PDFClerk icon

The Impositions Editor

Accessible through [Tools→Editors & Inspectors→Show Impositions Editor; ⌃⌥⌘I]

The Impositions Editor is used to create new and rename or modify existing imposition templates. An imposition template defines how a document's pages are laid out on and distributed among the sheets. When a PDFClerk document is saved, the active imposition template (if any) is saved with the file. If the file is subsequently opened on another system, the template will be imported if no equivalent template exists on the other system.

Template List.

Template List screenshot

The Template List lists all available templates. Select a template to edit it. Double click a template to change its name.

bullet The + button below the list creates a new template before the currently selected template. If no template is selected a new template is appended at the end of the list.

bullet The - button deletes selected templates.

bullet Templates are listed in the Imposition menu according to their order in this list. You can drag the templates into the desired order. The first nine templates in the list will automatically be assigned a keyboard shortcut.


Sheet Layout.

feature screenshot

Slots are laid out on the sheets in rows and columns. Here you define how the slots are laid out on the sheets.

bullet Columns/Rows: Enter the number of columns and rows to fit onto a sheet. A sheet will have columns * rows slots ( = pages).

bullet Horizontal and Vertical groups: you can create horizontal resp. vertical groups of slots and specify gutters between the groups. For instance if you have an 8x4 imposition layout and define 4 horizontal groups and 2 vertical groups, the slots will be positioned both horizontally and vertically in groups of two and fold marks (dotted lines) will draw between the inner edges of the pages of each group. Trim (crop) marks will appear at the outer edges of each group. If you also specify a gutter, then a gutter will appear between the groups, and, if the gutter is large enough to hold the marks, crop and fold marks will be drawn in the gutters too.

bullet Slot Size:

    • Sheet based: The imageable sheet size divided by the number of rows and columns determines the slot size.
    • Fixed: The values entered in the width and height field determine the slot size.
    • First Page (Scaling): the size of the first page decides the size of all slots, but the slots will be scaled to fit the imageable area of the sheet.
    • First Page (Fixed): the size of the first page decides the size of all slots, and no scaling is applied. The contents are drawn at their original size.

bullet Flip odd/even rows/columns: select to have even and or odd rows or columns of slots flipped vertically so that, after folding, the pages are correctly oriented within the signature.


Slot Layout.

feature screenshot

Here you define the internal layout and the appearance of the slots.

bullet Slot fit: controls the scaling of the page (contents) within the slot.

bullet Alignment: controls how the page is aligned within the slot if slot and scaled page size are not equal.

bullet Border Framing: controls the appearance of an optional border around pages and slots. Set to 0 to have no borders.

bullet Creep: controls the base amount of creep to factor when applying creep settings as set in the Folding Indexes matrices.


Finishing.

feature screenshot

Here you define which finishing marks are drawn. When active these settings override the equivalent document level settings.

bullet Force Inner Marks: Causes bleed or trim/fold marks to be drawn within gutters regardless of whether they fit within the gutters.

bullet Draw Center Marks: Causes bleed or trim/fold marks to be drawn along the middle of page's bounds.

bullet Base Marks On Slot Bounds: marks are positioned based on slot bounds, rather than on the bounds of the page within the slot.

bullet Derive Bleed/Trim Marks From Source Pages: Marks are drawn individually for each page, and their placement is taken from resp. the bleed and trim box of each individual page.


Page Distribution Matrix.

feature screenshot

The page distribution matrix hints how to distribute the source pages among the slots of each sheet. You define the page distribution for 1 sheet signatures. The page numbers entered here will be dynamically adjusted to account for the number of pages in each signature when a template is applied to a document.

bullet Default number of sheets per Signature: When 0 PDFClerk will automatically calculate a signature that encompasses the whole document when the template is applied. Any higher value will create signatures of the requested size. This setting is most appropriate for two-up impositions. You probably won't want to use it for four-up and greater impositions. The number of sheets in a signature can be dynamically changed after a layout has been applied using the signature input field in the toolbar.

bullet Step & Repeat: Checking this box turns the template into a step and repeat template, and will exchange the distribution matrix with the interface for defining the step and repeat rules.


Step and Repeat.

feature screenshot

Use these control to define a step and repeat layout. There is great flexibility in defining patterns. Easily repeat a single page many times over, or create more complex rules in multi-page documents.

bullet Step & Repeat check box: Select this to turn a layout into a step and repeat layout. Uncheck it to turn it into a standard layout.

bullet Rules list: Here you define the rules for the layout. Per rule you can define either a list of pages, or a pattern of n sequential pages. Defining a list of pages has the following options: you can enter single page numbers, or a range of pages. To enter a range enter the number of the first page, a dash and the number of the last page. E.g. "24-108" references all pages between 24 and 108 inclusive. To enter several pages or ranges into the list press the space bar, comma or period key after each entry. You can choose to either repeat a pattern n times, or to fill n sheets with it.

bullet + Button: Add a rule to the list.

bullet - Button: Remove selected rules from the list.

bullet Center content within margins: Check this to have PDFClerk automatically center the contents of the sheet within the imageable area, as defined by the document's sheet margins.

bullet Start a new sheet after each rule: If left unchecked PDFClerk will process each rule and start the next rule at the position on the sheet where the previous rule left off. If checked each rule will start positioning pages on the sheet from the top left.

bullet Default number of sheets per Signature: Signatures are not used with step and repeat layouts, so any vaue here will be ignored.


Display Boxes.

feature screenshot

Use these controls to specify the creation of the PDF display boxes of imposed layouts (except the media box which is fixed to the sheet size). PDF display boxes for the non-imposed layout are derived from the display box settings of the individual source pages.

bullet No <type> Box: The selected box will not be created. (If trim/bleed marks are "From Page" then they will be derived from each page's relevant display box.)

bullet Derive Crop Box from Sheet Margins: The crop box will be set to coincide with the margins set for the sheet.

bullet Derive <type> Box from <type> Marks: Allows deriving the bleed and trim boxes from the document settings for the resp. bleed and trim marks. (If trim/bleed marks are not manual then they will be derived from the inset for the relevant mark as set in the document settings, which has the same effect as setting the marks to manual.) Note: for all display boxes derived from marks to come out correctly on all pages the number of pages in the document must be a multiple of the pages per signature.

bullet Derive [Art Box] from Page: This is available only for single page (single slot) layouts. If the source page has an art box then that box will be recreated on the imposed page, taking into account imposed page scaling and positioning.

bullet Manual <type> Box Size: Allows setting fixed margins for each box. (If trim/bleed marks are not manual then they will be derived from these settings.) Note: The box is defined by margins inset from their respective edges. Do not enter a size as right or bottom value.

bullet Default to drawing page by their <box type>: Ensures the requested box is used for drawing pages when switching to the imposition. The box used can subsequently be changed through the submenu of the Tools→Draw menu.


Sheet Metrics.

feature screenshot

Use these controls to specify sheet size and margins on even and odd sheets. If the sheet size is left at zero width and height, the sheet size is derived from the document settings. When the sheet size is not zero, the template settings override the document settings.


Folding Indexes.

feature screenshot

Use these controls to specify the number of times to apply the creep factor to each slot resp. horizontally and vertically. The values can be set separately for the front and back side of a sheet.


See also

Layout Topics