Imp, developed by InSoft, is a one-click planning automation solution that creates and imposes layouts for book work, ganging and packaging jobs on sheet-fed as well as web-fed presses. InSoft has been developing innovative software solutions for the graphic arts and e-publishing businesses worldwide since 1996.
Imp Flow automates the power of imposition, ganging and nesting found in Imp through easy to set up hot folders. Imp Flow is also key for the integration of Imp’s power in larger workflows as it fully supports being XML driven and can provide detailed XML information about the plans it created.
If you are interested in Imp Flow, let us know and we'll make you a quote.
Install Imp Flow on a central server and allow anyone in the network to drop PDF files, CSV files or XML files into a hot folder shared over the network. Imp Flow will process the files as set-up in the workflow serving that hot folder and provide output files in the output folder.
Different types of jobs or files from different clients may have to be handled differently. Imp Flow allows setting up as many different workflows as necessary, each with their own hot folder.
Imp Flow reads PPXML files: those are a special XML 'dialect' that allow specifying which jobs need to be handled, and optionally what needs to happen to these jobs. This provides for very easy integration into an MIS (or similar) system or into a workflow application, such as FileTrain, Switch, Prinergy ...
When the imposition or ganging is done, Imp Flow can write out a Plan XML to be picked up by the MIS or workflow system. A Plan XML contains all details about the calculated layouts and can be used to feed information back into the MIS system.
Imp 8.0, a fully automatic layout planning and imposition software, is now available for download. It is a major release.
Ground-up support for large format presses is the callout feature in version 8. From this version on, there would be no hesitation is claiming that Imp software is a rapid print layout creation software for large format presses (also!).
With the new version of Imp, you can create efficient layouts for large format presses. Both roll-to-roll and flat-bed format presses are supported. The costing function for these presses try to capture the realities of large format printing with better accuracy.
When planning on a large format press, the ganging algorithm of Imp works differently. With less emphasis on reducing number of layouts and more on saving substrate and ink, the software will find the most cost effective ganged layouts. The software is also capable of considering and placing the same job on multiple layouts.
Again with the goal of making cost effective layouts for large format scenarios, Imp introduces a new machine category: Digital Cutting Machine. The cost function of this machine can calculate the cost of digitally cutting a layout (with knife or laser).
In version 8, there is considerable focus on handling of CAD data. This section highlights those enhancements.
Until now, geometry of an unbound component could be set only by importing CAD files (DXF, CF2 or PDF). No changes could be done to the CAD data within Imp. This has changed; you can now make changes from within Imp by choosing the "Edit Geometry" option. Currently this CAD editor has only some basic functionality. But, going forward you can expect considerable development adding more and more features to this CAD Editor. Currently, this editor can come in handy in the following situations.
The same CAD Editor mentioned above comes in handy when you want to add some new lines or layers to the die data, just before exporting it. The editor also has a smart tool called "Auto Repeat Selection", which can automatically repeat any geometry you add over one or more stations. This tool is very handy when you want to add stripping rules to the die.
NOTE: You cannot delete existing geometry of the layout.
The Die Export window now shows dynamic preview of the die to the right as shown in the window below. Preview is shown as per the layers settings you have configured on the left.
For other geometry layers, you can now control two more things other than its color:
The software will remember these settings and automatically apply them in the future for layers with matching names.
You can now control how different line styles are rendered inside Imp's user interface. These settings also affect the line styles exported to DXF or PDF die.
You can also add new line types.
Below you can see the popup that allows you to define and control the different line styles. You must enter a series of values in millimeters. These values alternately define the stroke and space length.
While you can delete custom line types, predefined line types cannot be deleted.
Before version 8, Imp would only draw the cut-outline of the jobs in reports. By choosing the new option "Show all die lines", you can now make Imp draw a to-the-scale die drawing in the same place.
When this option is checked, Imp will also draw a line legend in the report for the reader to identify which lines belong to which layer.
Couple of new attributes have been added to a material (substrate) entry in the configuration data.
Requires UV drying: Identifies if the substrate’s surface is adsorbent or not. Nonadsorbing surfaces will be planned only on UV printing machines.
Different finish on back: Identifies if the two surfaces (front & back) have the same finish. If they have different finish, Imp will not use work & turn/tumble workstyles for such sheets. It will also raise a warning if the user creates such a layout manually.
For simplifying cutting process, a common request was to have only one job per column when ganging multiple jobs together. This feature is now available. This option is applicable only when "Stack jobs only vertically" option is also selected.
It is now possible create geometry marks which are never printed but only exported to the die CAD file. Moreover, user can control the name of the layer to which the mark is written into. Previously, this layer was always called “Registration” layer.
The stroke of the rectangle mark can be selectively turned on/off on any of the sides. It is now possible to create corner angle marks. Another new option for rectangle mark is the "corner radius".
It is now possible to manually enter the sheet sizes and roll widths that the software must consider while planning. This gives more control to planners who would like to try out different options.
Offcut values for covers can be parametric.
CPU: Intel Core i3-3240 Processor (3M Cache, 3.4 GHz)
RAM: 4GB
HDD (free space): 10GB
Graphics card: With an inbuilt memory of 1GB. The car must support OpenGL.