The global setup is the first element you need to take care of when creating a poster. It can be divided into four parts: 

	Poster Size (Size of the global poster with margins, image scale, and frame)
	Tile Setup (Number of columns and rows)
	Tile Size (Width and height of the tiles)
	Print Constraints (Link your project to a printer and select the print constraints linked to the media size)

 

Poster Size

 

This part allows you to define the size of your poster including margins and a frame around the image.

 

Format

Choose your poster format among those that are already set or create a new page format. If the width, height, or margins are changed in the main window, the format will change to “Custom”.

To choose a preset format, use the following drop-down menu:

To add formats to the list, click on the […] button, the following window opens and allows you to manage the preset formats:

Use the buttons to:

• New…: Create a new page
• Dup…: Duplicate an existing page (the page creation window opens already filled with the original format information, so you only have to change the name to create the new format)
• Delete: The page is removed from the list
• Edit…: Edit the selected format

A page format is composed of a name, a width, a height (it is only pages, you cannot create rolls), and margins (left, right, top, and bottom):

 

Width and Height

These two values indicate the poster’s dimensions, including the margins.

The width and the height are defined in the format, however, you can also edit them manually. In this case, the Format will switch to Custom mode:

 

Margins

These are the margins of the poster and will be indicated in green on the poster preview.

There are two ways of editing these margins:

• Click the […] button to display the margins edition window:

You can indicate a different value for each margin: Top, Bottom, Left, and Right.

The “Homogeneous values" tool sets all the margins to the highest one. You can then increase or reduce all the margins uniformly.

• Directly type the values you want to apply in the Margins field. If you indicate a single number, all margins will have the same value:

• You can also specify every margin by separating them with a “;”. Margins are always considered in this order: Top, Bottom, Left, and Right:

 

Frame

You can add a frame to your poster, whether it has margins or not. A frame is a line drawn between the margins and the inner part of the poster. It can be used for cutting or positioning purposes, indicating where the poster needs to be folded, etc.

First, click the […] button to edit the frame settings:

Choose the line Type that will be used:

• None: No frame
• Plain: Solid line
• Dashed: Dotted line
• Edges: Only the beginning and the end of each line will be printed
• External: Like Edges except that only the part outside of the image is printed, in the crop marks area

Then define the line Thickness:

• Either check the 1-pixel box, the line will automatically be 1-pixel thick
• Or enter directly the value in the field (if 1 pixel is activated, you will have to uncheck it first)

Finally, choose the Color. Double-click on the colored area to open the color selector.

• You can choose your color in the following color spaces: LAB, XYZ, or HSB on the left or RGB, CMYK, or GREY on the right.
• Enter the value or pick it with the pipette then click on OK to validate it.

 

Scale

The Scale indicates the poster size that is based on the size of the image to print. For instance, if you type 200 in this field, the poster will then be modified to be 200% of the image size.

The padlock, located next to the scale, allows you to unlock/lock the scale:

With this option, every time you change the image, it is the poster size that is changed to adapt itself to the scale and not the scale that changes to fit the poster size.

This tool is useful in workflow mode, as it allows you to create posters with flexible sizes though adjusted to the image.

 

Tile setup

This area is used to define the number of tiles that make up your poster:

• Columns (X): Number of columns, horizontal axis
• Rows (Y): Number of lines, vertical axis.

 

Tile size

 

Width & Height

The width and height fields allow you to define the size of your tiles. If you print on a roll, you can also set an unlimited size for one of these fields (or both):

• Simply click on the infinite symbol placed after the width or the height field.
• If an unlimited length is set, the number of tiles linked to this orientation will automatically be 1.

 

Same size for all tiles

If you activate the “Same size for all tiles” option, Tiling+ will recalculate the dimensions of your tiles so that they all have the same size. The tile size will be calculated using the following method:

Width = poster’s width / Columns (X)

Height = poster’s height / Rows (X)

If this box is not checked, the size of the tiles will be that of the input in the Width and Height fields, and a smaller tile might be created at the end of the row and/or the column.

 

Same print size for all tiles

The “Same print size for all tiles” option will cause all the tiles to have the same external size, including overlaps. This can be helpful for example when used with the Trim-O-Matik feature together with an XY cutter.

 

Manual changes

If a red asterisk appears next to the name of this area, it means that the tiles have been edited manually (by changing the size of a tile, or redefining overlaps…).

