labels for "Side"

[phibbsgraphics]

In Preps 4.2.3, the $SIDE variable prints the press sheet side as A for the front and B for the back (multi-web signatures continue on as C, D, etc.)

My question:
Can I change this to print F for the front and B for the back? Currently I have to "fake out" the text marks with the following:
$jobname F $sig ...(for the front)
$jobname B $sig ...(for the back)
but this involves setting up TWO text marks on each template, one for the front and one for the back. Very repetitive.

Any suggestions?

Chris

[brian.cupp]

If you are using Preps 5 you can use Smart Marks to do this for you.

Brian Cupp

[phibbsgraphics]

Originally Posted by brian.cupp

If you are using Preps 5 you can use Smart Marks to do this for you.

Brian Cupp

I wish. I have been after my manager to upgrade to Preps 5 for almost 2 years. The number of times Preps 4.2.3 crashes under Classic (and the subsequent amount of my time wasted) would more than pay for the upgrade. But what do I know. I just *WORK* with the software [/rant]

Ah well...
Chris

[sequoyah]

Below is the code for an eps mark that will do exactly what you need. It was developed on line in the old preps forum on the scenicsoft servers between myself and Ray Johnson. Paste this code into a text editor and save as a text file with the name "SideTextMark2.eps," and place in the Preps Marks folder. Then in the Template editor use as you would any other preps mark.

The mark works by testing the ascii value of the postscript variable p_side which Preps puts into the ps output stream. If this ascii value is odd, it prints "Front," otherwise it prints "Back."

The Preps community hasn't been the same since Ray was let go.

Al Ferrari

Edit: Note that this mark will not work in a pdf to pdf job.


================= mark code below ============


%!PS-Adobe-2.0 EPSF-1.2
%%Creator: Preps news group (Hand Coded by Al Ferrari and Ray Johnson)
%%Title: SideTextMark2.eps
%%CreationDate: 03-27-2004
%%BoundingBox: 0 0 180 18
%%ColorUsage: Color
%%EndComments
%%EndProlog
%%IncludeFont: Helvetica

save
/Helvetica findfont
18 scalefont setfont

%---------------------- Main Code Bellow ------------------
0 setseparationgray
0 0 moveto
PrepsDict begin

(SIG: ) show p_sig show (, ) show

(WEB: ) show p_web show (, ) show

p_side 0 get dup 2 idiv 2 mul eq
{(BACK) show} {(FRONT) show} ifelse

end
restore
%%Trailer

[phibbsgraphics]

Al,
Thank you so much! This will work perfectly (with minor tweaking for my needs).

One more question though:
Our pressmen like the text marks along the right side of the press sheets on both the front and the back (crusty old guys set in their ways). Is there a way to modify this so it will stay on the right side and not "mirror" on the back?
Chris

[sequoyah]

Originally Posted by phibbsgraphics

Al,
One more question though:
Our pressmen like the text marks along the right side of the press sheets on both the front and the back (crusty old guys set in their ways). Is there a way to modify this so it will stay on the right side and not "mirror" on the back?
Chris

The first thing to say about this is that I never had any luck with altering the "mirror on back" behavior. Complain as loudly as you can to Nick Bencovich and tech support!

If you have a little postscripting skill, you can fix this yourself. Or you can contact Ray, but he'll need to be paid and it does not sound like your employer would go along (cheap so and so). Or you can try to get me to do it, but I don't encourage that at all. I can however give you the general strategy to undertake it.

There are variables in the Preps postscript output stream for the press sheet width and height. Unfortunately they contain the MEDIA width and height! I have asked countless times for this to be fixed. (Are you reading this Nick?) Now if you could get this info in the Preps postscript output stream, then the mark could do a moveto to a computed location from the mark's own origin depending on wether the output is a FRONT or a BACK. The mark can print beyond its own bounding box. But even without the use of those variables you can create a series of these marks that are sheet size specific, i.e.,one for 35 x 23, one for 38 x 25, etc. That would be the general drift to take. And this can be tested in the Preps previewer, without burning up any actual media.

Or perhaps you could try to combine this "SideTextMark2.eps" into a smart mark. Let us know what you come up with. Maybe it can become a collective effort on this forum: an open source mark. Any one out there game for it?

Good luck,

Al Ferrari