Auto sheet height + auto rows imposition fails

[StefanT-Xerox]

Great.

If you have the quantity in the job name you could create a csv with that information and use that with MAX. It will require some scripting. Please see example in this post:

https://forum.support.xerox.com/t5/FreeFlow-Core/Setting-PDF-metadata-with-filename-find-and-replace...

[replica]

Thanks for the provided examples.

Print quantity parameter is not always set, since the file might be just dropped into a hotfolder, so it will only be mentioned in a file's name.

However I did use Insert Pages components with fixed number of inserts, based on page quantity.
This allowed to send 2, 4 and 8 cards into the same imposition layout, and 1, 3 and 6 cards into the second one, after the pages are duplicated accordingly.

[StefanT-Xerox]

If you know the quantity you could repeat the job pages using Insert pages and then use Cut and Stack on SRA3 with stack size set to 1.

[StefanT-Xerox · Accepted solution]

One way to try is to split the imposition in two stages and adjust the TrimBox before the next imposition.

First do a Route by pages - 6, 12 etc.

Then add an impostion but keep only the first step in the imposition and set it to a fixed sheet size, for instance SRA3.

Then do another Route by TrimBox of the submitted pdf - 90x55, 85x50 etc.

For each combination adjust the TrimBox from the bottom of the page.

If for instance the first imposition will fit 8 rows for 6 pages and the height is 55 mm, then set it to 7x55=385 mm.

Lastly do the second stage of the imposition.

Please see sample of the result for 6 and 12 pages, both 90x55.

Another way to consider is to Route by pages, then by size and then use the manual imposition.

I will check to see why you can't add images to your posts.

[replica]

To sum up the issue:

If you set sheet dimensions as fixed width + auto height,
and then set imposition layout as cut and stack, auto rows, fixed columns,
you will never get more than 1 row regardless of how many pages are in your file. 
Instead of adding more rows, imposition adds more sheets, all with one row, ignoring the auto rows setting.

[replica]

I am pretty sure it stops working exactly after 6 pages, since 6 pages = 1 row if duplex, and the whole point is not being able to get more than 1 row, and 2nd row should start from 7 pages if duplex.

That is why I explicitly mentioned testing with 12 pages. Otherwise all settings seem to look correctly.

Also, how do you embed images directly? Only have an option for videos or links

[StefanT-Xerox]

I tested what I believe you want to achieve in FreeFlow Core 6.0.2 and from what I can see it works. Here are my settings:

Primary stage

Secondary stage

Attached is the test file I used and the processed file after the imposition.

[replica]

I am trying to place multiple business cards on the same sheet, and repeat them as necessary to fill the whole sheet.

The finlal layout will be 3 columns, and 7 or 8 rows, on an SRA3 sheet (450x320mm) in portrait mode.

Testing is done using 90x50mm business cards.

The idea is to make a 2-stage imposition - first stage sets up either one or several rows of the cards, page order: cut and stack. Automatic sheet height, 320mm width, imposition - auto rows, 3 columns.

Second stage - fixed sheet dimensions 320x450mm, auto rows, 1 column, page order: repeat.

_____________

The problem is that 1st stage produces a different result from the expected one.

Test with - duplex print, 12 pages.

Expected: 2 rows of 3 cards each, 1 sheet.

Actual result: 1 row of 3 cards, 2 sheets.

Why does imposition keep adding more sheets keeping 1 row, instead of adding more rows?

Screenshot of how it looks