Quite Hot Imposing – plug it in

When creating automated workflows, the tools you choose should have features that allow you to grow in any direction you want. Opening software up to third-party developers ensures variety, creativity and the ability to choose. There is a long list of third-party plugins created for FullSWITCH and PowerSWITCH offering extensive flexibility to customize workflows. One of these plugins is Quite Hot Imposing.

Intuitive and easy-to-use, Quite Hot Imposing is the standalone version of the Acrobat plugin Quite Imposing Plus developed by Quite Software. It will run on a Mac or Windows server allowing you to create customized workflows using either the hot folder or command-line tools within Quite Hot Imposing or an element inside an automated SWITCH workflow with the Quite Hot Imposing plugin that is part of your SWITCH installation. The Quite software enables you to save all of your setups and is able to repeat all functions when needed, a method Quite calls “Imposition by Example.”

A licensed version of the Quite Hot Imposing needs to be installed on the same server as the automation software, but it does not need to be running if you are only using the plugin. It will run directly from the SWITCH-supplied plugin silently.

Quite Hot Imposing allows you to create sheet size specific templates, and export them to an XML file. The workflow you create just needs to point to the proper XML file for the imposition. An imposed PDF is saved quickly based on the XML template rules and is sent on its way to the next stop in the flow. The plugin gives you the ability to save the imposed file into the same file that was received. Once it exits, it can be stored on a server, optimized with another plugin or sent directly to a RIP or proof.

It applies its template to a single PDF file, so single pages should be merged in order before imposing. Both FullSWITCH and PowerSWITCH can assemble the pages by file name to create a job folder, or a job folder can be submitted to a flow that uses Acrobat to merge into one PDF.

The imposition information can be attached to the files or simply placed in the file name. FullSWITCH can use variables stored in the job along with the file name to guide the job to the correct element in the flow required.

PowerSWITCH has other ways of attaching information to files, such as metadata collected from the SWITCH client, from data attached with the XML pickup (for example: from a web portal) or through private data created internally. Tools to evaluate variables are built into every element. They let you pick out a segment of a file name and match it to an XML file name. This information can also be used to route and filter the files to the correct element for imposition or it can be used to pick up the exact template required by the Quite Hot Imposing element.

There are 30 plugins currently available for FullSWITCH and PowerSWITCH. They are already built in to the SWITCH toolbox. A licensed version of the plugin’s software needs to be installed on the same server to enable the tool you want. However, you can also test them with demo versions. Some demos are full-featured and some are limited.

Quite Hot Imposing is one of the many full-featured automation tools available to customize workflows in your environment. Information, links and sample SWITCH flows are available at www.crossroads-world.com for the Quite Hot Imposing plugin. All of the other plugins in the SWITCH toolbox are listed there as well. A user forum is available on the same website with discussions for all products available as well as sample scripts and flows being used in the industry.