Preparing a PDF for Packaging
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This document provides examples of packaging types and preparation of PDF files for packaging. It discusses common packaging materials like foil wrap, envelopes, cartons and bottles. It also summarizes key steps in preparing a PDF for packaging printing including preflighting, defining trim boxes, adding barcodes and assets. Common file export options are also outlined focusing on image and file optimization and preservation of overprints and transparencies.
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Preparing a PDF for Packaging
- 1. 11th November 2021 David Heath Rev. 1.1
- 2. Foil wrap Envelope Carton Corrugated Can Packaging covers a wide range of products Bottle Packaging Examples Credits for images to; Box vector created by pch.vector, Background vector created by GarryKillian, Mockup vector created by frimufilms, Water vector created by brgfx, Food vector created by macrovector, Circle vector created by upklyak, Background vector created by vectorpocket
- 3. Software Examples HYBRID SOFTWARE PACKZ Meteor eLab Pro eLab Pro MetPrint Meteor MetPrint Powered by Harlequin®
- 5. Preparing a PDF These are the typical feature requirements when preparing a PDF for packaging. PDF Editing Wrap / Wrap Conical VDP Prepare Preflighting Gravure Separations Cutting Line Definition Fonts VDP Execute PDF Layers Barcode Assets Pageboxes Assets
- 6. Preparing a PDF Wrapping / 3D options Wrapping of an image is supported and a powerful pre-production tool.
- 7. Preflighting is an important first step. Preparing a PDF Presets and checks are normally available within the PDF preparation software to allow the user to analyse and detect in an automatic or manual way as well as producing an overview report. Preflight can also be used to detect an images trim box which is important for packaging to define the finished size of an object.
- 8. Preflighting can uncover; A low resolution image. Easily detected and corrected. Multiple import file format types are supported. Preparing a PDF
- 9. Barcode data can be inspected and altered if required. Preparing a PDF
- 10. Viewing imported file data transparencies. Digital presses usually have fixed ink sets (CMYK). Prepress tools can also be added very easily. Step an repeat can be optimised for digital printing. Preparing a PDF
- 11. Ink consumption data can be exported. Corrugated images supplied with a technical ink. Defining box colour. Preparing a PDF
- 12. Preparing a PDF Assets that are essential for label and packaging. • Media box • Crop box • Bleed box • Trim box
- 13. Preparing a PDF A Media box Media box is highlighted in red
- 14. Preparing a PDF A Crop box is initially defined by the media size when proofing, but this is adjustable. Crop box should be used to identify the image size. This includes the bleed. Crop box Cropped region
- 15. Preparing a PDF Trim box / Die cut Bleed box A Bleed and Trim box
- 16. Preparing a PDF Exporting PDF options; • High quality PDF. • Compliance with latest standards. • Colour space. • Separations. • Transformations. • Distortion.
- 17. Preparing a PDF Exporting PDF options; • Image compression to reduce PDF file. • Downsample image resolution as images may be supplied in a large resolution. • Flattening PDF file. Beware overprints and transparencies are lost! • Clip images. Image size is reduced to the size of the clipping path. • Vectorize text, this text can appear different on a digital press and can appear fatter than live text. • Vectorize stroke, if an object has a path it contains lots of guide path data. Vectorize will create an object without these stroke properties. • Vectorize text, this can create a thicker text appearance to outline text.
- 18. Preparing a PDF RIP handling of PDF; • Image separations • Selection of page export • Image resolution
- 19. Meteor designs, manufactures and supplies electronics, software and components for industrial inkjet systems Meteor is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Global Graphics PLC (Euronext: GLOG)
- 20. We provide regional sales and support. Regensburg, Germany Headquarters Cambridge, England Sarasota, Florida Gyeonggi-do, Korea Tokyo, Japan Shanghai, China
- 21. Corporate Structure . . . . RIP and workflow software for flexo and digital printing industrial inkjet electronics software, tools and services prepress software for flexo and digital printers productivity tools for graphic arts industry advanced color management software and technology
- 22. enquiries@meteorinkjet.com +44 34 5844 0012 www.meteorinkjet.com www.linkedin.com/company/meteor-inkjet @Meteor_Inkjet
Editor's Notes
- Packaging comes in many forms and printing onto packaging can be an analogue, a digital or a hybrid process of the two. Here are some typical examples of packaging. Corrugated This may require QR / barcode, contents, weight, shipper and return address box orientation And Handling recommendations Many of these forms of packaging contain images, dates and fixed barcode data but some may also include variable data such as addresses, names, franked postage, postal tracking barcodes and QR codes. Hazards and multiple translations can also appear on packaging such as bottles. So all of this data needs to be stored or referred to somewhere. <a href="https://www.freepik.com/vectors/box">Box vector created by pch.vector - www.freepik.com</a> <a href="https://www.freepik.com/vectors/background">Background vector created by GarryKillian - www.freepik.com</a> <a href="https://www.freepik.com/vectors/mockup">Mockup vector created by frimufilms - www.freepik.com</a> <a href="https://www.freepik.com/vectors/food">Food vector created by brgfx - www.freepik.com</a> <a href="https://www.freepik.com/vectors/water">Water vector created by brgfx - www.freepik.com</a> <a href="https://www.freepik.com/vectors/food">Food vector created by macrovector - www.freepik.com</a> <a href="https://www.freepik.com/vectors/circle">Circle vector created by upklyak - www.freepik.com</a> <a href="https://www.freepik.com/vectors/background">Background vector created by vectorpocket - www.freepik.com</a>
- You’ll hear me talk about a few pieces of software today
- These packaging examples demonstrate how Meteors customers have been using digital printing for packaging in their production machines. Direct to object as well as label printing and transfer are both demonstrated here.
