Contour nesting allows you to repeat a pattern taking into account not only the contour of the image (which is mainly rectangular) but also the actual contour of the objects within the image.

Traditional nesting relies on square or rectangular shapes for efficient arrangement. In contrast, contour nesting involves considering the specific contour shapes of the print job, encompassing irregular polygons or custom shapes tailored to the design.

Another benefit is that contour nesting improves the cutting workflow since it can avoid a lot of media waste when cutting the printed job.

Contour Nesting in CalderaRIP

It is possible to apply contour nesting in two different modules of CalderaRIP: In the S&R tab (within the Print module --> Page Setup), which would be an automatic method, and in the Compose module, which would be a semi-manual method.

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Via the S&R tab

(Within the Print module --> Page Setup)

Nest Action + S&R (Nest-O-Matik)

Follow these quick steps to use Contour Nesting with Nest-O-Matik:

1. Open the Print Module of your printer, add your image, and indicate the number of copies.
2. Select Nest in the Actions then open the Page Setup

    

   
   

    

3. Go to the S&R tab, activate Step & Repeat, and select Contour:

    

   

   
   

     Info

   The contour is for cutting purposes, so don't forget to also activate the Cutting tab and choose a cutter before continuing.

4. You can then click on the Print button to send the image and its copies to the Spooler. You will see there the Autonest waiting to be printed. Click Print on the Spooler window when ready. 

    

   

You may be interested in consulting the specialized section on the Spooler module.

Print or Rip Action + S&R 

Contour Nesting can be used with the Step and Repeat option. Just follow these steps:

1. Open the Print Module of your printer and add the image
2. Select Print and/or Rip in the actions, then open the Page Setup.
3. Go to the S&R tab, activate Step&Repeat then select Contour.

     Info

   The contour is for cutting purposes, so don't forget to also activate the Cutting tab and choose a cutter before continuing.

   
   

    

4. In the S&R tab, choose the mode between:
   • Full mode (all copies on the same page)
   • Manual mode (you define yourself the number of copies per page and the number of pages)
   • Or Page (fill the page sheet or the "page" defined by the roll width and specified height)

    

5. Indicate the number of copies (except for Page mode) and the margins between the copies' contours.

    

6. Check the 180-degree rotations (only if you do not want to allow 90° rotations). This step could be useful in Textile printing, for example, if you want to print following the fiber direction.

     Info

   The contour management elements that are in the Cutting tab are also visible on the S&R tab. You can select contours to cut and/or print, just note that any change will be done in the Cutting tab too. 

    

7. Finally, launch your document print by clicking Print at the window’s bottom:

    

   
   

    

Via the Compose module

Compose integrates completely the Contour Nesting option in its document creation pop-up. To use the option, follow these steps:

1. Open the Compose module:

    

   

    

2. Add as many images as you want and set their size:
   

     Info

   You might need to select all the images before setting the size and nesting them.

   

    

3. Activate Contour Nesting in the Nesting area

    

   
   

    

4. Set the rotation allowed by clicking as many times as wanted on the first icon of the second row. You can select a rotation type among no rotation, 90°, or 180°:

    

   	No rotation allowed
   	90° allowed (for example, rotation angle can be 0°, 90°, 180°, or 270°)
   	180° allowed (for example, rotation can be 0° or 180°). Be careful, if you want to use the 180° option, do not nest with 90° before

    

5. Then set the following values:
   • Margin: Space between the images from contour to contour.
   • Bleed: The contour is enlarged. This setting will prevent a cutting imprecision that might show the background. The Mask Method is the only method that is available in Compose.
6. Finally, launch the automatic nesting of the elements, either by using the first button or the second button that also resizes the media size in length:

    

   

    

   

    

7. You can then continue to edit the current composition document or save it in the Image Bar.