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[Imposition Engine - GCW] FAQs and Glossary

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Written by Roman Aldunate

This FAQ is designed to guide users through the features of the GelatoConnect Imposition Editor, explaining key terms, workflows, and UI behavior.

FAQ

Q1: How do I get started with building a new imposition?

Answer:
You almost never start from scratch. Gelato provides standard templates for common products such as:

  • Gelato Calendar Saddle Stitch

  • Gelato Calendar Soft Book Cover

  • Gelato Soft Book Inner

  • Gelato Flat Product

To begin:

  1. Navigate to the Imposition Templates screen. (Eg: https://network.gelato.com/PH/imposition-templates)

  2. Click on “Gelato Templates”

  3. View the list of all Gelato templates, which are ready-to-use, and click on the three dots to the right of the template you wish to reuse

  4. Choose “Copy to my templates”, which will create a copy of the Gelato template and launch the imposition editor for you to edit/update

  5. Save the template, and this template is now ready to be used in your workflow


Q2: Where do I enter the height and width of the plate or sheet?

Answer:
You can add the sheet height and width under a particular imposition step like Cut&Stack or N-up. Best practise is to create a global variable that can be used within the workflow to pass the actual sheet size based on the machine being used.


Q3: How do I test a configuration?

Answer:
To test:

  1. Open the Imposition Configuration.

  2. Enter a PDF or design URL.

  3. Specify quantity and the number of print jobs.

This simulates how the template would behave in a real environment.


Q4: What are “steps” and how do they work?

Answer:
Steps are the building blocks of an imposition template. They represent actions like adding pages, merging jobs, placing barcodes, etc.

  • Hover over a step to see its purpose.

  • Most titles and elements include tooltips for added clarity.

  • You can rename steps to reflect specific actions, e.g., “Add Barcode to Last Page.”

Each step, when selected, displays its configuration panel and contributes to the final layout.


Q5: How do I edit a page or add elements like barcodes and images?

Answer:
To add visual or data-driven components:

  1. Use the “Edit Page” step.

  2. On the left panel, select the type of element (e.g., barcode, image, text).

  3. On the right panel, configure the properties such as:

    • Size (width/height)

    • Margin / Padding

    • Color

    • Value / Data Source

Each element behaves dynamically depending on its type.


Q6: How do I design a layout or info/setup page?

Answer:
To design an info page, batch sheet, or setup sheet:

  1. Use elements such as:

    • Text

    • Horizontal Layout (HBox) – arranges items left to right.

    • Vertical Layout (VBox) – arranges items top to bottom.

  2. Control formatting using:

    • Alignment

    • Margins

    • Padding

This lets you build clean, structured pages suited for operators or print prep teams.


Q7: How do I use variables for data like quantity or substrate type?

Answer:
The imposition editor itself is static, but it supports placeholders via variables, which get populated during actual print workflows.

To use them:

  • Create variables (e.g., product_size, quantity, substrate) in the editor.

  • Use these in text fields or barcodes.

  • Later, in the Workflow Builder, you’ll bind actual values to these variables.

Just make sure:

  • Variable names are unique.

  • Values in the editor are mock/test values for layout visualization.


Q8: How do I add trim marks or registration marks?

Answer:
Use dedicated steps like “Add Cut Lines” or “Add Registration Marks.”

You can configure:

  • Type of mark (e.g., short-side flip or long-side flip indicators)

  • Position (e.g., top-left, bottom-right)

These help operators orient and cut sheets correctly.


Q9: What is “Dev Mode” and should I use it?

Answer:
Developer Mode (Developer option on the left navigation) is a JSON-based editor view intended for advanced users. It allows:

  • Direct editing of layout definitions via JSON

  • Bypassing the UI for power users

⚠️ Not recommended for regular users. Use the visual UI unless you have specific requirements.


Q10: How do I manage multiple print jobs in a single layout?

Answer:
By default, the editor operates on one print job at a time. However, you can add external content to the plate, like:

  • Info Pages

  • Setup Sheets

  • Batch Summary Sheets

To do this:

  1. Use “Add Page” for each new section.

  2. For double-sided printing, always add a blank back page for every new front page.

This ensures correct pagination and sheet alignment in two-sided workflows.


Q11: How to create a job ticket without any input file or pdf_url?

You can use the step “create input from jobs”, where you don’t need to use the input file or provide any URL in the job variable. This way, you start your job ticket imposition with a blank page, and you can mention the width and height of the page in the same step.


Q12: How can I add a batch sheet (top sheet) in the editor?

