default values that are assigned to newly created files You may edit them or import them from an existing file Aspect ratios Edit Import from file Details Fields Edit Import from file me n Click the Det
58. e text file should be either fixed length or delimited with a carriage return for each end of line For example Vanessa Claridge Happy Christmas 26 01 89 img001 tif Phyllis Wills Holidays are great 7 5 89 img002 tif Andrea Stratton Wish you were here 10 2 89 img003 tif This file is comma delimited and contains 5 fields e First name field 1 e Last name field 2 A personal message field 3 e Date of birth field 4 e The image number to match field 5 Select the file to import To import this data open the file you wish to import it to then choose Details gt Import text file The Text file to import details dialog opens Navigate through to the directory that contains the text file then click it once Configure the import In the Text file to import details dialog click Setup The Setup image details text file import dialog opens The dialog is divided into several sections e Type specifies the file format you re importing e Field map allows you to specify the field positions e Match on choose to match on image number or image tag 7 impop erty rege dele e Imported existing image details control how ateria deia To wager tha etch existing data will be merged with new data Leet este ota Aba pepis satiny detsk A pepas tebe ceteds pi if hlk E pise ehig chet adi Choose the type Caj m There are several common formats that text data that you will commonly use These
59. e various options XW When printing to bitmap files any hard cut marks set in a template will be honoured and a number of files will be created for the split pack Set the output resolution and format Choose the output resolution by clicking the DPI drop down You can choose from a variety of output file types by clicking the Format drop down and selecting the desired format Set color correction Choose an output LUT from those available by clicking the Apply LUT drop down and choosing from the list For more information on creating LUT s see Chapter 12 Calibration amp Color Management Set the sharpness You can apply a sharpness correction by checking the Sharpen checkbox Choose the Kernel size and strength e amp Generally you should leave the Kernel at 3 You will pet 200 Fomat have to test the sharpness strength for your system Apply LUT hone k Pl Set the filename option ma C aea E p Kernel Strength 160 There are a number of file naming options when printing to bitmap files Once you choose Bitmap file Cancel as the Print to the Output filenames panel becomes active Files printed are named Prefix Number Copies ext e Prefix each printed file will begin with the text entered Number the main filename given to each printed file Copies the number of copies requested in the print dialog Output filenames Format preted copes ext e ext
60. eate complex packs allowing you to create jobs that previously would require several separate units to be ordered to complete When an image hole is placed onto a page layout by default it will be overlayed with an Item design if one is selected You can explicitly set this by ensuring the option Item design or normal image if no design selected is set Fill holder with f tem design or normal image if no design selected mage without item design Tas black amp white as sepie colorzed Cancel Set an image hole An image hole is an area in a layout where an image only will appear You can design a pack layout that has several prints then decide which will contain a design overlay Do this by choosing Image without item design as the selection when placing a hole you don t want the design to appear in Holder E Fill holder with ltem design or normal image if no design selected l as black amp white as sepia colorized Cancel Set a colorized image You can choose to make prints B W or tinted by selecting as black amp white or as sepia colorized This particular image in a layout will be as selected If you want a particular tint color choose as sepia colorized then slide the slider to select a color Once you have made your selection choose OK and the hole is placed into the template NeoPack Chapter 7 Creating Templates Page 51 ta MeoPack File Edi
61. eating Templates Page 57 File regres avai pg Open Heie fima Alec bree ergs pa H A preview of the mask is shown You can flip or rotate the mask if required After you re happy with the settings choose OK A preview of the masked image is shown If you want to remove the mask file click the Reset button The mask is removed Choose OK te ee E ER Portrait and landscape templates The images that you use with NeoPack may be in either portrait or landscape orientations The templates that you design contain an image hole where the imported images will appear and this hole must also be in a portrait or landscape orientation When the imported image orientation matches the hole orientation you will see a pleasant result However if you try to place a landscape image into a template designed for a portrait one you will see the image cropped badly NeoPack Chapter 7 Creating Templates Page 58 The solution to this is to design both portrait and landscape versions of the Pack Item within a single template When you choose an image the correct version of the template is automatically selected ensuring the best possible result for your job Preparing the graphic images In your image or vector editor create the necessary images for both the portrait and landscape versions of the Pack Item templates Save the various components to the hard disk Creating a Landscape and Portrait version Open NeoPack a
62. ected Import selected images If you want to import a number of selected image files you can choose the files to import using the selected dialog Click Selected The Import From Disk dialog opens Choose the files you want to import You can use the standard Windows modifier keys to select the various file ranges These modifiers are e lt Shift gt click first then last file in a range selects a block of files lt CTRL gt click each file you wish to import selects the files to import individually NeoPack Chapter 8 Creating Job Files Page 76 Choose the range of files to and choose OK Import From Disk Look in E Kids e Files of type Bitmap files bmp pnag ipa tif Cancel specify the image import order Open the Import Options panel by choosing Image gt Import options panel Note the status of the Incoming images section of the Import Options If the file currently open is indexed the options will be unavailable If the file currently open is sequential the options will be available Images Import Options Panel Ea Images Import Options Panel Ea M Pause importing I Follow imported images M Pause importing I Follow imported images Iheamna images fon hes With sequential numbered Images Incoming images for files with sequentially numbered images D Reverse oder oend inset Hepere Reverse order Toend Inset Replace Unavailable Image opti
63. ects in the Pack Item Template Pack Item Templates can contain Graphic Image Hole and Text objects within a single design A single template can also contain both portrait and landscape versions of the same design The correct orientation design for a portrait or landscape image is automatically selected when the template is chosen in the main application Objects are placed onto the template canvas by choosing the appropriate button from the Place object toolbar then clicking and dragging the mouse Objects are placed into stackable layers allowing them to be placed in front of or behind one another Placing and using Image Hole objects The images that you import appear in holes that you place into a NeoPack template You can place as many holes into a template as you need Holes can be different sizes and orientations NeoPack automatically scales and rotates the image as each individual hole requires To create a single image hole click the Place Image Hole button The cursor changes to the Place Object cursor Position the mouse over the area on the page where you want the hole to appear Click and drag a box over the page It is not important to be accurate at this point The Image hole properties dialog is displayed NeoPack Chapter 7 Creating Templates Page 50 Set an Item design hole As previously mentioned there are several different options available when placing an image hole The control allows you to cr
64. ed then enter the required text Continue on until all the fields have been filled in then continue on with other images NeoPack Chapter 10 Forming NeoPack jobs Page 91 Entering temporary fields If you have a temporary field that you wish to use quickly and don t want to define it in the Edit gt Fields dialog you can enter it for each image manually For example you might want to use a template that uses a field that you don t commonly use perhaps the name of a pet NeoPack allows you to choose the image then directly enter the temporary field name and a value As long as the field name is correct for the template you want to use the text will be replaced First Vanessa Last Claridge Message H appy Christmas Fethame Allocating multiple Details You can allocate multiple details for a number of images This is useful if the images share details such as a group name etc Select all the images that share similar details then click the Details field you wish to enter then type the value or choose the graphic image NeoPack Chapter 10 Forming NeoPack jobs Page 92 Importing text data If you have the required text data from an external source it can be imported to NeoPack avoiding re keying the data The text data can be contained in a delimited or fixed length file The data can be matched to the images either by using the image number or the original filename and each record Th
65. editor and file format Any modern image editor can be used to edit the images When editing an image NeoPack saves the file to the hard disk as either an Adobe Photoshop Version 2 5 file or a generic Windows BMP file Once the file has been edited the changes are saved and the image editor closed NeoPack detects the image editor has quit and reloads the new file If your image editor supports PSD files it is recommended you use this file format If you use layers within Photoshop you must flatten the image before saving the changes or you will not be able to save the file in BMP format Paw Note If the edited image is saved as a different file format or with a new name NeoPack will not know to reload the new file Retouching an image e Choose the image you wish to edit then choose Edit image from the Image menu or press Control E e The image is loaded into the image editor Make the required changes then save the file and quit the image editor The edited image is re loaded to NeoPack Configuring Adobe Photoshop NeoPack reads Photoshop 2 5 files These files don t contain any layer information that was introduced with Photoshop 3 0 If layers are introduced to the image during editing it is important to either flatten the image or enable Photoshop 2 5 compatibility within Photoshop Preferences Images that contain layer information are opened in NeoPack with an error message as the image If you see
66. en displaying a pack preview the display is relative to the size set here For example if a pack is 8 x 8 and the View size is set to a width and height of 20 the pack will appear quite small when previewed Conversely if a pack is 8 x 16 and the View size is set to 10 x 10 the pack will be clipped in the preview window NeoPack Chapter 6 Configuring NeoPack Page 19 0 Hyi Pack OT 1 te Hyi Pack 2 Figure 3 The same pack with the View setting set to 20x20 left and 12x12 right Image Editor NeoPack allows editing of images via an external image editor such as Adobe Photoshop Specify the image editor to use by either entering the path and program EXE to the EXE file line or click the Browse button A File Open dialog will open Locate and choose the Image editor EXE file and click Open The Image Editor is chosen If the image editor you have chosen supports Adobe Photoshop 3 0 PSD files choose this as the file format used for the interchange Otherwise choose BMP file format ZA If you use BMP as the file interchange to the Image Editor be sure that you save your edited images as a BMP as well NeoPack will only re load the edited file if it has the same filename and extension If you have created layers in the Image Editor flatten the image in order to save as a BMP file again ZA The image editor interchange is only available with images that have been fully imported If you import images with preview only
67. ency masksS cccccccccceeeeseeeeees 33 54 Understanding layouts and designs cc eeeeececeeeeeeeeeeeeees 29 Using the template designer ensesssseeeeessssseee 30 WV AIT A ONS TO Cerere 61 63 Vector Crap AICS sere eiemeri encase ieieween 51 Vector v Bitmap graphics 0 0 0 ccceeeeeeeeeeeees 48 NGC OCA s te pceetawessawadiated 4 Page 113
