File Inspector

Introduced in PrimeCenter V4.6.

This article introduces PrimeCenter’s File Inspector, a dedicated Studio for closely examining individual files, enabling you to quickly evaluate their content.

Accessing File Inspector

The File Inspector is accessed via a dedicated icon located in the navigation bar on the left side of the PrimeCenter main interface:

1. Importing an Image File

This area provides access to file loading, searching, and sorting functions, and supports the same range of input file types as the software:

• Raster files: JPEG, PNG, PSB, PSD, TIFF
• Vectorial files: AI, EPS, PDF, PS, SVG

Refer to existing documentation for detailed information on File Manager features.

2. Previewing your Image File

The File Inspector features a dedicated Studio for inspecting individual files in detail. It visually represents various elements within the file, such as Cut Contours and PDF Boxes, each highlighted with a distinct color. This visual representation facilitates a comprehensive assessment of the file’s structure.

The File Inspection Studio has the same rules and orientation adjustment capabilities as the Studio from Layout Creator. It also offers the following basic features:

Clipped Preview

The "Clipped Preview" offers a helpful visual check during design:

The feature is disabled by default. When enabled, it temporarily hides content outside of cut contours in the Studio preview, providing a visual representation of how the artwork will show up by default in the Layout Creator Studio.

Refer to existing documentation for detailed information on the Layout Creator.

3. Detecting Contours

The Detected Contours area, as its name suggests, shows you the contours that were detected in the file loaded into Studio.

If the software cannot recognize any contours, a message stating "No cut contour is defined" will be displayed. In these cases, you can send your file to a recipe and utilize a check/fix profile to create a contour from a PDF box or from page content.

Cut Contours

At the top, the software shows you those cutting contours whose names match the software's Cut Contours List. 

Other Contours

The File Inspector identifies additional contour types not found in the standard Cut Contours List. These "Other Contours" are not distinct contour types themselves, but may include elements intended for printing or shapes intended for cutting, such as registration marks or boundaries, that were incorrectly named and are therefore unrecognized as cut contours.

Unrecognized contours can be converted to Cut Contours by dragging them into the Cut Contours area or using the "Replace with one of my cut contours" option in the 3-dot menu (  ).

The conversion can be reversed by dragging the contours to the "Other Contours" area or using the "Revert to detected contour" option in the 3-dot menu (  ).

Refer to existing documentation for detailed information on Cut Contours.

4. Managing PDF Boxes

This area displays the PDF boxes present within the file. You can manage these boxes, including editing their position and size. The interface also highlights any missing PDF boxes, enabling you to create them using Layout Creator.

"Align CropBox with Media Box"

This toggle aligns the CropBox to the MediaBox boundaries. When enabled, the CropBox is locked, preventing manual margin adjustments (as it remains aligned with the MediaBox).

PDF Box Details and Editing

Each PDF Box element (e.g., TrimBox, BleedBox, MediaBox, CropBox) is visually represented, displaying its color and name. Clicking an element opens a menu enabling modification of its properties:

• TrimBox Configuration:
  • The menu allows setting the position (x, y) and size (w, h).
  • The "Align to Cut Contours" toggle aligns the TrimBox to the file’s cut contours. This option is disabled if no cut contours are present.
  • If the software cannot find a TrimBox, a message stating "No TrimBox is defined" will be displayed. In this case, you can send your file to a recipe and use the Layout and Editing tools to create one.
• Other PDF Box Configuration:
  • For other PDF Boxes, a margin can be set in millimeters relative to the preceding box (e.g., for a BleedBox, the margin is relative to the TrimBox; for a CropBox, the margin is relative to the BleedBox).
• A "Reset" button restores the element to its default settings.

Refer to existing documentation for detailed information on PDF Boxes.

5. Exporting Files

You can send files directly to a recipe, or export files as PDFs for production archiving.

In both export scenarios, a progress bar will appear while the software is processing the file. Notifications will also display the status: a blue notification indicates the file is currently being processed, and a green toast message confirms a successful export.

Refer to existing documentation for detailed information on Export features.