Layout Tool 

The Layout tool positions your job on the selected media, adds optional page marks (crop, register, subscript) and borders, and can print color bars for control. It works with your printer’s trays/rolls and media sizes, automatically choosing the best fit and rotation when required.

What the Layout tool does

• Lets you pick one or more Media Sizes and a Media Source (tray/roll). It will auto‑select the best size and rotation that fits your job.
• Places the job at a chosen Position (nine presets or exact X/Y offsets), with an Orientation setting.
• Optionally prints Color Bars on the left and/or right and adds Marks (crop marks, register marks, subscript) and an optional Border.
• Optimizes tile orientation on grid tiling to simplify finishing.

Before you start

• Confirm your device (printer/cutter) is available in the system and your Cloud Hub media sizes are up‑to‑date.
• If you need a new media size, you can add it from this dialog and it will be saved to your organization for reuse.

Open the tool

1. Open the Workflow Editor.
2. Add or select the Layout step.
3. Click Configure to open the Layout dialog.

Layout Setup dialog

Media Settings

• Device — Choose the target printer. The list is populated from connected printers.
• Media Sizes — Select one or more sizes the job may be imposed on. You can add, edit, or remove sizes; changes are saved for your organization.
• Margins — Override the media’s printable margins (Left/Top/Right/Bottom) if required.
• Colorbars — Choose the size and where to print them: Off, Both sides, Left only, or Right only.
• Media Source — Pick a tray/roll input. The dialog disables media sizes that won’t fit that source.

Position

• Presets — Nine positions: Left/Center/Right × Top/Center/Bottom.
• Offset — When using XY Position, enter X and Y to place the job precisely.
• Orientation — Rotate0, Undefined, Portrait, or Landscape. When Undefined, the tool chooses the best orientation that fits.
• Optimize tile positioning — Alternates the rotation of tiles in a grid tiling to streamline installation.

Marks

• Size — Controls the drawn size of marks and border thickness.
• Border — Off / Solid / Dash / Crop, with an optional Offset and color (Black/Cyan/Magenta/Yellow).
• Registration Marks — Adds register marks.
• Crop marks — Adds crop marks with adjustable distance and thickness.

How it works

1. The tool loads your selected media sizes and (if multiple) chooses the one that fits the job with the smallest waste. If permitted, it also considers a rotated fit.
2. Color bars and any page‑mark margins are accounted for before fitting, so the imageable area is correct.
3. The job is then positioned using the preset or XY offset. When centered, the tool uses the imageable area if page marks are present.
4. If color bars are enabled, the tool writes their position into the job so they render at output.
5. If marks/border are enabled, they are applied to the placed content.
6. For roll media with a defined maximum printable length, the tool can split very long pages into stitched segments automatically.

Using Layout in workflows

1. Select your Device and one or more Media Sizes.
2. Pick a Media Source (tray/roll). The list of usable sizes updates automatically.
3. Set Position and (if needed) X/Y Offset; leave Orientation as Undefined to let the tool choose the best fit.
4. Enable Colorbars and/or Marks if you want control marks on output.
5. Click OK. When the workflow runs, Layout fits the job, applies marks/color bars, and outputs with the selected media data.

Tips & best practices

• Select multiple media sizes if the job could run on different stocks; Layout will pick the best fit automatically.
• Use Undefined orientation when you’re flexible — it can save media by rotating the job when appropriate.
• Turn on Optimize tile positioning for grid tiling to improve panel orientation during installation.
• When adding color bars, remember they reduce the imageable width; Layout accounts for this automatically.
• If you frequently use a house border style, save it in the step so operators don’t need to set it each time.

Summary

The Layout tool automatically fits, positions, and decorates your job for the chosen printer and media. It handles rotation, margins, color bars, marks, and borders so your output is consistent and press‑ready.