68. er size selection Use default size Pick the best from defined sizes A Use custom paper sizes only i Cut to size Alignment and Cut marks You can choose to print the NeoPack jobs onto a paper size larger than the job image In this case you can choose how the image will be aligned on the oversize page You can also enable or disable cut mark support Align You can control how the image is positioned on a page using the Align setting This is only useful if the page being used is larger than the image being printed Click the Align drop down and choose the image placement Honour cut marks If the templates you are using have cut marks defined you can choose to use or ignore these by checking or un checking Honour cut marks Checking this box causes the cut marks to be used un checking causes them to be ignored Align top left M Honour cut marks if defined NeoPack Chapter 11 Printing Page 109 Print the pages Once all the various options have been set choose File gt Print The print dialog opens The images to be printed can be chosen using the Print what section Choosing Prints All Prints all the created packages Un printed only Prints any packages that haven t yet been printed Selected only Prints the range of prints currently selected in the printer queue If printing to a file or a bitmap printer driver specify the output path for the file The next sequence number can be specifie
69. erossssssssseseeeereresssessss 15 Usne COR AG t S Tam crane ra eE EE E EE E TE OSEE E 15 TASS GOOI DAES ceia E O ae 16 PR SZ PAN NB og sh sass Sed denne chee dae ea Seated docdhe ee coisa 2 get doth ase pueda dade gna doe ans ede soe dees eae 17 Opening Closing and MAXIMISING PANES cceccccccccccceceeeeeeesseseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaassseeeseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeseaaeassesseseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaas 17 MOTO UGC Wis AEE A E N AE A T AE E E A E E E E ET 18 OMEN urino N ONAC Fariesieirisirrir as enaena e Eae EEEE ENEE EEEE EEEE ETE EEE 19 Sene the Program delallis cessie r E AE EE ETA SE E T OS E 19 Mo Re AV ME E aae E E E EE E AE E E E E E E EEA 19 oane E O E E E E E 20 ADEC O e E E A ENEO OA AEA E A AAE ANENE 20 Determini the dealer OPi nme eye reise ea tsp er ern ran ann nee trey rate R nT In rer inves tan in eet rny Oot enn ETT 20 DENIS AS PEC ER AOS aiclurissscmt ib andet tues A A A 21 Deimne CELAUG ECS occ tata csannn cia secroseiee a e a r T 23 Defining the Imase tile location eeen E E ANE 29 Detmine the Desti Fie Tocino messan E R T T S 26 Bennen Eo a a a a re Nenana MO Ten Te Ta ine Ra aeRO ner nOrn ere 26 Derne the Gera lt Pack StS s sect ave ocaiaa E E E E E deters 27 NY Ke anhco na erel lo 1e 1806 0 preeeenntan carter esta ever cei aternnatantca ar anvn ney nr erent rn iia ntag cer anv eR nr eres arn Ria ny germ ern Cn een Tone acre 28 Fal reatino EMI DIALGS sess sackcesasteinniaiiataseserhii eviews 29 Understanding Layouts and ems seri
70. es a little time to perform and also requires some hard disk space at least as much as the new file s size Once done the file will only contain the essential image data and be as small as possible It is recommended that you compact the file after deleting many images or before being archived gem Edt View Images Quer New Ctrl Open Chrl O Llose Close amp Compact NeoPack Chapter 8 Creating Job Files Page 82 Editing images Once images have been imported to NeoPack they can be changed in various ways e Zoom e Jog x y movement e Color and density corrections e Image contrast corrections e Image editing via an external image editor There are many shortcuts available to achieve the various corrections as are there many different ways to change the size and number of images being displayed Changing the display By default NeoPack displays all three main window panes e Images e Packs e Queue The size and display status of these panes is discussed in a previous chapter Further to these controls it is possible to change the number and size of the images as they are displayed in the workspace Image pane controls At the bottom left of both the image and queue panes are image display controls Image set controls B Eia Single image _ aa Lock display Multiple images Number of images NeoPack Chapter 9 Editing images Page 83 Choosing Single Image changes the image displa
71. essary choose OK Cut Marks Cut along the f Horizontal axis Vertical axis Remove Hotes Cut marks are not required for the start or end of a layout By default cut mark information wil be relayed to the printer if supported to print the layout a separate pages click the Hard option Cancel Displaying cut marks You can display a cut mark by clicking the Cut Mark button in the Display Options toolbar Any cut marks defined will be displayed The different cutmarks are displayed using different dash lines Hard cut mark I Soft cut mark N I I Pack Item templates A Pack Item template is a group of graphic and text objects that must be placed into a Layout template to form a final job A Pack Item template will be fitted into the Pack Layout chosen meaning that it is possible that it will be cropped For example you might create a Pack Item template that can fit on either a 8x12 or 8x10 print When the 8x12 Layout is selected the entire design is placed onto the page When an 8x10 Layout is used the Pack Item is cropped top and bottom to fit into the shorter page NeoPack Chapter 7 Creating Templates Page 46 A Pack Item Template can contain multiple Image Holes of different sizes and orientations Images are automatically scaled and rotated to fit into the holes placed in the design Pack Item templates can contain various graphic elements including bitmap images from image ed
72. file Matching to the image tag When images are imported no NeoPack the original filename is retained as the image tag For example if an imported file is named film 172 jpg it will be allocated the image tag film 172 jpg You can see the image tags each imported image has by choosing Images fo El gt show tags The image tag is displayed next to the image number Each record in the text file should contain the corresponding image tag NeoPack Chapter 10 Forming NeoPack jobs Page 102 Forming the jobs After the fields have been specified choose OK Now ensure that the text file has been selected then choose Open The queue is formed from the data Queue control and status information As packages are created they are allocated a printer status The status of a particular package is indicated at the lower left of the pack preview Create or re print a Add the pack or choose Queue gt Reprint package selected packs Print a pack or pack Choose the File gt Print command A range LA Hold a pack or pack Choose Queue gt Hold selected packs ea range Release a held pack or Choose Queue gt Release selected packs re pack range J Sorting the printer queue Packs displayed in the printer queue can be sorted either by image or by printer status To sort by e Image choose Queue gt Sort by image e Printer Status choose Queue gt Sort by printer status Removing packs from a que
73. file as well as shorter import times than importing the whole image data Original image file location If you import the preview only you need to make the original image files available to NeoPack when you print or export jobs or images There are several options available to you to do this e Pre defined locations set as a program default Remember the original image file location You should choose the method that suits your lab best Configuring pre defined locations for the image files The pre defined locations are set by choosing File gt Options and choose the Paths tab NeoPack Chapter 8 Creating Job Files Page 68 Image Files Ajast D ata mages S ounce al Use to substitute Neo job tni file name Hew Remove coc __ There are three types of pre defined locations available e Image Root directory e Same directory as job file e Sub directory from job file Image Root directory Using an image root directory allows all images belonging to a job be stored under a single directory in its own folder For example you might set up a single image server named ImageServer This server has a drive shared as Data and all images are stored in folders under the Images folder UNC naming allows this exact directory be specified from any workstation within the network without using drive letters This avoids configuration errors The UNC name for a shared directory is Server Share Path Yo
74. formats allow you to define where a field begins and ends within each record of the text file These formats are commonly e Fixed length each field has a specified length Delimited the end of each field is specified by a unique character Choose the format of the file you are importing NeoPack Chapter 10 Forming NeoPack jobs Page 93 Fixed length If you are importing a fixed length file specify the position of each field in the file Setup image details text file import x Field map Image number tag First Last Message Delimited If you are importing a delimited file specify the delimiter by choosing either by tab or enter the delimiter in the variable box Setup image details text file import x Type De oie by tab Y Fired ora byl Field map Position Image number tag First Last Message Specify the field map The Field map panel allows you to specify the various fields contained within the records of the text file Enter the field positions for your file For example Vanessa Claridge Happy Christmas 26 01 89 img001 tif Phyllis Wills Holidays are great 7 5 89 img002 tif Andrea Stratton Wish you were here 10 2 89 img003 tif 1S an example of a comma delimited text file The field positions are e First name field 1 e Last name field 2 A personal message field 3 e Date of birth field 4 The image number to match field 5 Th
75. fter re sizing As discussed earlier in this chapter you can place more than one image hole into a template For more detail on constructing a multi hole Item Pack check earlier in this chapter Placing and using graphic objects Several graphic objects can be placed into a NeoPack template There are several steps when importing these objects Placing a graphic object Create a new template either a Layout or a Design Set the page size to match the template you re designing Click the Place Graphic Object button at The mouse pointer turns to the Place Object pointer Click and drag the mouse in the template It is not important to be accurate at this point A File Open dialog is displayed Choose the file you wish to place and choose Open The file is read and the object appears in the template Now the Set Bitmap Mask dialog appears Click the color you ee nae wish to appear as transparent In this M B i aml pokes ore rg a Ehia pri jal hoo corey case we will click the centre white area ia Balerina preg sas ba Colpo aj bdsm _i prg Fubar orl a Celsa prg of the Life Saver If you don t want to set a transparent area for the graphic press Cancel The graphic will still be placed but no transparent areas will be set NeoPack Chapter 7 Creating Templates Page 53 If you make a mistake press Reset to reset the selected color Once the transparent TEA z area has been set you D oihe tman io
76. full design Figure 23 The Image Object placed behind the graphic object s transparent area NeoPack Chapter 7 Creating Templates Page 56 When this design is applied to an image the two areas are merged Figure 24 The finished print Placing additional graphic objects As many graphic objects as you need can be placed into a template To add a further object repeat the above process Pane Note If a graphic object that is placed over the top a hole has the transparent color it will be merged is described above Be sure that for objects that you don t want to merge you choose Cancel at the Set Bitmap Mask dialog 8 bit masks NeoPack allows 8 bit transparency masks to be applied to graphic images placed into a template This allows creative effects like soft edged blends and transparent graphic objects all applied from template You must first have the transparency mask image file available Use an image editor like Adobe Photoshop to create these masks Set an 8 bit mask for an image hole After an image hole has been placed onto the template canvas select it _ apply 8 bit mask button becomes available in the toolbar Click the button me and the apply mask dialog is displayed Choose Load a File Browse dialog appears Locate and open the mask file It is opened and a preview shown Click the Load button A File Open dialog opens Locate and choose the mask file Press Open NeoPack Chapter 7 Cr