You can easily add a batch sheet by either adding a new page (“Insert Page” step) or using the Gelato template by importing the ready-to-use batch template by clicking on the “Add Step” option and then selecting the “Import from existing template” button, where you can search for the available templates under the “Gelato” tab.

Please note that if you add a page and update the batch sheet from scratch, then you must include another page (back of the batch sheet) to support duplex (double-side) printing. This is not required if you are working with simplex or single-side printing. In case of an imported template, the system by default assumes duplex printing.


Q13: How can I change the template to support only one-side printing (simplex mode)?

By default, the template uses “duplex” mode of printing, which means both sides of the sheets are printed. However if you want to only print one of the sides and don’t want any artwork or ink on the back of the sheet then you can use the Print mode setting “simplex” mode under “cut&stack” imposition.

Please note that you would still have to manually delete any pages that you might added, like the back of the batch sheet or the back of the info page. We are in the process of updating these steps automatically based on the print mode (simplex/duplex), and this should be available by the 1st week of August.


Q14: What is “Impose cut&stack rows”? How do I add row-imposition or stream-imposition?

“Impose cut&stack rows” is the imposition step to have a rows imposition where rows on the sheet are filled with one order at a time, unlike cut&stack imposition. This is ideal for duplo cutting machines or when you want to have a stream of pages based on the incoming orders.


Q15: How do I add registration marks which adjusts itself to the flip type (short edge vs long edge)

You can use the “Add register marks settings” and make sure to select “auto” mode, which basically adjusts the marks based on the “back flip type” mentioned in your imposition step. If you want to manually add registration marks on selected pages, then you can use the “manual” mode to do so.


Q16: What is “Is Executed” step in the editor?

The “is Executed” step is always set to true, indicating that the step is enabled. If you disable the step, which means none of the actions related to the step will be executed in the imposition workflow. This is usually used if you want to temporarily disable a step to test a few changes and later keep those steps that are required and delete others.


Q17: How can I “mirror” my artwork?

You can use the “Mirror Edges” setting in the “adjust page margins” step to mirror the edges of your design file. You can mention the width of the mirrored section by providing the margins and see the mirrored artwork when the “Mirror Edges” option is enabled.


Q18: How does “Clip Content” work?

“Clip content” is a setting that controls the visibility of the content when it is clipped due to a size difference or due to cut lines. If the setting is true, then you will not see the content, but if you make the setting false, then your clipped content will still be visible on the sheet. The default value is set to true.


Q19: What are “Field” and “Switch” options?

The “Field” and “Switch” options let users either use the setting in the default view (switch) or use the advanced option of “field” to either use variables or conditions.

Switch option:

Field option:


Q20: How to use conditions in the field settings?

“Conditions” is a powerful option to use rules to control the visibility of elements/steps in the editor. Using operators like “=, >, <, ?” etc along with variables, this provides the user with flexibility to use the same element but behave differently based on the incoming data. Eg: I want to do things differently when page height > page width, or I want to show a different colour on the info strip for reprint vs first print.


Q21: Do you support “overprint” feature?

“Overprint” feature is available for each element as “Overprint Fill” and “Overprint Stroke” for users to select if the overprint feature should be applied to the element or not. The user can select the appropriate colour to work with the overprint option.


Q22: How to use spot colours in the imposition?

An option for spot colour is available for each element in the editor, which can have a fill colour option like shapes, lines, barcode, etc. Use this feature to provide the required spot colour name, which can be used inside the workflow to isolate files for cutting, foiling, etc.


Glossary

Section/Action

Action

Step Name

Description

Add Step

Add cut marks to the pages

Add Trim Marks

Apply industry-standard trim marks to define cutting boundaries for finished pieces

Add Step

Add a page to the layout

Insert Page

Add front and back page (in case of duplex) with precise control over placement and pagination

Add Step

Add register marks to the pages

Add Registration Marks

Adds print registration marks to align plates and ensure color precision. We support two modes:

  • Auto (Default)

  • Manual

If you select auto then system will use the flip direction (short edge [Vertical] vs long edge[Horizontal]) to add register marks appropriately.

In case you want to have custom marks then you can select manual.

Add Step

AdjustPageMargins

Adjust Page Margins

Modify page margins with precision control for trim, and safety areas

NOTE: The setting “Mirror Edges” mirrors the edges instead of showing blank.

