Concept

This topic discusses the Nesting functionality available in the RIP. This is important not to confuse with the nesting functionality in the Layout application.

Once configured, the Nesting functionality takes jobs from Hotfolders, received from Editors or directly added to the RIP and nests them on the defined media size. The processes starts only after the start criteria has been met and creates the nest job(s) out of all the ones that are nested.
Below we will take you step by step through creating one or multiple nesting settings and explaining each in detail.

Defining Single Nest

Prerequisites:

• At least one printer output device in the RIP.
• Defined a queue for the output device.

Steps :

• While in the RIP click the Change Media button as can be seen in the following image.
  

• This will open the Change Media dialog as shown in the following image.
  

• From this panel the following settings can be made:
  • Media Type, Media Size and Media Source – these settings represent the properties of the media that is loaded in the printer.
  • Nest Settings area displays all the nesting configurations that are currently active for this printer.
  • Plus/Minus buttons are used to create or delete nesting configuration.
• To create a new nest setting click on the Plus button. This will open the Media Settings dialog from where the configuration can be made.
  

• The following options are available from here:
  • Nest Name – The name of the configuration.
  • Media Settings (Type, Size, Source) – these settings refer to the actual output size of the nest job and not the media that is loaded into the printer. So for example multiple nesting configuration for different output sizes can be defined. Also long as the resulting nest fits on the actually loaded media size of the printer it will be printed.
  • Nesting Settings – these settings are the triggers for the nest to start. When the selected condition is met the nesting will start. All configurations are checked simultaneously. The first one that meets the criteria will be executed.
    • Maximum Job Age
      If longer then the set number of minutes no new jobs have received via Hotfolder, Editor or directly from RIP then the nest is started.
    • Maximum Media Length
      The nest job will not start until the combined length of the jobs in the RIP reaches or exceeds the set length.
    • No rotation: ensures no jobs are rotated in a nest.
    • Minimum efficiency: the nest will trigger when the set % of the nest page has been filled.
    • Maximum number of tiles/page
      The nest job will not start until the job has at least the set number of tiles or pages or items.
    • Expires at
      The nest job at the select weekday and time. The user can select in which days the nest will be done (for example only nest on workdays).Note: If the jobs exceed the defined media size then the nest will start despite the selected setting with only one exception, if the user selected “Expires at” then the nest will not start until that criteria is met.
    • Fill up with non-expired jobs: if the nest reaches the expiry date set in previous setting and the nest is not full, then this option will allow the nest to be filled with jobs set to the next expiry date.  Note:  the expiry date is defined in the XML and therefore on ly applicable in the XML workflow.
  • Options – these additional options have a huge impact on the nest output.
    • Spacing between elements
      The space between the jobs that are nested.
    • Collate before processing
      If the option is not selected then the jobs will be ripped individually and nested during the printing phase.
      If the option is selected then the jobs are nested before being ripped.
      Collating before ripping allows for example to have cutter registration marks around the nested jobs instead of around each individual job.
    • Collate by Queue
      When there are multiple queues in the RIP and you want to avoid that jobs from different queues are nested together then this option is used. This option allows to keeps jobs separated based on the hot folder in which they are received.

Define Multiple Nests

To define multiple nesting configuration repeat the process described in the first chapter.

Lets take an example for clarification:
Assume there are two queues; one Photo-printing and one Normalizing, then proceeds to configure two nest options as follows:

• Nest 1 – Media size: Custom (200x1500mm), selects Maximum Media Length as trigger (1450mm), Spacing between elements (10mm), Collate before processing and Collate by queue.
  

• Nest 2 – Media size: Custom (300x2000mm), selects Maximum Number of pages tiles as trigger (4), Spacing between elements (10mm), Collate before processing and Collate by queue.
  

Next: drop some files in both hotfolders. The process that follows is the following: All the nesting configurations apply to all the queues, so a job is initially added to all the nest jobs. It is then checked against the settings (media size) and it is added to the nest were it fits. If the job fits on multiple nest configuration it is added to all and when one nest is triggered it is removed from all others, so that the job is not printed twice.