77. ges is displayed Choose the package you wish to add hone 1 8x10 2 Sx Click inside the Description field and name the pack This 1 8x10 2 587 5 283 is the name that is displayed in the program to identify this 2 oe1U particular package You may like to append the shortcut Pack key after the name as a reminder to the operator Click inside the Key field and type a letter When creating a queue simply pressing this letter on the keyboard will choose this pack It is also possible to choose a number of keys for this entry shortcut For example HS1 for High School pack 1 ZA A Key entered here will over ride a key you may have defined in the Pack Layout properties I kt l t C l ee l boy Fee Pack E E bo lal odin Beek CIC a Continue adding packs to the pack set as necessary Once finished choose OK The dialog is dismissed NeoPack Chapter 6 Configuring NeoPack Page 27 ZA Add the shortcut key to the name as a reminder to the operator Be sure not to specify the same shortcut key for different packs ZA Any shortcut keys specified here over ride those set in the Pack Layout Properties See Chapter 7 Creating Templates for more information Monitor calibration If you wish to use the built in monitor calibration ensure Enable monitor LUT is checked If this option is enabled the monitor calibration wizard must be run See Chapter 12 Calibration amp Color Management for more inform
78. graphics and text with layout templates NeoPack layouts allow graphic objects such as a logo or background image text objects including fixed or variable text and barcode objects to be placed into the design Using these objects within a layout as opposed to a design allows a complex print layout of an absolute size to be designed Choosing an image then the complex layout results in a finished print layout complete with the graphic text and barcode objects By contrast a Pack Item template must be placed onto a Layout before a job is formed If you always use common complex layouts or want to use a barcode object you should design your Layout templates to include the various graphic objects NeoPack Chapter 7 Creating Templates Page 42 Using a Barcode object Barcode objects can only be placed into a Layout style template This is because a barcode must have a an specific size and characters per inch in order to be correctly read Only a Layout template can offer these specific size requirements To place a barcode into your Layout template click Provident School Wu the Barcode Object button in the toolbar Click and Valid 12 00 drag where you want the barcode to appear The Edit Barcode dialog appears Specify the barcode type by choosing from the Barcode lt ix Barcode type drop down list The types available ae Petes include i Text to encode EE Code 39 Characters inch fis Extended
79. gth e Delimited the end of each field is specified by a unique character Choose the format of the file you are importing Fixed length If you are importing a fixed length file specify the position of each field in the file NeoPack Chapter 10 Forming NeoPack jobs Page 101 Delimited If you are importing a delimited file specify the delimiter by choosing either by tab or enter the delimiter in the variable box Specify the field map The Field map panel allows you to specify the various fields contained within the records of the text file Enter the field positions for your file For example img001 tif A Q 2 img002 tif A Q 1 img003 tif A W 3 7 7 Is an example of a comma delimited text file The field positions are e Image filename field 1 e Layout template field 2 e Design template field 3 Required quantity field 4 The correctly completed panel is shown at right Specify the field to match When importing the text data NeoPack needs to know which image to match the data to There are two choices e Match to the image number Match on e Match to the original image tag Pie aa Matching to the image number When images are imported to NeoPack they are allocated an image number as they are imported For example the first image imported is allocated image number 1 the second image number 2 and so on The matching image number should be contained in each record of the text
80. he design _ To use a Pack Item you first select the layout then the item you wish to apply The image is placed into the item and into all the print sizes defined by the layout Pack items can be sizeable or fixed size and must be specified as one NeoPack Chapter 7 Creating Templates Page 29 or the other when created Sizeable pack items will be scaled to fit within the hole on the layout Fixed size items exist to cater for things like barcodes which cannot be sizeable as a barcode relies on a certain number of lines per inch to be read correctly Image holes can be selected to use or not to use Pack Items In addition you can choose images to be black and white or sepia This allows great flexibility when creating your packs creating very complex jobs with a single mouse click Using the template designer The Template Designer is integrated with NeoPack To use it start the program then choose Mode Design Note that many of the options are initially dimmed and unavailable New Template Design 4 4 xj Create a new Template Switch to Design mode by choosing Mode Design or pressing F8 on your keyboard Pack items are optional and appear in pack item holes Choose File New The New Template Design on a pack layout They also define various elemets dialog opens Pack Layout defines the position of On various elements ina pack including holes lt lt for pack items and images text
81. i normal text codes as well as the barcode object that uses an ID code First Last Provident Schaal Valid 12 00 NeoPack Chapter 7 Creating Templates Page 43 Using and defining Hole Punches NeoPack offers extensive support for hole punches your printer might support There are two broad types of printers that are supported e Roll to roll printers with either mid image or end start of image punches e Cut sheet printers without any punching system For printers that support hole punches you can define a number of cut mark positions within a pack With our Windows NT Printer Drivers the cut mark information is sent to the printer with the page being printed If your printer doesn t support mid image punching but has start or end of print punches or is a cut sheet printer you can use cut marks to split the packs being printed In this case you can define a position to split the long pack When the pack is printed it will be sent to the printer split into a number of separate images The result is either a punch at the beginning or end of each unit or each unit will be printed individually Punch and printer types There are several types of digital printer available today e Cut sheet feed e Long roll short length feed e Long roll long length feed A cut sheet feed printer typically has a maximum paper advance A good example is the Sienna FotoPrint range that typically has a maximum output size of 8x12 or 1
82. ial o h oe sa Gf o E es Figure 12 An Image Object after re sizing In the case that you want to create a layout that is a single 5x7 print in portrait orientation set the X and Y Offset to 0 0 and the Size to 5 7 The Image Hole object is placed in the top left corner and set to 5 wide and 7 high Create a package print layout By positioning more than one image hole onto the layout canvas you can create a package print template When this layout is selected in the main program the image is placed into each of the image holes automatically scaled and rotated to fit the hole To create the Pack Layout set the page size large enough so that all the required prints can be contained on the canvas as discussed earlier Place the first print size as previously Now place another Image Hole object Select it and set the offset value and size so that it is correctly positioned in the layout Continue placing Image Holes until the pack layout is complete NeoPack Chapter 7 Creating Templates Page 39 Creating a Package print layout an example We want to create a simple package print consisting of 1 x 10x8 print and 2 x 5x7 prints 8x10 Print 5x7 Print 5x7 Print Step 1 Set the Page size Create a new Layout Click the Page background Note that the Size values become available but not the Offset Set the page size to 15 10 to allow for all the required print sizes to be placed onto the canvas Step 2 P
83. ight be required choosing the pack layout then optionally the Pack Item required These steps can be done manually by entering the required information with the keyboard or by importing text files that contain the information The text and order information can be imported from text files allowing for the job creation process to be automated You can also use a barcode reader to generate the jobs if the order information is recorded on barcoded order bags When creating a job the formed pages are added to the current print queue If you order more than one job per image the jobs for that image are grouped together within the queue If you change the crop zoom or color corrections for a particular image the new changes automatically flow through to the jobs without any further operator action being required Entering text data If your templates use text data you will need to enter that data either manually for each image or by importing the data from a text file Entering the data manually Open the file you want to add text data to then choose the first image that needs the data Ensure that the Details pane is visible You will see the defined fields for this file in the details pane If you don t see any fields see Chapter 6 Configuring NeoPack for more information regarding defining fields Click the first image than needs text Note that the fields in the Details pane become active Click in the Value entry box for the fil
84. ion can be applied as it is imported Choose the LUT that you need from the Apply LUT drop down For information in making a LUT please see Chapter 12 Calibration and Color Management pple LUT Gamma 1 3 Source Last Image l Clipboard e EE Kinetic bitmap devices Importing from the Windows clipboard If your have an application or scanner that can Ea place the images into the Windows clipboard E o imasiting Hide NeoPack can import these images directly NeoPack Chapter 8 Creating Job Files Page 79 Choose Image gt Import from hot source The Import from hot source dialog opens Make sure Clipboard is checked and Pause importing is unchecked Any images that appear in the Windows clipboard will be inserted to the currently open file The images are inserted according to the options set in the Options panel as previously discussed Importing from Kinetic bitmap devices Some other imaging applications use this method as an image interchange If your device is compatible images will be inserted automatically according to the settings made in the Options panel If you re not sure if your device is compatible check with Timestone Software Importing to indexed files If the file currently open contains indexed images NeoPack will only import images if the matching index number is supplied by the source EEE ai Lai imags Houe Phe cunet ie hae miese kra
85. ither enter the output path or click Browse A File Browse dialog opens Choose the folder you want to use then choose OK Choose OK to print the Print Job file Fath to print file to Dlmages Printed obFiles x o Ea 34 Floppy A Printer cy System C Timestone Print Job file Setup Ee Data D fg DeektopFolderDe Print what EMS Images f Aloo C Unprintedon Selected only i A A Frinted Output to file options Sy obFiles Mileca Hot Folder Php O o Nest sequential number i mo Samples Print to a Standard Windows NT printer driver You can use a standard Windows NT printer driver to print from NeoPack There are a number of special features built into NeoPack that automate paper size selection and a number of other options To choose a Windows NT printer choose Windows printer as the Print to option then choose the printer you wish to use by clicking the Printer drop down and selecting it from the list Set any printer specific options by choosing Properties For information on the options to set consult your printer s driver documentation NeoPack Chapter 11 Printing Page 105 Print To Timestone Print Job file Name Sienna Lucht Mileca HSF Properties Bitmap file Setup Print to a bitmap file NeoPack can output bitmap files directly by choosing Bitmap file as the Print to option Once selected the Setup button becomes active Click it to set th
86. iting applications like Adobe Photoshop and WME vector graphics created in applications like CorelDraw The templates also support image transparency meaning you can define a specific color in your design that will appear as transparent An Image Hole placed behind a transparent area will show through the transparent area merging the two elements together In the example note that the same design has been placed into an 8x10 and 8x12 page The same design has been used Note also that the teddy bear appears on top of the image indicating that image transparency has been used Creating a Pack Item template To create a new Pack Item Template switch to Template Design mode by choosing Mode Design The Template Designer is shown Choose File New then choose Pack Item from the selection A blank Pack Item template is created Set the Pack Item size As a Pack Item is placed into a layout to create the final print size it doesn t have a fixed size or aspect ratio Even so it is useful to allocate a page size for a Pack Item to make it easier to create the design in the first place Set the page size by clicking on the background page Note that the page handles become active and the Size entry area becomes active Now enter the page size you wish to use then Apply The page size changes Note that unlike a Layout Template you need not specify the page units The Units drop down is fixed to abstract as the measurement un
