Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

--- impose [2026/10/25 02:27] – Markup fix for the DokuWiki upgrade (spaces inside bold/italic) 0.0.0.0
+++ impose [2026/10/25 02:53] (current) – Help pages updated for PowerScripts 3.8 (help pages session) remoteuser
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-====== Step & Repeat ======
+====== Step and Repeat ======
-{{::step_and_repeat.png|}}
+Step and repeat your artwork across a sheet or roll in one go: rows and columns, or offset rows for circles, with bleed, crop marks, cut paths for your cutter, numbering, scaling and a job label.
+[[https://o2creative.co.nz/shop/Imposition_Step_and_Repeat_PowerScript_for_Adobe_Illustrator|See it in the shop]] · Version 1.8.7 · Needs PowerScripts 3.8.42 or later
-==== Step & Repeat Options ====
+===== Where to find it =====
-  * **Sheet Quantity:** If above zero, then it will calculate the horizontal and vertical copies for you. If you also manually change Horz Copies or Vert copies with other value will auto-update based on the method selected below
+Open the PowerScripts panel (**Window > Extensions > PowerScripts**) and choose **Step and Repeat** from the **Tools** scripts. The script has two tabs: **Imposition** and **Options**.
-    ***Auto Update (Balanced Grid)  :** Will calculate the grid size closest to the desired quantity and a 1:1 ratio
-    * **Auto Update (Even Grid) :** Will calculate the grid size  closest to a 1:1 ratio
-    * **Auto Update (Exact Quantity) :** Will calculate the grid size exactly matching the quantity required
+===== Quick start =====
+To fill a sheet with stickers:
+  - Select the sticker artwork (with its bleed).
+  - Set the **Bleed**, and the **Horz Gutter** and **Vert Gutter** between stickers.
+  - Tick **Artboard Size** and enter the sheet size, then tick **Fill Artboard**.
+  - Tick **Add Cut Paths** and choose **Item: Cut Rectangle** (or **Cut Circle**).
+  - Press **Step and Repeat**.
+===== Options =====
+==== Imposition ====
+{{:impose:imposition_tab.png?380|The Imposition tab}}
+=== Artboard ===
+  * **Artboard Size**: set the artboard to this **Artboard Width** and **Artboard Height** (your sheet or roll width).
+  * **Create new Artboard**: put the layout on a new artboard, leaving the original alone.
+  * **Artboard Padding**: the margin round the layout.
-==== 1.7.0 ====
+=== Crop the artwork ===
-  * Added: Page Borders
-  * Added: Crop selection to Rectangle or Circle (ellipse)
-  * Fixed: Bug where cutting path and fit to page would miss align
-==== 1.6.0 ====
+  * **Crop Artwork with Clipping Mark**: clip each copy to the **Crop Width** and **Crop Height**, as a **Rectangle** or **Ellipse** (**Crop Shape**). Handy when the artwork is bigger than the finished size.
-  * Added: Cut Paths, Create Cutting Paths as Spot Colors for
-    * Gutters / Center of Cutter
-    * Item shapes as Circles, Rectangles, Rounded Rectangles
-    * Outer Frame
-  * Updated: Labels so that the document path and filename can be added
+=== Copies ===
-==== 1.5.6 ====
+  * **Sheet Quantity**: how many you need. The script works out the copies across and down for you, using:
-  * Updated: Changed to 3 decimal places on bleed and gutter spacing based on user feedback.
+    * **Auto update (Balanced Grid)**: the grid closest to the quantity and closest to square.
+    * **Auto update (Even Grid)**: the grid closest to square.
+    * **Auto update (Exact Quantity)**: exactly the quantity.
+  * **Horz Copies** and **Vert Copies**: the copies across and down (set them yourself, or let **Sheet Quantity** or **Fill Artboard** set them).
+  * **Horz Gutter** and **Vert Gutter**: the gaps between copies. **Circle** works out the vertical gutter for packing circles tightly with the **Circle** layout (select one circle first).