Add Step

Define the pages for the layout

Define Page Specifications

Set precise page dimensions, orientation, and content areas for production

Add Step

Impose the pages directly

Direct Imposition

Create immediate imposition layouts from product specifications without preprocessing

Add Step

Duplicate the job pages by amount

Duplicate Pages

Replicate pages with specified quantities for multi-up printing and step-and-repeat layouts

Add Step

Edit the page

Add/Edit Elements on the page

Modify existing pages by adding or adjusting content elements, marks, and metadata

Add Step

ImportPagesFromCollection

Import From Collection

Import pre-defined page layouts from your saved collection of templates

Add Step

ImposeCustom

Custom Imposition

Create advanced imposition layouts with precise coordinate positioning for specialized production

Add Step

Impose the cut and stack

Cut & Stack Imposition

Apply cut and stack imposition method for efficient high-volume production workflows

Add Step

Impose cut&stack rows

Cut & Stack Rows

Use rows or stream imposition ideal for duplo cutting where we first impose items from one order or a copy then move to the other ones.

Add Step

ImposeNUp

N-Up Imposition

Create multiple-up layouts with optimized page arrangement for efficient press utilization

Add Step

Merge the grouped pages

Merge Page Groups

Consolidate multiple page groups into a single unified group for streamlined processing

Add Step

Optical Alignment Dots (Eg Zund marks)

Add Optical Print Alignment Dots

Add 4 default dot marks usually used with machines like Zund cuts. User has an option to add more dots (circles), provide spot colour, adjust size and also use “Add Dot” setting to add as many dots as possible.

The “Repeat distance” setting lets user define a fixed distance in mm/inch where the dots will repeat until the end of the sheet height/width is encountered.

Add Step

MergePages

Merge Selected Pages

Combine specific pages from different groups with precise control over positioning and spacing

Add Step

RawCutMarks

Add Dashed Cut Lines

Apply customizable dashed cut marks around content boundaries and between content blocks

Add Step

RearrangePages

Booklet Imposition

Rearrange pages in reader spreads for signature-based booklet production

Add Step

ReplaceWithBlankPages

Insert Blank Pages

Replace selected pages with blank pages of specified dimensions and properties

Add Step

SelectPages

Select Page Range

Define specific page selections using advanced range notation and mathematical expressions

Add Step

Transform the pages

Transform Pages

Apply rotation, scaling, and positioning transformations to optimize page layout

Add Step

ImportJobs

Import Production Jobs

Import external job specifications and PDF assets into the current workflow

Add Element

Layout

Page Layout

Container for arranging and organizing page elements. Acts as the root canvas structure.

Add Element

Barcode Elements

  • Barcode

  • DataMatrix

  • QR Code

Supports various barcodes including data matrix and QR code

Barcode supports multiple codes including code128 (default), Ean, Upce, Isbn etc

Data matrix Supports all standard values , default is 8x18

QR code can be added separately or can be selected as one of the code from Barcode element.

Add Element

Horizontal Stack

Horizontal Stack

Arranges child elements side-by-side in a horizontal line.

Add Element

Vertical Stack

Vertical Stack

Arranges child elements top-to-bottom in a vertical column.

Add Element

Shapes

  • Circle

  • Rectangle

  • Line

Support various shapes like circle, rectangle and line elements

Circle shape uses radius input to draw circle of particular size, users can use absolute position to specify the X and Y co-ordinates of the center of circle.

Rectangle shape creates a default rectangle and you can specify the width and height along with other attributes like colours, thickness etc

Line element draws a line between two points (X and Y coordinates) with customizable length, orientation, and thickness.

Add Element

CmykFrame

CMYK Frame

Displays a CMYK reference frame for print calibration and visual checks. User can define the position, thickness, width and height etc.

Add Element

Grid

Alignment Grid

Shows a non-printing grid overlay to assist with element alignment.

Add Element

Table

Table

Create a table structure with table layout, you have the option to add header and also add columns. Make the table rows dynamic based on your order input.

Add Element

Image

Image Element

Embeds an image from a file or URL (e.g. logos, product visuals).

Add Element

Checkbox

Checkbox

Element to support checkboxes with the ability to dynamically add or remove check marks.

Add Element

MatchingIcon

Matching Marker

Visual icon used to assist with post-processing alignment (e.g. foiling or cutting).

Add Element

PagePreview

Page Thumbnail

Renders a miniature preview of a page for navigation or visual reference.

Add Element

RegisterMark

Register Mark

Add various types of marks on the page like

  • Cross

  • Circle Shape

  • Rectangle

  • Dot

  • Arc

  • Combined

  • L-Shape (Duplo Mark)

Add Element

Text

Text Box

Adds editable text content with support for fonts, styles, and alignment.


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