87. its E NeoPack File Edit Orientation Mode Help os Seea e w ela Olfset H l Size Ail 12 00 10 8 00 Apply Figure 13 Selected background page with handles Preparing and using graphic images There are several steps involved when creating and placing graphic objects e Designing the graphic object in an image editor NeoPack Chapter 7 Creating Templates Page 47 e Placing the graphic into a NeoPack template e Define any transparent areas in the graphic There are a number of important things you need to keep in mind when designing graphic images for use in a template Bitmap or Vector There are two quite distinct types of graphic images that can be used in a NeoPack template e Vector graphics from applications like CorelDraw e Bitmap images from applications like Adobe Photoshop The two types are completely different in both the way that they are created and also in the look of the final printed image A vector graphic is formed by drawing a series of lines then applying blocks of color to the objects drawn The result is a graphic that is well suited to many logos and other design elements but that has a cartoonish appearance when drawing real life images On the other hand a bitmap image can create realistic images for use in a template The big difference between a vector and bitmap graphic is that a vector is very small and quick to print whilst a bitmap can be very large and slower to p
88. k inside the X value box or Press lt Control gt lt Y gt Increase the value or press the key Hold the Control key and press the v key Click and drag the mouse Move an image down Zooming images Choose an image The image can be zoomed by Action Keyboard Mouse Image Correction palette Make the Hold the Hold the Control key Click inside the S image larger Control key and turn the scroll wheel value box or Press and press the or Hold the Shift key lt Control gt lt S gt Page Down key down and move the Decrease the value or mouse up press the WV key Make the Hold the Hold the Control key Click inside the S image smaller Control key and turn the scroll wheel value box or Press and press the or Hold the Shift key lt Control gt lt S gt Page Up key down and move the Increase the value or NeoPack Chapter 9 Editing images mouse down press the key Page 86 Moving images outside the image area It is possible to move the images outside the image area This might cause white borders in the finished packages If you move an image too far you will see indicators The indicators show where the image has been incorrectly moved Out of image area indicators Zooming and jogging in practice Adjusting the size and position of images for the various print sizes to be printed is a most important task If many images are to be adjusted it is important to perform the task as quickly and
89. lace the 10x8 hole Choose the Image Hole button then click and drag the mouse over the template canvas area Anew Image Hole object is placed onto the canvas It is not important to be accurate in the placement or sizing of the hole at this point Steo 3 Size and position the hole Select the image hole by clicking it Note that the object handles appear indicating it is selected and that the Object Dimensions entry boxes in the toolbar become available to edit The Offset values represent the top left corner of the object In this example we want the top left corner of the hole to be positioned in the absolute top left of the layout Enter the values 0 0 for the Offset Now enter the print size of 8 10 then click Apply The hole is positioned in the top left corner and sized to 8x10 0 0 8x10 Print Step 4 Place the first 5x7 hole After the 10x8 hole has been placed click the Image Hole button again click and drag another Image Hole onto the layout canvas Again it is not important to be accurate After placing the second hole select it by clicking it with the mouse NeoPack Chapter 7 Creating Templates Page 40 Step 5 Size and position the hole With this print we want the top left corner to be positioned at the top right corner of the 10x8 print This means that the 5x7 print origin is 8 0 Enter these values in the Offset values of the toolbar Now enter the width and height to the Size entry boxes The corre
90. lates Page 61 Creating variable text NeoPack templates feature special codes that allow you to customise every job printed For example you might be printing a series of photographs that has a person s name and a personal message The process of automatically replacing the text is controlled by placing the special code into your template design then entering the matching information in the Main program for each image It is also possible to import the text data from an external source as long as the data has been pre matched to each image For the following example make sure that you can see the 4 main NeoPack panes as shown below Pack add view pane Images pane Details pane Queue pane Creating and using codes An code is simply a text object that starts with the character You can define any code you like As long as a matching Field in the Main application has some information entered that text will be placed into the final print In the following example we will create a simple page that places an image along with their first and last name and a personal message onto a page Define the Details fields As previously discussed in Chapter 6 Configuring NeoPack you can define various fields to use as an code You should define the fields you will commonly use as a program default so all the files you create contain these fields If you haven t yet defined any default fields you can
91. letters as a valid path Image Files Design Files D SImages Templates After entering a new path NeoPack must be 2 New Remove re started before it will recognise the new entries and so see any templates in the new Cancel sey location Defining pack sets The Pack Layouts that you create can be gathered together into convenient sets You might like to gather all the 10 sizes together in one set and 8 into another When using the software you can choose the set you want to use NeoPack Chapter 6 Configuring NeoPack Page 26 Pack sets can contain any mix of the defined sizes and can have a custom name for each size for that pack You can also assign a quick key that allows you to select the print size by pressing the key If you don t create any pack sets all the available sizes will be displayed in the program De wi S p Sanple Fact Define the default pack sets Open the Pack set editor by choosing Edit gt Packs the pack set editor opens Step 1 Create and name the pack set Choose New from the Set list section A new line appears in the Set list table Enter some meaningful name that identifies this pack set Packs in set Step 2 Add packs to the set ieee Choose Add from the Packs in set section of the dialog A B new line appears in the Packs in set table Note that the Pack entry has a drop down button Click the drop down arrow A list of available packa
92. ll appear in the template Graphic objects created with this tool are static Graphic objects can be bitmap WMF or EMF type Text Object Defines where text will appear in the template Text can be static or contain a special variable codes Text automatically scales to fill the defined text box Barcode Object Defines where a barcode will appear in a Layout Note that the barcode object is not available when creating a sizeable pack item the item must be a fixed size item Labeled holder Places a box that will be replaced by an image e g a logo To place an object click the desired button click inside the template canvas area and drag the mouse The object will be placed into the template ready to be accurately sized and positioned e d MIE Sf Place a labeled holder Place image hole object Place a graphic object Place a barcode object Place a text object The Object Layer toolbar Objects placed into a template can be positioned in layers making it possible to make the various objects appear behind or in front of each other To change the layer order of an object select it then choose the desired layer order button You can also do this without using the toolbar see Changing the Layer Order later in this chapter NeoPack Chapter 7 Creating Templates Page 31 me Bring selected object up 1 layer S Send selected object to the back Send selected object down 1 layer Bring selected object to the fron
93. mage as each individual hole requires To create a single image hole click the Place Image Hole button The cursor changes to the Place Object cursor Position the mouse over the area on the page where you want the hole to appear Click and drag a box over the page It is not important to be accurate at this point The Image Properties dialog is displayed SSS hti lt tk Fill hole with tem design or normal image if na item selected f mage without item design Tas black amp white as sepia colorized 7 a i a There are a number of options available when placing an image hole e Item design if a pack item is selected it will be placed into this hole NeoPack Chapter 7 Creating Templates Page 37 e Image a simple image will be placed into the hole regardless of whether an item has been selected e As black and white creates a black and white version of the image e As sepia colorized creates a tinted version of the image Hue 3044 i Item designs and image frames are discussed fully later in this manual If you choose Item design as the option here a frame will be placed over the image If you choose Image only the portrait image will be placed into the pack regardless of whether you choose a frame Choose the type of image you want then click OK Hole placed with Image without item design selected Hole placed with Item design selected Hole placed with Image
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95. nd switch to the Template Designer Create a new file and ER choose to create a new Pack Item Click the Create Portrait Landscape button S0 in the toolbar Note that the Switch Orientation buttons become available Click each of the Switch Orientation buttons and note that the page o0 Of orientation changes Each of these different orientations can contain a complete set of images text and codes for use within NeoPack Design the orientation versions Choose one of the orientations and place all the required objects in the template After all the objects have been placed switch to the other orientation by clicking the Switch Orientation button The completed template is replaced by a blank page Add all the components required by this new template Once you have completed both templates switch between the two by clicking the Switch Orientation button Save the file Once the design is completed assign a name for the template by choosing File Properties Save the file to your Templates directory then quit the program and restart it The new template will now be available to NeoPack Using the Pack Item Open a job file that contains or import some images that are both in portrait and landscape orientation Choose a portrait image then a print layout then the new template Note that the portrait image will be placed into the portrait orientation Pack Item Now choose the landscape image and do the same The landscape Pack Item
96. ng Help from Technical Support We offer many different methods of support However we strongly encourage you to use e mail as your primary support mechanism Telephone support G Telephone support is available by calling Timestone Software during our business hours These hours are 9 00 AM 5 00 PM Australian Eastern time The telephone numbers are Voice 61 3 9570 9899 Fax support You can fax us with questions or queries Please address your fax queries to Technical Support The fax number is Fax 61 3 9570 9855 E mail and WWW support There are support pages that include links to the newest versions of the software as well as user documentation and Frequently Asked Questions Our WWW and e mail contacts are WWW http www timestone com au E mail support timestone com au NeoPack Chapter 1 Before you Begin Page 2 system Requirements Hardware requirements The following hardware requirements are required as a minimum configuration to run NeoPack You should always attempt to exceed these requirements If you have a choice in areas that you can afford to exceed these requirements do so in the following order Memory CPU class Pentium II Pentium II CPU Speed Hard disk speed Ultra Ultra Wide RAID Other Minimum requirements e Intel Pentium II processor at 350 Mhz e 100 Mhz system motherboard Bx class e 128 Mb RAM e 4Mb Video card 1024 x 768 24 bit see no
