Threaded Mode | Linear Mode

pseudotim · 09-09-2009, 03:39 PM

Hey all, so I have a rather specific I am trying to solve. I'll offer up $100 to anyone who can solve this issue as a little extra incentive

I am building a web application that allows users to upload images to our website and then get the image printed as a sticker.

Ideally, I would like the web application to create a print file that can go straight to the RIP without any manual intervention. Basically this means placing the uploaded art into a preexisting template that includes a standard print layer. (So the print will be custom but the plot will be the standard).

So a PDF created with AI works fine. But when we create the PDF with web based PDF creation libraries we have problems. Apparently this is because while a PDF supports layers, AI creates layers in a proprietary manner that is different from PDF layers. So my guess is that Onyx is reading the AI proprietary layers.

We also tried saving the PDF with the print layer as a watermark... but Onyx did not read the watermark layer.

Anyone know how to create a PDF (not from AI) that includes print and cut layers that Onyx can read? Are there Onyx settings that affect how the PDF is read?

I'll paypal the $100 to whoever can help me solve this

Thanks. Tim

Hotspur · 09-21-2009, 11:10 AM

No responses so I'll put in my 2 cents...no answers for you but a couple of points...

Web to Print software is in development by a certain technology company and is designed to do exactly this - file input via a web interface, straight into the Onyx queue with web-based progress updates for the whole process.

Anyway it seems what you want is possible in Onyx.

However I would suggest you investigate how different the latest version is against yours as it may be able to accept a wider variety of PDFs now.

You are on v6.1 - any day now we will see v7.3.2.x

This has many many new updates to the postscript engine / wrapper vs your version and will make a big difference to some of the compatibility issues you are seeing.

It may be Onyx already handles the files you currently have problems with - it would be worth checking out.

***Scott*** · 09-21-2009, 01:00 PM

Are you sure that your engine is creating compliant PDF's with atleast Acrobat 6 (PDF 1.5) compatibility? (have to ask, sorry)

From what I understand, top-level layers in Illustrator are the same as standard PDF layers in Acrobat, however sublayers are not. I'm not an expert on this however and imagine you've done plenty of research on your own. Just a couple thoughts.

***Scott*** · 09-21-2009, 01:15 PM

(09-09-2009 03:39 PM)pseudotim Wrote: Are there Onyx settings that affect how the PDF is read?

This is the only white paper I can find that discusses PDF creation, though I don't know that it has much in it that will help you, but I could be wrong.

http://onyxgfx.com/uploads/Creating_a_PDF.pdf

Have you spoke to Onyx directly about this yet? (just curious)

MarcoRoos · 10-23-2009, 07:23 AM

(09-09-2009 03:39 PM)pseudotim Wrote: Hey all, so I have a rather specific I am trying to solve. I'll offer up $100 to anyone who can solve this issue as a little extra incentive

I am building a web application that allows users to upload images to our website and then get the image printed as a sticker.

Ideally, I would like the web application to create a print file that can go straight to the RIP without any manual intervention. Basically this means placing the uploaded art into a preexisting template that includes a standard print layer. (So the print will be custom but the plot will be the standard).

So a PDF created with AI works fine. But when we create the PDF with web based PDF creation libraries we have problems. Apparently this is because while a PDF supports layers, AI creates layers in a proprietary manner that is different from PDF layers. So my guess is that Onyx is reading the AI proprietary layers.

We also tried saving the PDF with the print layer as a watermark... but Onyx did not read the watermark layer.

Anyone know how to create a PDF (not from AI) that includes print and cut layers that Onyx can read? Are there Onyx settings that affect how the PDF is read?

I'll paypal the $100 to whoever can help me solve this

Thanks. Tim

Tim,

You should check if the PDF creator you use is creating the cut layers as DeviceN colors, in this case it wouldn't work. Most web libraries do that. You have to create a Spot Color (like a Pantone).

Can you send me a sample PDF file from your web-application so we can have a look into the file here? Also some information about which library you use might be helpful ;-).

In case we solve it: please donate the 100$ to the red-cross or so, or buy yourself a couple of beers ;-)

ciao
Marco

pseudotim · (This post was last modified: 01-07-2010 05:11 PM by Scott.)

MarcoRoos Wrote:You should check if the PDF creator you use is creating the cut layers as DeviceN colors, in this case it wouldn't work. Most web libraries do that. You have to create a Spot Color (like a Pantone).

- the RIP reads the cut layer in the PDF no problem. It is the print layer it will not read. so i don't think this would help.

MarcoRoos Wrote:Can you send me a sample PDF file from your web-application so we can have a look into the file here? Also some information about which library you use might be helpful ;-).

- where can i send you the file?

thanks for the help. tim