Method for the production of a print job

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016231968-A1
Application number	US-201615041151-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 11, 2016
Priority date	Feb 11, 2015
Publication date	Aug 11, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for the production of a print job by sequential or quasi-sequential digital printing includes forming at least one stack including signatures, print sheets and/or individual sheets produced by the digital printing. Components of the stack are transferred at least to a book-related printed product by means of at least one additional processing. The formation of the stack and the components thereof is carried out by means of production-related data or data sets which, by means of at least one workflow system, firstly select a specific sequence of individual book-related printed products made of the stack, and which secondly control a layout of the individual main printed products having same or different thicknesses and/or formats and/or having same or individual contents.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for the production of a print job by sequential or quasi-sequential digital printing, the method comprising:
forming at least one stack including at least one of signatures, print sheets and individual sheets produced by the digital printing, components of which are transferred at least to a book-related printed product by means of at least one additional processing, wherein the formation of the stack and the components thereof is carried out by means of production-related data or data sets which, by means of at least one workflow system, firstly select a specific sequence of book-related individual printed products made of the stack, and which secondly control a layout of the individual printed products having same or different thicknesses and/or formats and/or having same or individual contents.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the book-related printed products are books, book blocks and booklets.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the workflow system is directly or quasi-directly or indirectly operatively connected to at least one of:
at least one pre-press; at least one digital printing machine; at least one editor; at least one print manager; at least one line control; or all processing machines operating upstream and downstream of a digital printing machine.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the workflow system consists of at least the following modules, which are used individually or in any desired combination with one another:
a module for informative, transparent production with a continuous report on a status of production lines and respective jobs; a module for informative, transparent production with a continuous report on the status of the production lines and respective jobs, wherein the entire production is displayed and analysed by means of graphs; a module for creating and editing jobs for clients using client software; a module for scheduling the jobs in a sense of sorting, grouping and planning, regardless of the degree of automation and the software programmes of the machine; a module for recording and storing operating data resulting from the production, formation and processing, provided that said data are continuously available; a module for providing operating data for printing cover sheets for book blocks and logistics documents which correspond to effectively produced products; a module for an overriding check of the operating data implemented and the interdependent module-dependent processes during the production and formation of the products; a module for error messages/warnings in the event of deviations from a target state and use of related correction programs and/or elimination processes with respect to the products affected by deviations.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one of signatures and individual sheets are interconnected during the stack formation by means of an auxiliary gluing station, and wherein the auxiliary gluing station is directly or quasi-directly or indirectly operatively connected to the workflow system.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least units including the workflow system, pre-press, printing substrate web, digital printing machine and processing machines operate individually or interdependently with respect to one another by means of control lines to the units and by means of control information from the units.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein a pre-press codes the printed products according to codes specified by an editor.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein a pre-press triggers impositioning, in which:
meta data emerging from at least one data format relate to predefined web widths and/or product types; the meta data are printed on the printed product as encoded information; additional visual markings or texts are added in the paragraph or viewing region, in order to make it possible for the operator to recognise and assign the subproducts/final products.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein a pre-press determines at least one of the following operations:
the pre-press which is operatively connected to the workflow system recognises a job folder having all of the relevant parameters; a job ticket is automatically assigned to the pre-press, for which processing machines then prepare; as soon as the processing machines are ready for processing, to the extent that paper from the appropriate job is taken in, a standby message appears, and production starts only once a digital printing machine and the workflow system report a set-up process as complete.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein a created JDF (job definition format) is automatically transmitted to a pre-press, wherein the pre-press reads the relevant processing parameters from the JDF in operative connection with at least one integrated PDF (customer input), wherein a PDF file is imposed, and wherein imposition carried out is reported back to the workflow system.

11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein a JDF (job definition format) is sent from the workflow system to a print manager, and wherein the print manager controls a digital printing machine.

12 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein a pre-press provides at least the following processes:
as soon as processing machines are ready for processing, to the extent that paper from the appropriate job is taken in, a standby message appears, and production starts or is authorised only once a digital printing machine and the workflow system report a set-up process as complete.

13 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein a JDF (job definition format) is sent from a line control, which directly or indirectly controls all of the processing machines acting downstream of a digital printing machine.

14 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the workflow system is supplied with at least one of the following items of process data:
a gray box JDF; a run list; a PDF; and a PDF/VT, wherein, upon the workflow system being supplied with a plurality of process data, said data are introduced in any desired combination and order.

15 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein an editor interprets a run list as processes, and wherein a PDF/VT supplies at least one of a pre-press and a digital printing machine with additional meta data.

16 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the workflow system is supplied with additional process data.

17 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the workflow system is operatively connected to at least one MIS introduced from outside which introduces at least one of at least one additional gray box JDF and a run list into the workflow system.

18 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein individual printed products produced by the digital printing as the components of the stack are differentiated from one another and are retrievable for processing by means of at least one of a physical delimitation and an electronic delimitation.

19 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein individual printed products produced by the digital printing as the components of the stack are finished off by means of at least one processing in saddle stitchers, perfect binders and book sewing machines.

20 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the printed products are provided with a cover at least during the final processing in a processing machine.

21 . The method according t

Assignees

• Mueller Martini Holding Ag

Inventors

• Bracher Markus
• Lutziger Daniel
• Schluep Markus
• Bulgheroni Stefan
• Rotach Roland

Classifications

• G06F3/1248

  by printer language recognition, e.g. PDL, PCL, PDF · CPC title

• G06F3/1251

  for continuous media, e.g. web media, rolls · CPC title

• G06F3/1243 Primary

  Variable data printing, e.g. document forms, templates, labels, coupons, advertisements, logos, watermarks, transactional printing, fixed content versioning · CPC title

• G06F3/1208

  resulting in improved quality of the output result, e.g. print layout, colours, workflows, print preview · CPC title

• B42C19/04

  starting with signatures · CPC title