97. ng packs into chunks that are more manageable sizes For example you might design your packs to be a number of 10x8 units By defining a hard cut mark at the beginning of each unit the pack will be split into chunks that will keep the Mileca printing without stopping Defining Hole Punches Hole punches are defined in a Layout template You can define as many punch positions within a pack but the printer must be able to use the information for the pack to be finally punched or printed correctly This means that you must be mindful of the minimum punch distance or paper advance your printer supports Setting the punch position Decide where you need the punch to be positioned within the pack being designed Choose Edit Cut Marks The Cut Marks dialog is displayed Adding a punch Choose New A new line appears in the entry box Choose if you want a vertical or horizontal cut position Choose the position of the punch in the pack NeoPack Chapter 7 Creating Templates Page 45 Choose the punch type If you want a cut mark to be hard check the Hard checkbox next to the punch position Otherwise the Cut mark type is always soft If you choose a soft cut mark but your printer doesn t support mid image punches the cut mark 1s ignored Adding additional cut marks If you need to add additional cut marks choose Add A new line is added to the Cut Marks table Make the required settings Once you have added all the cut marks nec
98. nside the Description field and type the description of the Aspect you are defining e Click inside the Width field and enter the width then Height to enter the height amount e Click the color swatch The color palette appears Choose the HEHEHE color you wish the aspect ratio line to appear in the image ae preview PELE eet IETT jesa am oe Oa m j e Click the On checkbox to display the aspect ratio in the cropping image preview If this is checked a line indicating this aspect ratio will appear in the image cropping window If this is not checked the aspect ratio will not appear Import existing Aspect Ratios Aspect Ratios can be imported from existing NeoPack files Choose Import from File from the Default options tab A File Open dialog appears Locate the file that contains the Aspect Ratios choose it and click Open The Aspect Ratios are imported as a program default Change the list order The order of the Aspect Ratios list can be changed using the t ordering arrows Ey NeoPack Chapter 6 Configuring NeoPack Page 22 Displaying an Aspect Ratio Once the default Aspect Ratios have been defined any files created will contain these settings To display the aspect ratio indicators choose Crop Image mode by choosing Images gt Select crop amp scale image tool or clicking the Crop Image Tool button on the toolbar Active aspect ratios are now overlayed on the images Figure 7 Imag
99. number of the image being imported If images with the same image number as existing images are imported the new files will overwrite the existing If the index number doesn t exist in the file they will be inserted to the file The Incoming images options are unavailable when using an indexed file Switching images Off Images can be On or Off If an image is Off packs won t be created from it even though it might be included within a range of images that has a pack chosen This is useful for slates or blinks Images that are Off can still be cropped and edited NeoPack Chapter 8 Creating Job Files Page 81 Deleting images Images can be deleted by selecting the range to be deleted then choosing Image gt Remove Selected A confirmation of the deletion is requested then the images are removed NeoPack AN Are you sure you want to delete these images Closing and compacting files Close a file by choosing File gt Close or by clicking the File Close button in the toolbar The current file is closed Images are stored in NeoPack s database type file As images are deleted in the program they are not physically removed from the file although they are no longer available One result of this is that the file size will remain the same even if all the images are deleted from the file The deleted image space is freed up by choosing File gt Close amp Compact This process tak
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101. oPack templates can contain fixed or variable text information When creating the jobs text belonging to a particular image can be directly entered to pre defined field The entered text appears in the job as defined in the template including the requested font style and color Text scales automatically to fill the pre defined text area Importing text information NeoPack doesn t require that images be matched to the text being used for each image However if you have an external source of images that has been matched to some text data it is possible to import this data and so avoid having to re enter the matched text manually Print Queues Chosen print sizes are added to a printer queue Prints and packages added to this queue can be edited or removed from the queue Different queues can be created and chosen from a drop down box Creating printer queues Print queues can be created either manually or importing text files Manually NeoPack Chapter 5 Understanding NeoPack Page 14 When creating queues manually a single or group of images as selected then the required package chosen The packs are added to the print queue Imported data If you have the required packages recorded in a shooter file or other data source this data can be imported and the specified packages automatically created for that image Handling image and package data Images must be imported to NeoPack in order to be placed into the various
102. omes active First ensure that you have the correct units selected by clicking the units drop down Now enter the page size you wish to use then Apply The page size changes E NeoPack File Edit Layout Image Orientation Mode Help Co cam ted Tawe e et i e 2 o n Offset gl Size Al 12 00 1o 8 00 Apply 3 5 Figure 8 Selected background page with handles NeoPack Chapter 7 Creating Templates Page 36 Placing objects The various objects used in a template are placed in a similar fashion e Choose the object to place by clicking the icon in the toolbar e Click and drag the object area onto the template canvas Set the object options e Set the object size Using the Grid and Snapping The template designer has several useful options to help size and position objects in a template e Aruler e Grd e Grid snap The ruler and grid are visual aids for sizing and positioning objects in a template Enabling snapping assists further by snapping the object to gridlines or other objects on the page As you size or move an object in the template it will snap from one gridline to another ensuring accurate size and position Create a single print size layout The images that you import appear in holes that you place into a NeoPack template You can place as many holes into a template as you need Holes can be different sizes and orientations NeoPack automatically scales and rotates the i
103. omputer terminal at a time Copies You may not copy or duplicate the Software except as necessary solely for archival purposes program error verification or to replace defective storage media provided you keep the original and the copies You may not alter decompile or disassemble the Software Transfers You may not sublicense lease or rent or lend the Software or transfer any of your rights under this Agreement You may transfer the Software together with any backup copies you have made Hardlock device and the User Guide on a permanent basis so long as you retain no copies the transferee agrees to be bound by the terms of this Agreement and Timestone Software has authorised the transfer by written confirmation Term The License granted in this agreement is effective until terminated You may terminate it at any time by destroying or returning to Timestone Software the Software and the User Guide together with all copies and returning to Timestone Software the Hardlock Device If you fail to comply with any term or condition of this Agreement this License will terminate and upon such termination you agree to destroy or return to Timestone Software the Software and the User Guide together with all copies and return to Timestone Software the Hardlock Device Termination of this license shall be in addition and not in lieu of any other remedies available to Timestone Software Limited Warranty Disclaimer Timestone Software
104. ons available to make designing templates easier These options are available from the Display Snap toolbar The options include e Display or hide rulers e Display or hide hole punch positions e Display or hide the grid e Switch object snap on or off E Hli Re J Snap to grid Switch ruler display on off Display hole punch position Display grid Rulers Clicking the Switch ruler display button will display or hide the ruler Offset A Sas G 1 3 Ruler display NeoPack Chapter 7 Creating Templates Page 33 Hole punch display Templates can contain hole punch positions Clicking the Display hole punch position button toggles the punch position display aout Punch position display Grid display A grid can be positioned over the template canvas making positioning objects easier Click the Display grid button to toggle the grid display offset 7 i size G 10l Appi E EES i EERI MEERA EE iea E Grid display Grid snapping Placing objects is made much easier with grid snapping Once enabled objects will snap to the template grid Setting Design options The grid display can be configured by choosing File Designer options while in Design mode The gridline spacing and sub divisions can be set for both a Layout and Item template Choosing Automatic spacing will set an automatic setting If you want specific settings un check Automatic spacing and enter the values you want
105. ons for an Image options available for a indexed file sequential file Bitmaps imported to a sequential file are numbered internally with a sequential number The images are imported in order according to the parameters set in the Import options panel dialog Once images are imported to a sequential file they will have numbers allocated from 1 to however many images are in the file 1 2 3 4 There are various import options that available e Reverse order Imports images in reverse numeric order 999 first to 001 e To end Appends all new images to the end of existing images If Reverse order is selected images are appended before the first image if it exists e Insert Inserts imported files from the currently selected image only available if images have already been imported Replace Imported files overwrite existing images from the one currently selected only available if images have already been imported If Insert is selected as the import option images are inserted from the point of the image currently selected If you select a new image during the import the insertion position is retained If you want to specify a new insertion point for imported NeoPack Chapter 8 Creating Job Files Page 77 images pause the import by choosing Pause import the new insertion point then click Insert once again in the Import options panel The new insertion point is set Start the import Once all the various settings
106. orientation before they are imported After import Rotate f g C g0 C 180 C 270 Miro Yertical Horizontal Set the image LUT Images can be corrected using the built in LUT editor For information on using the LUT editor see later in this chapter Choose the LUT you want to use from those defined in the drop down list For information in making a LUT please see Chapter 13 Calibration Apple LUT Gamma 1 3 Set the image sharpening Images can be sharpened as they are imported The algorithm used is an un sharp mask algorithm allowing good quality sharpening w Sharpen Kernel Strength 100 The setting range is Kernel 3 5 or 7 Strength 10 600 NeoPack Chapter 8 Creating Job Files Page 74 Generally the larger the kernel size the stronger the sharpening effect Likewise the higher the strength the stronger the sharpness The higher the kernel value the longer it will take to apply the sharpening effect There is no correct sharpness value the values you will use depend on how sharp the original images are You should try importing a sample image with different sharpening settings to find the correct value for you Be aware that increasing the sharpness of an image too much can result in harsh and unpleasant images ZWA Whenever you apply a correction such as image sharpening you will increase the time taken to print an image If your scanner or scanning software supports imag