- So when we are looking to prepare a PDF for packaging there are many feature requirements to ensure the process from PDF to print runs smoothly with little or no chance of operator error. PDF Editing - is the main requirement as a user may already have previously defined a PDF file by using applications such as Gimp or Adobe Illustrator. Variable data printing – also know as VDP is also required if the user has barcode, QR code, Date , Batch, or product variable data design (personalised Names on chocolate bar wrappers springs to mind). Gravure covers the printing process, in which an image is engraved onto a rotating cylinder. In more recent years this process has been helped along by using digital printing methods to produce the etching on the blank plate. Cutting line definition is for a slicer or slitting machine to pick up on the image cutting edges. VDP execute can enable a design to be run thousands of times and step through a CSV or XML file and produce an image design based on the variable data impositioned in the original speadsheet. Barcode assets speak for themselves and numerous barcode types are required in todays digital world.
- Wrapping is the method in which the label or corrugated design can be tested and compared to a 3D model of the final product to determine if the image wrap will be correct in the production process.
- Preflighting is an important first step in the print workflow. It can allow the user to see very easily what problems have occurred and what the response might be when the PDF file is investigated. For example low resolution images or images with an incorrect colour space (something like RGB instead of CMYK ) will be detected and can therefore be corrected.
- If a low resolution image is detected it can then be easily swapped out for the same or similar image of a higher resolution. For this reason its important that the user has flexible software capable of accessing and handling multiple file types for importing. e.g. Tif eps jpg psd In Hybrids Stepz and Packz software PDF layers support the import of Images as well as objects that can be grouped, the software can also be used to detect objects that have been previously grouped or named. Embedded fonts or detecting a representative font from a vector or object is also possible. This is what is referred to as a smart import of data.
- Software packages such as Packz can also identify EAN or ITF barcode formats, these are common formats used when creating a packaging label. These barcode types as well as many others, can be interrogated for their properties and these can then be adjusted. Aspects such as bar width reduction and padding are essential for digital print to align with the corrugated printing process. CSV file support can also be added at this time to enable automatic barcode generation for VDP. All of this data is for processes running further down the print line such as visual inspection systems for track and trace, So this image data can be easily exported for this purpose. An alternative to this export can be to use RIP software such as eLab Pro to extract only the required image data and store in a separate directory folder.
- When viewing the imported file that may already be a generated PDF, the user can still view this as a multipage document and see the PDF layer transparencies. Varnish layers can be generated by software if these layers do not already exist in the original PDF, bleed regions can also be defined when these layers are created. Packz and Stepz are capable of performing such tasks with ease as they are designed with this function in mind. Pre press tools such as corrugated caption can be generated by Packz software to improve pre or post print processes such as die cutting and inspection of the print This is possible in seconds by placing station numbers, Corner marks Alignment marks And Colour strips
- Calculating the ink consumption for the packaging helps to control the overall production cost. This ink consumption data can be exported on the fly in CSV or Xml format for ERP in MIS (Management Information System – stores information data available about finances). (Enterprise Resource Planning) is a software solution for enterprise resource planning in MIS. Die cut layers can also be defined as technical ink. This technical data can be left in the PDF to reduce the need for storage of multiple production images. A RIP like eLab Pro can export this technical or die cut layer in several formats to ensure flexibility of the line. A packaging colour can be defined to simulate the substrate and printing colour results. Extra white under print can then be added to a design if required for readability of objects such as barcodes.
- Here is an example of a label layout. Images and objects are grouped and called “Assets”. Assets are normally a accessible within the PDF and will be displayed along with object names as well as properties such as image resolutions, colour space, object size etc. There are several assets that are essential for the correct setup of a PDF for packaging. These are; media Crop Bleed And trim boxes
- A PDF should always have a media box definition. This box is often used to define the drum, plate or page size for printing.
- The crop box is fitted around the die cut. Anything outside this box should not be necessary image data as this is a clipping boundary. If a label or design needs to fit an A4 size for proofing then this is what the crop size will be set to. If the finished PDF is then opened by another application then the crop box is what will be typically used to identify the image size.
- The bleed box is the box that fits beyond the edge of the label, approx. 2mm to compensate for misregistration during finishing such as cutting. The bleed box then fits around the trim box. The trim box is the most important as this corresponds to the finished size of the product label.
- Once the PDF has been finalised it can be exported These are some of the option to keep in mind when doing so High quality PDF but without spot colour data to keep protection of the design. (typically called composite). Compliance of PDF/X-4 standards. RGB/CMYK/Spot colours. Gray (for proofing or varnishes on press). Separation of file to see separations such as varnish, embossing, hot foil. Transformations such as rotations or flipping of the design to suit the press. Distortion for reducing a separation size by a small factor (2%) for an application such as flexo plates.
- There are also processes to reduce PDF file sizes or aid the RIPping process times. Last slide!
- A RIP will then handle the output PDF file and should be configurable for the minimum of Image sepparations All or page region export Output resolution This data is then typically exported and stored on disk where it is picked up by the print production machines digital front end, such as Meteor Met Print where it can then be sent directly to the printhead drive electronics data path. This concludes the presentation of preparing a PDF for packaging. Thank you for your time today.
- I am part of the Meteor team.
- Our main office is located in Cambridge but we have five other offices located in China, Japan, the USA, South Korea and Germany.
- Meteor is part of the Hybrid Software Group
- Our team are very experienced and always happy to assist with enquiries Please let me know if you have any questions.