2.3. Program interface

2.3. Program interface

After launching the program in the new imposition creation mode, the main program window is divided into two parts – a PDF viewer where you can preview the designed imposition sheet [1] and a panel of subpanels defining the sheet and elements placed on the sheet [2]. The subpanel panel can be placed on the right or the left side of the preview window. Each subpanel can be activated by pressing the F1 to F9 keys.

Above the preview window, there is a panel for managing the preview, consisting of several buttons [3].

In the preview management panel, the first 12 buttons are used to adjust the zoom level of the displayed PDF file and the appearance of the viewer itself.

The meaning of all icons is described in tooltips that appear when you hover over them with the mouse pointer. The last button in this group allows you to change the number of pages displayed in the browser window (one or two pages of the sheet). When displaying a single page, you can switch between recto and verso using the mouse wheel.

Rotates the preview by 90° while holding down the button. Used to make it easier to check the layout of the pages when rotating sheets using the front guide.

Enabling this button will draw a gray millimeter grid. The grid is drawn over the other elements.

Enabling this button will draw sheet and cell grid dimensioning elements on the sheet. Right-clicking this button opens a context menu that allows you to select dimensioning options: net cell grid, gross cell grid, column and row spacing, and margins between the paper edges and the print area.

This button allows you to save the image displayed in the preview window to a PDF file.

The preview mode switch changes the display of impositioned pages from actual to simplified and vice versa. The switch is available (visible) only after a PDF file has been loaded into the program. In the actual preview mode, the preview window displays the actual image of the overlaid elements. In simplified mode, the preview window shows a simulated image of the PDF page.

The simulated page image consists of a rectangle showing the gross size of the page (with bleeds) [1], a lighter rectangle simulating the net size (without bleeds) [2] and a frame with a “dog ear” bent towards the center indicating an odd-numbered page [3] or a frame without a “dog ear” indicating an even-numbered page [4].

The same color is used to mark both sides of the same leaf [5]. The same color, but with a different shade, is used to mark two leaves of the same 4-page, i.e. a sheet on which there are two spreads with pages lying at the same distance from the center of the signature [6].

Two lines drawn along the longer edge of the frame indicate vertical orientation (width less than height) [7]. Lines drawn along the shorter edge would indicate horizontal orientation (width greater than height). The numbers in the middle are the page numbers in the Imposition Page Table [8]. Below the page numbers is the rotation angle of the cell grid (page) [9] and the 4-page number [10].

Below the PDF viewer window, there is a navigation bar that allows you to change the number of the displayed sheet.

Below the sheet number, a table showing the contents of the signatures is displayed. The columns of the table are signatures, and the cells of the table are sheets in the signatures.

Program menu

The program menu (File and Options) allows you to save panel settings as default, restore post-installation settings, activate the program, and access the folder with configuration files.

The Show panels menu is used to hide or show panels. Hide the unused panels to create a minimalist work environment.

The Sheet Page Names menu allows you to customize the name of a sheet (or part of a sheet) to suit your preferences.

The selected method of determining the sides of the imposition sheet is displayed in simplified preview mode in the left corner (recto) and the right corner (verso).

Verso in simplified preview mode is indicated by a darker paper shade.