107. our license server configuration If you want to back up your License Server configuration there is a single file to archive This file is found in the License Server sub directory of the main installation directory Usually this will mean a directory path of C Program Files Timestone Software License Server Back up the file e TsLServer lct NeoPack Chapter 4 License Server Page 11 Understanding NeoPack NeoPack lets you create a huge variety of products in an easy to use and powerful application For example simple package prints images placed into attractive designs service items such as magazine covers ID cards and other popular products All these products are created using a template meaning it s possible to create complex pages in a couple of clicks Templates can contain a variety of different types of items Place a background image decide where the variable images are to appear then add either fixed or variable text Images can be arranged into packages to create simple package prints Images to be used within NeoPack products are prepared quickly using the built in correction tools Choose to zoom crop or correct color density and image contrast NeoPack s main features Aspect Ratios and Package combinations NeoPack allows you to specify aspect ratios within the software You can design odd size prints simply by adding it to an available set Likewise you can create package prints
108. output options There are a number of options to choose from when printing to a Windows NT printer e Print to file creates a Windows PRN file for later use e Individual file for each page for use only when using Zenographics SuperPrint bitmap driver e Separate pages don t batch when printing a multi page document printing won t start until the whole job has been prepared By choosing Separate pages each page is sent individually to the printer This means each page will begin printing as soon as it 1s ready When printing this way it is possible for jobs to be mixed together if a number of people are printing to the printer at one time Printer options Print to file Separate pages don t batch T Individual file for each page Automatic paper size selection NeoPack can automatically choose the most appropriate page size for an image being printed Within a particular print job there may be a number of different page sizes required by the printer queue Pack A might require a page size of 8 x 20 5 whilst Pack B might need 8 x 11 5 Printing these packages on a single page size is wasteful of paper NeoPack can automatically choose from the available paper sizes from most Windows printer drivers or automatically generate the exact paper size when using a Timestone Software Windows printer driver Timestone Software printer drivers automatically control the photographic printer to create the exact paper size
109. ow effect that falls onto the transparent area will be seen as a halo When finishing off your designs check the edge of the transparent areas and clean up any anti aliased or other stylised areas NeoPack Chapter 7 Creating Templates Page 49 8 bit masks NeoPack allows 8 bit transparency masks to be applied to graphic images placed into a template This allows creative effects like soft edged blends and transparent graphic objects all applied from a template You must first have the transparency mask image file available Use an image editor like Adobe Photoshop to create these masks Any graphic object placed into a NeoPack template can have an 8 bit transparency mask applied This allows attractive and complex graphic effects with all the convenience of NeoPack templates Holes in Vector graphics A Vector graphic can contain an area that is a hole as a native part of the design NeoPack will reflect the hole in the design allowing you to create transparent areas in a vector graphic as well as a bitmap How a hole is created in a vector depends on the drawing application you are using For example with CorelDraw draw two objects of different color and place them one on top of the other Choose Arrange Combine to combine the two objects One of the objects will form a hole in the other Consult your applications user manual for more detailed information regarding combining objects for this effect Placing obj
110. path of ah rage B tha paih aag amci ba miiran mtani mni n as Deore Paker age abn moa Adae FF ar jer on Mem eee Hormonal Apt LUT irora F Shaper Eara 3 Spegh 0 Set the import type Decide whether you want to import the preview only or the whole image data If you want to import the preview only make sure the Import preview only checkbox is checked Now choose from the two options to specify how NeoPack will locate the original image files when printing or exporting images e Remember the actual path of each image NeoPack remembers the original location of the high resolution images NeoPack Chapter 8 Creating Job Files Discard the path NeoPack uses the image search path specified as a program option to locate the high resolution images For more information regarding these options refer earlier in this chapter Import preview only when printing or exporting access original file Remember the actual path of each image Discard the path and search for images when required set the search paths for images in File Options Paths Images Set the image rotation flip If the images you are importing need to be rotated or flipped choose the rotation here Pa If you import images by preview only choosing an option here will cause longer print times as the image will be rotated or flipped at print time To ensure the shortest possible print times ensure the images are in the correct
111. products The import process makes a small preview image that is stored within the NeoPack job file Once imported the high resolution images are not required again until you re ready to print the jobs This means that it is possible to send the job files to remote workstations where the images are corrected and the jobs created Once all the jobs have been created they are sent back to the central location that has the high resolution images It is now possible to print the jobs When images are imported into a NeoPack file those images are copied locally to the workstation Likewise all configuration and matching information is stored locally on that workstation and is not generally available across a network This means that each NeoPack workstation cannot share information dynamically within a network environment It is possible to store NeoPack image collections on an image server but these can only be used by one workstation at a time Likewise any print queues are available only on the NeoPack workstation that created them Using NeoPack s interface Once NeoPack has been installed choose NeoPack from the Start menu gt Program Files gt Timestone Software NeoPack will start If you are asked for an unlock code or told that the software protection device is not present please review Chapter 3 Installation The NeoPack main window is shown The program is shown here with an image file and print queue open
112. r specify individual print sizes You can gather collections of packages or print sizes together into a pack set allowing single click printing of complex print combinations Multiple copies of the chosen print pack can also be specified Template designs Choose a pre defined template design from those available The currently selected image is placed into the design and then into the chosen print size or image package If text is required enter it directly in the text entry window or import a text file with pre matched information NeoPack also offers comprehensive cut mark support You can place hard or soft cut marks to cut units from a pack on a printer regardless whether it supports mid image hole punching or not NeoPack Chapter 5 Understanding NeoPack Page 13 o New in Version 2 0 Labeled Holders NeoPack templates can include referenced images that are placed into the final design These referenced images are created in Design mode for either the entire file or individual folders This is especially useful if your template designs include a school logo you can include a labeled holder into the template that references the logo image which you specify Logo graphic Image transparency masks Every graphic object placed into a template can have an 8 bit transparency mask applied This allows attractive effects such as soft edged vignettes as well as other interesting graphic effects Text information Ne
113. rence if you print it NeoPack Chapter 3 Installing NeoPack Page 6 License Server Timestone Software s Neo applications are protected from unauthorised use by a License Server The License Server runs as a Windows NT service and consists of several components e Ahardlock or dongle that is connected to the Server PC s Parallel port The License Server installed only to the server PC e The License Manager which is installed to the Server or can be used on a workstation connected to the network e Several support files Understanding the License Server When a Neo application is licensed from Timestone Software we issue your site with a hardlock or dongle This hardlock contains a unique Key code that is specific to your installation Without the hardlock it is not possible to use the Neo application It is possible to purchase single or multi user licenses for Neo applications When the license is issued it 1s added to the license server You will then be able to use the number of applications for which you have purchased licenses When a Neo application is started it asks the License Server if there is a license available to use If there is the application will launch and use a license If there are no licenses available for that application an error message will be given and the program will quit You will not be able to launch the application until a license becomes available either by adding mor
114. rint In the example below the image on the right is using a bitmap image as the background whilst the one on the left is using vector style graphics The file size of the bitmap graphic used for the background was 20 4Mb whilst for the vector it was 2Mb Printing the bitmap background took 45 minutes whilst the vector style took 8 minutes Bitmap file size If you want to use a bitmap background you can optimise printing time by using the smallest background image possible If your background has a lot of very fine detail such as a fine texture you will need to use a larger file If the background has many abstract objects or if image clarity is not particularly important use a smaller file size In NeoPack Chapter 7 Creating Templates Page 48 general you can use the following guide as a good starting point to determine your quality requirements These recommendations assume a maximum print size of 8x12 300dpi Background detail Use this file size Detail not important at all 2 4Mb Detail somewhat important 4 6Mb Detail important 6 8Mb Detail very important 10 20Mb requires testing Bitmap file format NeoPack offers 1 bit transparency support to blend images This means that a single color in the bitmap image can be defined as transparent in a template For example you might design the areas that are to be transparent to be white R 255 G 255 B
115. s As previously discussed the order and position of imported images are controlled with these controls The settings are un available unless Pause importing is checked NeoPack Chapter 8 Creating Job Files Page 78 Distinguishing imported and linked images You can tell if an image has been imported as Preview only or Entire Image by inspecting the image tag Choose Images and ensure that Show Tags is enabled Linked files will show the original file extension whole imported files will not z U z N G i t A a W 1 film 1710 bmp film 4710 Figure 28 A Preview only file An entire imported file Other import sources NeoPack also allows images to be imported from several other image sources The import panel can be hidden after starting the import by choosing Hide Any eligible images will continue to be imported until importing is paused or the source unchecked Setting up the import Choose Setup from the Images From Hot Source dialog The setup dialog is displayed Images can be rotated and flipped as with importing images from the specified source These settings are discussed earlier in this manual pr mm Hoi 5 TE gelip E Ahim report Rosie FC ae jar e apr Hina T Weis T Harig Ap LUT Le J ea Specify a LUT NeoPack allows image corrections to be applied as images are imported For example if you know that a particular source of images needs to be brightened the correct
