Settings that you can edit for most SmartMark types include name, anchor, and placement information, and options for saving, creating, and duplicating marks.
Note: For information about settings that are unique to a specific mark type, see the topic about the applicable mark settings.
Settings for identifying marks
Mark Type
Properties pane only—Displays the SmartMark type on which the selected mark is based.
Name
The mark name can be edited only when creating a new SmartMark or editing a selected mark in the Properties pane, or you can use the Rename context-menu item for marks in the Marks list.
The name that you specify for a new SmartMark becomes the mark's default SMG file name in the Save As dialog box when you save the new or edited mark file.
In the Properties pane, if you edit the name of a selected placed mark, no corresponding SMG file is created. The mark name and settings are stored only in the JOB file and TPL file, if applicable.
Settings for anchoring marks
Anchor to
Select the component to which the mark will be anchored, and, on the diagram, click a reference point for the selected component.
Mark Anchor
On the diagram, click a reference point for the mark image.
Margins or offsets (various labels)
Type the amounts of horizontal and vertical space to allow between the mark and component anchor points.
Lock mark to this position
Clear this check box to temporarily allow the mark to be dragged to a new position. The repositioned mark is automatically locked in its new position, and any offset values are updated.
Place mark in front of page content
This setting is available only for custom marks that are anchored to a page. When the duplicate option is used, page marks could cross over multiple pages. If this check box is selected, custom marks that cross over from one page to another will not be clipped at the adjacent page's bounding box.
Place mark outside page
This setting is available if you selected to anchor the mark to an imposition or a page. If you select this check box, marks will be hidden when they intersect with a page’s trim box area. This will prevent marks from printing in the trim box of finished pages.
Settings for placing marks on press runs
Front, Back, Both
Specify the side or sides on which to place the mark.
Range: When anchoring custom or crop marks to a page or page bleed, you can specify a page range.
Use a dash to indicate a range, and use a comma to separate multiple values (1-4,9-12,21-24). Do not insert spaces.
In Preps 8.3 and later, "odd" and "even" keywords are supported. You can also use the Range field for marks anchored to Gutters. You can use numeric values to specify which gutters the marks will anchor to. You can also use "odd" and "even" keywords to apply marks only to odd or even gutters. The gutters are numbered, starting from 1 in the lower left corner of the imposition on the front surface. The marks are in the backed-up position on the back surface.
| Range variables | |
|---|---|
| Odd (t:#*2-1) | Odd template page numbers |
| Even (t:#*2) | Even template page numbers |
| LF | Low Folio when anchored to Page |
| HF | High Folio when anchored to Page |
Bring to front
Select this check box to print the mark on top of any other content.
Mirror on back
Select this check box to print the mark in the same relative position on the back of the press sheet. If you flip the press sheet in the workspace, you can see that the mark is in the same place. Mirrored text in text marks is reversed. This option does not apply to crop, collation, or fold marks.
Place on every
Specify the press runs on which the mark is to print.
For example, to place it on every second press run starting with the second press run, type 2 in both boxes. To print the mark on all press runs, accept the default values (1, 1).
If you replace the numerical value for Place on every with a minus sign (-), the sheet value box is preceded by a menu where you can select first+ or last-. This allows you to target a specified press run after the first sheet or before the last sheet.
Only on Job Layout Report
This option restricts the mark to printing on the Job layout report only. The mark will not print on the production layout.
Restrict to section
This option is available for custom, collation, and text marks. To add this mark to only one section of a multiple-section press run, select this check box, then select the section number on which to place this mark.
Lock mark to this position
Clear this check box to temporarily allow the mark to be dragged to a new position. The repositioned mark is automatically locked in its new position and any offset values are updated.
Settings for saving your mark edits
Mark resources can be edited and saved via the Resources menu and the context menus in the Marks list. On press-run layouts, you can edit the properties of selected marks, and your edits are stored with the job without affecting the mark resource files.
The available buttons depend on how you access the mark properties:
- Via the Properties pane: No buttons are provided, because this pane applies only to the current press run.
- Via the Resources menu: The dialog box provides Cancel, Save, and Apply & Save buttons.
Clicking Apply & Save places this mark on the current press run, saves it as a SMK file, and adds it to the Marks list. A reference to the SMK file is saved in the JOB file, unless you edit or move the placed mark. - Via the Edit context menu item in the Marks list: The dialog box provides Cancel, Save, and Save a Copy As buttons.
- Via the Duplicate context menu in the Marks list: The dialog box provides Cancel and Save buttons. The file is saved with the same name, with the addition of Copy, then you can use the Rename context menu item, as needed.
Mark types whose colors can be edited
The Mark Color dialog box can be accessed when configuring the following mark types:
- Text
- Line
- Rectangle
- Crop
- Fold
- Collation
- Bearer Bars