job numbers for books

[Keith]

Hi Hal! I hope I have the correct area of the forum for this question. When a job sheet is produced for a book, the contents get the suffix of "C" and the main sheet has the same number as Printing orders. I have not had any problems but I thought it may cause problems in the future. I just entered a book order and printed the job sheets with the numbers 0709-00002, 0709-0057C (for the black pages) and 0709-0058C (for the color pages). Earlier this month I did a letterhead order with the job number 0709-00002. Again, I don't do a lot of books and therefore have not had any problems. But may it be a problem for someone that does a lot of books? I guess if it did, they would have said something by now. What are your thoughts?

Thanks,
Keith

I also noticed that the content sheets does not state the amount of paper we need and the amount to draw. (And I'm sure you know employees, they'll come running back all confused about how much paper they need because they can't do math!)

[Hal Heindel]

Hi Keith,

The right area of the forum, and a good point. Maybe we should shorten booklet job numbers by one digit and add the letter 'B' to more readily distinguish them from regular print orders. I'll check it out and let you know.

While the job ticket for booklet contents does show how many sheets are needed, it only shows it for a single instance of that ticket. To get a total count, you're right, there's some simple math involved. Namely, multiplying the sheet count on the job ticket by how many times that ticket is used in the book (a value that has to be retrieved from the master).

This is one of those gray areas where pros and cons cancel each other out. If we show the total count on the job tickets for the contents and there's a change in the page count on the master, the count on the content tickets is no longer valid. In a perfect world, whenever there is a change in how many times a content job ticket is used in the book, new tickets for both the book and the contents should come to the shop floor. My guess is that, if page count is the only revision, only the master gets re-distributed. In fact, some of the jobs on the content tickets may already have been printed.

Note that the Engineer does subtract the full amount from the inventory.

[Keith]

That makes sense. But literally, my job ticket does not show any number where you have the red arrow pointing in your sample. Could it be from the fact I have it set 2up as an insert?

I like the idea of adding a "B" to the book tickets. And wide format can have a "W"!!! Ooops, I hate it when I type out loud!:o LOL!

Keith

[Hal Heindel]

Could it be from the fact I have it set 2up as an insert?

That shouldn't make any difference, Keith. I've tested it with both in-Stock and Buy-as-Needed paper. The press sheet count shows up either way. Can you post a screen capture? BTW, .jpg works best on the forum.

Thanks

[Keith]

I hope I did better this time on the screen capture:D

Keith

[Hal Heindel]

You did, Keith. Came out perfect. Hope you don't mind that I blurred the customer info.

Now for the mystery part. I couldn't duplicate what you're getting. Tried it on three different machines, both Vista and XP, with Job Sheets and Job Tickets. See the attachments. The last attachment is for a Book Insert. First, I thought it was because of the "Duplicate" attribute, but that clearly didn't make a difference either.

What does your computer do that all of mine don't?

[Keith]

Hal, I apologize for taking so long to respond. As to what my computer is doing different? I don't know. Could it be the fact I have it on a network?

I do have a question on a completely different topic. I use a lot of 12x18 paper and it seems to be a fairly common size in the digital arena, any way of having programmed as a standard size, if possible?

And one last thing- THE DIGITAL ENVELOPES ARE AWESOME!!!!! Today, I switched my envelopes from the writing and text categories, over to the envelope category.

Thanks,
Keith

[Hal Heindel]

Could it be the fact I have it on a network?

Not likely, Keith. Not as long as all other data is being displayed properly. Has anyone else run into this?

Just checked the latest XPEDX price list and, what do you know, there's 12x18 paper sprouting up all over the place. Must be a digital thing. Goes to show what happens in this business when you turn your head for a couple of years (closed the Unitac print shop in 2007). I'm assuming we'll need to add it for paper and press sheet sizes, not product size.

About those new Digital Envelopes, do the default makeready and run factors work for you? They're not based on research, just a hunch. This being virgin territory, I had to wing it, if you pardon the pun.

Thanks for the heads-up on the 12x18 paper size.

[Keith]

That is correct, paper and press sheet sizes. What would be nice for the paper suppliers to do, would be to make more 13x19 cut sizes as a lot of production level presses (even my little Xerox, and by the way, thanks for the reassurance, spending 30 grand is a bit nerve racking) are capable of running that size. It's great because I can run 6x9 post cards 4up with bleed.

As for the envelope makeready and run factors, I assume you mean the preset #10 and #9. I tried to adjust them in My Shop but the buttons are faded out. Usually, I set the run factor and makeready to maximum because envelopes are just as much of a pain to run digitally as they are lithographically (that's my big word for the day).

[Hal Heindel]

I tried to adjust them in My Shop but the buttons are faded out. Usually, I set the run factor and makeready to maximum because envelopes are just as much of a pain to run digitally as they are lithographically (that's my big word for the day).

Lithographically? Good one! BTW, the property buttons for predefined products are greyed out because those products also serve as templates for creating derivatives (my big word for the day :cool:). If you think it makes sense to increase the run factor for Digital Envelopes from High to Very High, we can easily change that. Makeready defaults to Very High already.

The 12x18 paper option will be included in the next upgrade. I'll let you know.

[Hal Heindel]

Keith,

I just uploaded the revisions: Paper and Press Sheet pick lists now include 12x18, and Booklet Job Numbers end with a 'B'. Plus a small bug fix (Digital Envelopes shouldn't have allowed A2's through A7's) and some minor in-line improvements, none of which warranted changing the version number.

We're still at V2009.5.

[Keith]

No social sizes for digital envelopes!!!???? That's what I usually run digitally. Customers order 50 or so invites with envelopes printed (and sometimes addressed) and when they order #9s and #10s it's usually more than 500 and therefore more cost effective for offset. In fact, tomorrow I have to run 500 A-7 and 500 A-6. How come they can't be digital? (Great. I sound like my daughter!) All the other changes sound great!

[Hal Heindel]

I should have been more explicit. You can run any size envelope you like, Keith, as long as the minimum digital press size is set to accommodate them. That was the bug. The program would accept A2's through A7's even though they were below the digital press minimums (currently defaulted to 3-1/2x7-1/2").

You'll probably want to upgrade before you enter those envelopes tomorrow. With data validation OFF, the digital press minimum can be set as unrealistically low as 1x1".

[Keith]

PHEW!!! I was really concerned for a while there. But I feel a little silly thinking you would not allow social sizes in digital envelopes!:o

I look forward to installing the update as soon as I get to the shop. After I do that I'll check and see if I'm still having problems with the paper count on book jobsheets.

Before I go I have one question. What is the purpose of the ship date button in job tracker that was added with v2009.5?

Keith

[Hal Heindel]

What is the purpose of the ship date button in job tracker that was added with v2009.5?

Sharp eyes, Keith. Someone had asked for a more flexible way to enter the shipping date. Previously, the order would automatically be marked as having been shipped on the day the button was clicked. That quick-step button still works but is now supplemented by a second button that calls up a calendar.

It was a valid request. People don't always get a chance to update the Job Tracker until the day after. Unlike the rest of the dates (when the job left prepress, for instance), the shipping date is the one date that needs to be accurate.

[Keith]

THAT'S AWESOME!!! I'm not always able to update job tracker till the next day as well.

When updating MF, should I also download the Engineer as well?

[Hal Heindel]

Only if the version numbers don't match. If you're already running V2009.5 of the Engineer, you're good to go, Keith.

BTW, thanks for the plug on PrintPlanet. It's all good! :)

[jerryjfm]

This was a nice change Hal.Keith I am glad I am not the only on who can not enter it on time... LOL