116. se Next to proceed e Note the contents of the ReadMe screen It contains information that may be required for the installation Choose Next to proceed J Welcome program will install NeoPack on your computer Welcome to NeoPack Setup program This Zor Most Important The installation process may reqire the PC to be restarted Please ensure no other programs are running before beginning Click Cancel to quit Setup and close any programs you have tunning Click Next to continue with the Setup program WARMING This program is protected by copyright law and international treaties Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this program or any portion of it may result in severe civil and criminal penalties and will be prosecuted to the masinum extent possible under Jaw Cancel e Choose the location for the program files to be installed to Unless you have a particular reason for changing the default path setting we recommend you leave it as is Choose Next to proceed e Allow the program to create backup files for the installation Choose Next to proceed e Choose the components to install If this machine is to host the hardlock install the License Server component e Documentation and tutorial files are installed to the same directory as the program files NeoPack Chapter 3 Installing NeoPack J Select Components In the options list below select the checkboxes for the
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118. set for each file you create before images have been imported To change the preview size choose File gt Properties The file Properties dialog is displayed Choose the Bitmap sizes tab and make the desired setting in the Stored size of bitmap used for previewing NeoPack Chapter 8 Creating Job Files Page 67 Properties x General Bitmap sizes Stored size of bitmap used for printing f keep original size adjust to enod KB Stored size of bitmap used for prevewing adjust to 512 KE Image importing types There are several ways images can be imported to a job file e Completely import the image data e Import the image preview only Importing the complete image data When importing the image data completely not only is the on screen preview image stored in the job file but the high resolution image is also copied and stored as well The benefit of this is that the original image files are no longer required as the job file has all the required information to create and print jobs However importing images in this way results in very large job files as well as taking longer to import the images Import the preview only When importing the preview only the original image data is sampled and a preview image stored in the job file This allows you to create all the jobs but you cannot print them without the original high resolution images Importing images this way results in a much smaller job
119. ssso 111 Before you Begin scope and audience This manual covers both operation and technical aspects required to use NeoPack The manual is divided into several chapters see the Table of Contents at the start for a broad summary Alternatively consult the Index for specific procedures If you re planning to have multiple users using NeoPack in a networked environment you ll need to look at Chapter 4 License Server for info on how the license system works and where to put that hardlock dongle we sent you Getting more help More help is available for NeoPack from the following places Related documents such as our Color Management Guide and the Bitmap Compare Utility Guide Help pages from our WWW site http www timestone com au Technical support as noted at the end of this chapter Pre installation requirements You will need the following resources and information before you start installing NeoPack e NeoPack software installation CD Rom e NeoPack User Manual e Hardware protection device e Unlock code supplied by Timestone Software e In addition your computer must comply with the hardware and software specifications as outlined in Chapter 3 Installation Learning NeoPack Included on the NeoPack CD Rom are contained the following resources NeoPack Chapter 1 Before you Begin Page 1 e Installation files NeoPack User Manual the document you are currently reading Getti
120. sting details existing details are always replaced with the updated data even if the updated record has blank fields e Replace existing details only if blank existing details will be left un touched unless a field in the record is blank In this case the existing blank field will be updated with any new data e Update existing details the field will be updated with the new data unless the new data is a blank field In this case the existing data will be left untouched NeoPack Chapter 10 Forming NeoPack jobs Page 95 lriportedexisting image details When importing details for images that already have details set C Leave existing details C Always replace existing details f Replace existing details only if blank Update existing details Importing the data Once all the settings have been made in the Setup image details text file import dialog choose OK Now ensure that the text file is selected and choose Open The text is imported and allocated to the various images Tagged graphic objects NeoPack templates can include referenced images that are placed into the final design These referenced images are created in Design mode for either the entire file or individual folders This is especially useful if your template designs include a school logo you can include a tagged object in the template that references the logo image you place here Creating a Tagged object field To
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122. t The Scaling options toolbar When placing image objects into a template you can control how the graphic is scaled within the object box This is useful if you need to ensure that an image is completely displayed and is not distorted There are three scaling options available Clip the image to fill the box maintain aspect ratio e Fit the whole image in the box maintain aspect ratio e Fill the image in the box distort the aspect ratio The options are set using the Scaling options toolbar Clip image to fill box a a i Distort image to fill box Fit image to box Changing the scaling option After placing a graphic object select it then click the appropriate scaling button in the Scaling options toolbar Choosing Scales the image Clip the image to fill the box maintain aspect ratio Ce Fit the whole image in the box maintain aspect ratio B Fill the image in the box distort the aspect ratio NeoPack Chapter 7 Creating Templates Page 32 Applying an 8 bit mask 8 bit masks are image files jpeg tiff bmp etc that you create in an image editing program that allows you to create image transparency in the finished prints These files allow more complex transparency effects such as a soft edged blend or a semi transparent overlay You can apply an 8 bit mask to any graphic object placed in a template Object snap and grid settings There are a number of useful display and snap opti
123. t Onentation Mode Help Den ey fea so ese fea a Offset ebl Size 1200 eo 800 ea Figure 14 An Image Object positioned in a Layout Position and size the object All objects can be positioned and sized using the mouse or very accurately with the Object Dimensions entries on the toolbar Choose the object by clicking it Note it highlights by showing handles jiz NeoPack File Edit Orientation Mode Help Figure 15 A selected object Sizing and positioning objects with the mouse To re size the object with the mouse click one of the handles and drag it in the desired direction To move the object click and drag inside the selected object The object moves as you drag the mouse Sizing and positioning objects with the toolbar Exact size and position for an object can be specified using the Object Dimensions toolbar Choose the object you wish to edit then click the value you want to adjust Pressing the Tab key switches to the next entry area Once all the required changes have been made click Apply Note that the measurement units can be changed by clicking the Units drop down NeoPack Chapter 7 Creating Templates Page 52 ee Linch offset Of MEE GO 1 22 sie Gl 725 ao 552 Ae Figure 16 The Object Dimensions toolbar ip MeoPack File Edit Orientation Mode Help Den a n Gh A th n oe Linch offset 0 00 f 0 00 sie AY 700 sof 5 00 Figure 17 An Image Object a
124. t menu choose Timestone Software gt License Manager The License Manager will open Pay particular attention to any errors displayed in the Last Error section Before any configuration has been carried out it may display Missing empty license code table file This error will disappear once valid licenses have been installed If the error reads Hardlock is invalid or missing review the installation of the hardlock and License Server If you need to open the License Server setup control panel click the Setup button at the bottom of the License Manager The License Server setup control panel will open Timestone Software License Manager Allocated Codes List Last Error Missingempty license code table file Last Error a ES Hardlock is invalid or missing Setup E wit Setup E wit Choose the Codes tab If licenses have not yet been added this list will be empty Any previously entered license codes will be displayed in this list To add new licenses click the Add file button A File Open dialog is displayed Locate the license code files that have been supplied to you and choose it in the list then Open After a brief pause the new license appears in the list of added licenses and is available for use NeoPack Chapter 4 License Server Page 9 E 10001 10001 NeoPack 1 tHe Filename 10001 10000 NeoPrint 1 tle Files of type Timestone Software License Codes tle Cancel
125. t setup Choose the print method Mame Sienna Lucht Mileca HSF Froperties Set the print options Bitmap file Setup Frinter options Print to file Separate pages don t batch T Individual file for each page N Paper size selection Set the paper size selection options Use default size E T m a Set the alignment and cut mark options Pick the best from defined sizes V Use custom paper sizes only it Cutto size Align top left b M Honour cut marks if defined Set the filename output options Output filenames NS Format prefisHicopies ext prefix NN ext lipo for use Cancel NeoPack Chapter 11 Printing Page 104 Choose the Print method There are three main options that can be used when printing from NeoPack e Printing to a standard Windows printer e Printing to a bitmap file e Printing to a Timestone Print Job file Choose the method you want to print to Print to a Timestone Print Job file There are few options to set when printing to a Timestone Print Job file aside from the output path Choosing this option will dim all other options except the Align option See later for information about the Align option Once chosen choose OK The Printer setup dialog is dismissed To print the job to a Timestone Print Job file choose File gt Print Choose the range to print see later Because the result of this print operation is a file you must choose an output path E
126. te e 9Gb Hard Disk see note e 10 100 Ethernet card e 33 6k Modem e High quality Sony Apple 17 color monitor e Windows NT 4 0 Service Pack 3 e Mouse with mouse wheel Microsoft Logitec Optional Extras e 6x 9cm Graphics Tablet with pressure sensitive stylus Wacom e CD R or DVD RAM drive for data backup NeoPack Chapter 2 System Requirements Page 3 Notes Video Card It is most important to use a high quality video card In particular you should use video cards that support monitor calibration in some manner Typically manufacturers such as ATI or Video Seven have such products Hard disk If you are using NeoPack on a single workstation you should realise that very quickly you will use 9Gb of data storage just with the images you scan to create your products If your requirements are low volume you could consider a single 9Gb hard and continually move images that are finished onto a CD Rom or DVD RAM disk However if you are producing just an average number of packages you will want to use a number of drives Fortunately hard disk drive costs are relatively low today NeoPack Chapter 2 System Requirements Page 4 Installation Open the CD Rom in Windows Explorer or My Computer and double click the file Install NeoComposite The installer screen appears The installation process may require a restart before completion If the installer requests you to restart the PC please do so e Choo
127. ted or you can direct it to look for the files in specific locations on your hard disk or over the network Record the original import location If you import images using the Remember the actual path option there is no need to define any default paths See Chapter 8 Creating NeoPack Job files for details Creating an Image directory In larger labs it is useful to set up a base image directory to store the image files There are several ways NeoPack can locate the required image files e Image Root directory e Same directory as job file e Sub directory from job file Image Root directory Using an image root directory allows all images belonging to a job to be stored under a single directory in its own folder For example you might set up a single image server named ImageServer This server has a drive shared as Data and all images are stored in folders under the mages folder UNC naming allows this exact directory be specified from any workstation within the network without using drive letters This avoids configuration errors The UNC name for a shared directory is Server Share Path You may set your images up on this server as follows Images VJob1 Images Job2 Images VJob3 Only the root folder is required In this case The root folder is Images So the UNC name for the path would be ImageServer Data lmages NeoPack Chapter 6 Configuring NeoPack Page 25 Finally we need to specify the final se