From this moment on, if you perform any other change that would cause the tiles to be calculated again, a pop-up window will ask you if you want to validate this action. If you choose to go on, then all the changes that have been manually performed will be lost, and the default values of your tiles will be restored.

 

Automatic recalculation

You may have noticed a small gear symbol before the names of the Poster Size, Tile Setup, and Tile Size. The symbol indicates that the parts highly depend on each other:

The gear symbol is orange when activated, and is used to point at an element that has to be automatically recalculated. 

For instance, if it is activated for the Poster Size area, and you change the number of tiles in Tiles Setup, Tiling+ will then recalculate the poster size (on the other hand, it will not modify the dimensions of the tiles, since that area was not marked with an active symbol).

As soon as you edit an area that was already in automatic recalculation mode, this very action is then applied to another area, according to a well-defined order:

• If the active and modified zone is Tile Setup, then the recalculation will be on Tile Size.
• If the active and modified zone is Tile Size, then the recalculation will be on Tile Setup.
• If the active and modified zone is Poster Size, the recalculation will be applied to one of the two other areas, depending on the oldest date input; it would recalculate the oldest values.

 

Print Constraints

To use this section, you first need to activate it by checking its box.

The arrow at the top opens or closes the additional parameters: width, height, and color bar

This function allows you to define a constraint linked to the printer on which you are going to print your poster. This constraint is also linked to the media. So, if you need to divide a poster into tiles to print it, it is often because the poster would be too big to be printed on a single roll’s width.

Therefore, using a constraint allows you to print on the total width of your roll, to make your print more cost-effective by avoiding waste of paper.

 

Printer

Choose the Printer in the drop-down list. Only printers displayed in the application bar are available here.

The printer’s settings (loading, page formats, etc.) will be the same as if you were to run it in the Print module.

 

Loading

Loading corresponds to the type of media in the printer. The formats available are the ones that are defined in the printer settings. Once you have chosen one of the formats, Width and Height are set to its dimensions. If you edit these manually, the loading will switch to Custom.

The small arrow next to the load allows you to modify the orientations of the tiles by switching the height and width values.

It’s used to print the tiles in the other orientation when the poster is larger than higher (be careful, in this case, you might need to make a 90° rotation of the image).

The infinite symbol, next to width and height, is activated when a roll type of media is chosen.

 

Color bars

This functionality allows you to add color bars (also known as color stripes or gutters) along the side of the print.

The colors are then printed throughout the process even if the image does not contain all of them everywhere. The aim is that the machine prints ink at all times to avoid sudden variations in density or clogging of the nozzles.

To activate the color bars, check the option then select the configuration you want to use.

To create a color bar configuration, simply click the […] button, the following window opens:

• Choose the Placement of the color bars, either next to the margin (page) or next to the image.
• Select the Side(s) where the bars will be printed. If you select both left and right, the bars will be printed twice. Note that you cannot unselect both sides.
• Then indicate the Dimensions including the total Width of the bars (the unit is the module’s one) and the Spacing between the bars and the image or the page depending on the placement.
• You can then Save your new configuration by clicking the button:
  • If you change the current configuration, a Star icon appears before the configuration name (meaning the changes have not been saved yet).
  • To change your current configuration name, click on the saving button. A pop-up will ask you for a new name.
  • To delete a configuration from the list, select it then click on the trashcan.

Buttons at the bottom of this part:

• Reset: Reset the default parameters (the ones from the example)
• Cancel: Close the window without saving the changes
• Apply: Save the changes without closing the window
• OK: Save the changes and close the window

 

Recompute tiles

The changes made in the loading fields are not immediately reflected in the tile size or in the poster size itself. You need to click first on Recompute tiles.

However, this recalculation can be done automatically, by clicking the button located next to Recompute tiles, the button then appears like this:

 

Additional Information

A few pieces of information are displayed at the bottom of the Print Constraints setup area: 

• Printable: This corresponds to the size of the loaded media. The physical margins of the printer are not included in it. In reality, this data indicates the maximum size of the tiles that make up your poster, by taking into account all additional elements, such as overlaps and crop marks.
  In reality, this data indicates the maximum size of the tiles that make up your poster, by taking into account all additional elements, such as overlaps and crop marks.
• Media usage: This information indicates how efficiently the media is used in the current configuration of your poster. It is displayed in percentage.
  By selecting various media in the loading menu, you can check how cost-effective your print is. The higher this percentage, the more efficient the use of the media.