What is Versioning?
The Versioning feature allows you to create jobs which contain several different versions, typically for some or all of the text (for example, using different languages or prices), and to choose the optimal set of plates to be made. If, for example, you want to publish a brochure in six different languages, you can include the Versioning Task Processor in your Production Plan, and then print several different language versions of the brochure using a single job. The basic Production Plan is straightforward, using a Versioning Task Processor instead of a Run List Task Processor, allowing you to optimize the usage of plates to produce the versions.
Versioning can also be used in a Production Plan which contains a Main flow and a Digital Film Proof flow. This set-up is meant to generate accurate proofs of the different plate versions before assembly and output. This ensures optimal usage of resources and media.
NOTE: Versioning is an evolution of the Run List. Most of the features and behavior of the Run List are present in Versioning.
A Simple Versioning Example
Suppose you want to print an 8-page brochure in English, French and Dutch. Since only the text is different, the differences between the three versions are in the K plate. The English version (V1)is the reference version, from which the CMY plates are to be generated (and of course the K plate). From the French (V2) and Dutch (V3) versions, only the K plate is imaged and later mounted on the press instead of the English K plate.
Therefore, the printer needs to print the CMY plates only once, and then combine them (during printing) with the 3 different K plates:
•CMY:(common) + K:version1 (English)
•CMY:(common) + K:version2 (French)
•CMY:(common) + K:version3 (Dutch)
So, the run list has two layers:
•The first layer holds pages containing the background graphics. This layer provides the common graphics for all three language versions.
•The second layer contains the three version-specific variations of the “black-text” (English, French and Dutch).
Multiple Versions on a Press Sheet
To fill the press sheets of very large presses, you can place multiple instances of the same fold sheet or different fold sheets on the same press sheet. For versioning jobs, you can use this feature to put different
product versions (e.g. V1 for French and V2 for Dutch) on a single press sheet and reduce the number of required plates even further. In this case, the system will generate corresponding press
sheet versions (SV1, SV2, etc.). You control the sheet versions in the Version Setup dialog box which is accessed from the Plates tab of the Versioning task processor in the production plan. See
“Version Setup Dialog Box”.