128. ter 9 Editing images Page 85 Zoom and jogging images Images can be moved and re sized to create the best cropping for various aspect ratio prints When in cropping mode NeoPack displays any enabled aspect ratios Images should be cropped so that each of the different aspect ratios will appear pleasingly cropped There are many different ways to zoom and crop images Zoom and crop values ultimately are displayed in the Image Corrections palette If the Image Corrections palette isn t currently open choose View gt Image Corrections Choose the image crop editing mode by choosing Images gt Select crop amp scale image tool Note that all images displayed in the image table now show the enabled aspect ratios Cropping images Choose an image The image can be moved by Action Keyboard Mouse Image Correction palette Move an image Hold the Control Click and drag Click inside the X value left key and press the the mouse box or Press gt key lt Control gt lt X gt Decrease the value or press the W key Click inside the X value box or Press lt Control gt lt X gt Increase the value or press the key Hold the Control key and press the key Click and drag the mouse Move an image right Click inside the Y value box or Press lt Control gt lt Y gt Decrease the value or press the W key Move an image Hold the Control up key and press the M key Click and drag the mouse Clic
129. that contain any combination of print sizes you decide The only limitation is that your output device is capable of handling the print size you have specified New in Version 2 0 NeoPack Version 2 allows images in a pack to be set to black and white or a tint color Individual prints are selected as black and white or a tint color specified NeoPack Chapter 5 Understanding NeoPack Page 12 Image cropping When creating package prints it is important that your images are cropped correctly NeoPack offers you on screen cropping using the mouse or graphics tablet If you are creating package prints each image preview can display selected aspect ratio boundaries ensuring that the cropping you choose is suitable for all the aspect ratios that are to be printed You have control on the image zoom x and y image position These controls can be adjusted either numerically from the image toolbox or using the mouse Images can be cropped individually as a group of selected images or across the entire group of images currently open Color and density corrections Image color and density can be adjusted from the image toolbox You have control over Yellow Magenta Cyan and Density and Contrast Image editing Images can be edited directly in your favourite image editor The interchange is quick and the changes flow through all the packages already created Print Package sets You can gather print sizes together into a pack o
130. this error choose Saving files from the Preferences menu in Photoshop and Dipit select the check box for 2 5 per T a compatibility If you don t have 2 5 compatibility switched on you will see a message similar to this when the image is re imported after editing Zum Offmen dieser tet banitigan Sie Fhotaszhop 20 Se reguliere Photoshop 2 0 para abrir este archive NeoPack Chapter 9 Editing images Page 89 Forming NeoPack jobs Once the templates have been created the various program options set and images imported you start to create NeoPack jobs Jobs are created by selecting an image the required layout then optionally any desired text and a Pack Item template NeoPack automatically places the image into the layout and Pack Item along with any required text or barcodes The jobs once formed can be gathered together in print queues for convenience You might use several different paper widths to create the printed jobs NeoPack allows you to define several different printer queues that allow these different workflows to be separated The text information used for each image in a NeoPack job can be manually entered for each image If you have this information available in a text file and the information has been pre matched to the imported images you can import the text data avoiding the extra key work Similarly if you have the order information for each image you can automatically generate the
131. u may set your images up on this server as follows Images VJob1 Images Job2 Images VJob3 Only the root folder is required In this case The root folder is Images So the UNC name for the path would be ImageServer Data lmages Finally we need to specify the final search directory to find the source images Using the code NeoPack adds the name of the TNJ file to the search path as the final part of the path statement In the above case each of the TNJ files would be named Job1 Job2 and Job3 So if the path is entered as ImageServer Data lmages and the file currently open is called Job2 NeoPack will search for the original source images in IlmageServer Data lmages Job2 NeoPack Chapter 8 Creating Job Files Page 69 Same directory as job file If the path statement is entered as a NeoPack will search for the source images in the same directory as the TNJ file Sub directory from job file Images can be stored in a sub directory of the folder that contains the job file For example the job file is stored in a folder Images Job1 and the images belonging to that job in mages Job1 Source If the path statement is entered as Source NeoPack will search for the source images in the Source subdirectory Missing image files If the original image files are not available when printing or exporting the images an error is Shown You ll need to either fix the problem and choose Retry or
132. ue Once packs have been added to a queue they can be deleted from the queue by selecting them then choosing Queue gt Remove selected A range of packs can be selected by either e Holding the Shift key down and clicking the first and last pack in the desired range or e Holding the Control key down and clicking individual packs Queue Statistics Various statistics are available for a printer queue To view these statistics choose Queue gt Statistics The E rene Ful Pack ff SS Hal Farh Statistics for that particular queue are displayed NeoPack Chapter 10 Forming NeoPack jobs Page 103 Printing NeoPack offers a wide variety of printing options You can choose to print to a standard Windows NT printer driver output bitmap files or print to a Timestone Print Job file Timestone Software has produced a number of Windows NT printer drivers for some of the more popular digital photographic printers and NeoPack can take advantage of the special features built into these drivers If a printer driver isn t available for your printer you can output bitmap image files to submit to the printer using your normal printing software selecting the printer Before printing a job you should choose the method of printing All the print options are set in the Printer Setup dialog Open this dialog by opening a job file you want to print then choosing File gt Print setup The Print Setup dialog opens Prin
133. y the option is ignored Once the new file has been created but before importing any images choose File gt Properties Then choose the Bitmap sizes tab from the properties dialog Enter the desired file size in the Adjust to entry box Properties Ed General Bitmap sizes Stored size of bitmap used for printing keep original size adjust to 6000 KE Stored size of bitmap used for prevewing adjust to p12 KE Bitmap import options Import the images Once the various file options have been set you can import images to the job file With the job file open choose Images gt Images from disk The Images From Disk dialog is shown NeoPack Chapter 8 Creating Job Files Page 72 RA Ce maga S area Gide hana foe pay B Ce dregeana BA Ciir ra eh Timed peg bet AT ei FI D rapie he Tam pra Configuring the import There are a number of options that are available to you when importing images e Choose the files to be imported e Specific a range of files to import e Rotate and flip images as they are imported e Apply a LUT correction Apply image sharpening Set the import options From the Images from disk dialog click the Setup button The Setup dialog opens Click Setup The Images From Disk Setup dialog opens The dialog is divided into 4 main areas that control the various options available to you ceed inl Prem Unk Shug FF lingart a e a a a ie i eraris the siaa
134. y careful attention to the NeoPack Chapter 10 Forming NeoPack jobs Page 97 edges of the logo as grey edges around the logo can appear as a light halo in the finished page Don t save the logo file in JPEG format as you might also see a halo due to the image compression Use a lossless compression method like PNG or similar Using a transparency mask More complex 8 bit masks allow more complex effects like soft edged blends etc To set the 8 bit mask click Mask file the Set Mask dialog opens Choose Load then find the transparency mask file and click Open The mask is loaded and displayed If you need to adjust the orientation of the mask choose from the rotate or flip options in the Set Mask dialog m 0 Page Fier Tiestore Satta Sarpde ick onthe biran m pick coi tea Aupa mach LAURISTON COLLEGE a LIF sched oge prey f Lae ce LEY hki ny i fas Aa E Tri Fhe LAURISTON tie ee a COLLEGE Meee Once you are happy with the settings choose OK The dialog is dismissed and the graphic object now is named in the field value in Details mode tree view Allocate graphic objects in the same manner for Folders The graphic object is now available for use in a NeoComposite template Value SchoolPict choolPic jpg SchoolPice MachoalPice pg SchoolLoga choolLogo png School ame Laureston College Year 2000 Allocating multiple Details You can allocate
135. y controls The corrections can be applied across a group of images or individually Pa Adjusting color density and contrast should be carried out in your scanning software Image adjustment should be kept to a minimum within NeoPack to ensure the best possible quality result Action Increase brightness Decrease brightness Increase contrast Decrease density More red More cyan More green More magenta More blue More yellow Keyboard Type lt Control gt lt I gt and press the M key The I value increases Type lt Control gt lt I gt and press the v key The I value Decreases Type lt Control gt lt C gt and press the A key The C value increases Type lt Control gt lt C gt and press the v key The C value Decreases Type lt Control gt lt R gt and press the M key The R value increases Type lt Control gt lt R gt and press the v key The R value Decreases Type lt Control gt lt G gt and press the A key The G value increases Type lt Control gt lt G gt and press the v key The G value Decreases Type lt Control gt lt B gt and press the M key The B value increases Type lt Control gt lt B gt and press the v key The B value Decreases Retouching the image Often there can be small image defects such as scratches specks or other processing Image Correction palette Click inside the T value box or Press lt Control
136. y to a single image Choosing Multiple Images changes the image display to the image table Figure 29 The image pane in image table and single image modes Changing the number of images displayed Clicking the Number of images button pops up a sizeable grid Moving the mouse increases or decreases the number of images displayed in the image table Locking the image table display Clicking Lock display locks the size of images in the image table Without this option enabled resizing the image table pane causes the images contained to scale up or down to maintain the number of images chosen This means that if you choose to always display 2x2 images in the display with the image table un locked sizing the pane will maintain the number of images displayed but they will change size to accommodate the new pane size If the image table is locked the image preview size is maintained regardless of the pane size This means that the 2x2 display may change to a 3x3 display if the pane size is increased NeoPack Chapter 9 Editing images Page 84 Figure 31 The same image table as above resized with locked display enabled Selecting images It is fast and convenient to select and navigate through images in the image table First choose an image by clicking on it with the mouse Prestene O Prestes key Prssthelstt arowey OO Prossthenisht arowiey O Press tevs arowkey o Press the Down arrow key NeoPack Chap

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