+  * **Bleed**: the bleed in your artwork. The script warns you with the result if a gutter is smaller than the bleed.
+  * **Center on Artboard**: centre the layout on the artboard.
+  * **Fill Artboard**: fit as many copies as will go.
+  * **Rotate each**: turn every copy by this many degrees (counter-clockwise).
+  * **Layout**: **Grid** (rows and columns), or **Circle (Even Offset)** and **Circle (Even Offset - 1)**: every other row shifted half a copy, like a honeycomb, so round stickers pack closer. The "- 1" version has one less in the offset rows.
-==== 1.5.5 ====
+=== Crop marks ===
-  * Updated: Allowed 2 decimal places on size inputs
-  * Added: Tabbing between input fields selects the preselects the text
+  * **Add Crop marks**, with **Crop Length** and **Crop Offset**.
+  * **Group Crop marks**: keep the marks in one group.
-==== 1.5.1 ====
+=== Cut paths ===
-  * Added: Template for scale note text, so it's easy to customize
-==== 1.5.0 ====
+  * **Add Cut Paths**: cut lines for your cutter, in a spot colour on their own layer (set on **Options**).
-  * Added: Option to group crop marks
+  * **Vertical Gutters** and **Horizontal Gutters**: **Cut Center of Gutter** (one cut down the middle of each gap) or **Cut to Crop Marks**.
-  * Added: Scale option - Apply scale to only the artwork or the final layout
+  * **Frame**: a cut round the whole layout: at the **Cut edge**, the **Bleed edge**, **Inside crop marks** or **Outside crop marks**.
-  * Added: Option to include scale text note
+  * **Extend Cuts**: make the gutter cuts longer (or shorter, with a minus number) past the layout.
-  * Updated: Changed size inputs to be unit numbers so any unit can be used not just mm
+  * **Item**: a cut round each copy: **Cut Rectangle** (with **Rect Corner Radius** for rounded corners) or **Cut Circle**.
+The script warns you (with the result) if two cuts would land on top of each other.
+=== Numbering ===
+  * **Numbering**: put a placeholder in a text in your artwork, and each copy gets its own number: **Placeholder**, **Start Value**, **Step**, and **Min Digits** (3 gives 001).
+=== Scale ===
+  * **Scale**: scale the **Artwork Only** or the **Final Layout** by **Horz Scale** and **Vert Scale** (for example to allow for shrinkage in sublimation). **Scale Line Widths** scales strokes too.
+  * **Add Scale Note**: write the scale on the sheet, using the **Note Template** (''{applyTo}'', ''{horz}'', ''{vert}'').
+=== Label ===
+  * **Label**: a job label on the sheet, from the **Template**. Codes you can use: ''{path}'', ''{filename}'', ''{cutWidth}'', ''{cutHeight}'', ''{cropWidth}'', ''{cropHeight}'', ''{bleed}'', ''{horzCount}'', ''{vertCount}'', ''{totalCount}'', ''{horzGutter}'', ''{vertGutter}'', ''{day}'', ''{month}'', ''{year}'', ''{24hour}'', ''{hour}'', ''{minute}'', ''{ampm}''.
+  * **Show label text in message box**: also show the label in the panel when done, to copy into a job sheet.
+  * **Step and Repeat**: does it.
+==== Options ====
+{{:impose:options_tab.png?380|The Options tab}}
+  * **Crop Stroke**: the crop marks' line width.
+  * **Font Size**: the label's text size.
+  * **Cut Path Color**, **Spot Color Name**: the cut lines' colour and its spot colour name (match what your cutter or RIP expects, for example ''CutContour'').
+  * **Create Top Layer called**: put the cut paths on their own top layer.
+===== How to... =====
+==== Round stickers on a roll ====
+  - Select one round sticker. Set **Horz Gutter** to 3 mm and press **Circle** to work out the vertical gutter.
+  - **Layout**: **Circle (Even Offset)**. Tick **Artboard Size** with your roll width, and **Fill Artboard**.
+  - **Add Cut Paths**, **Item: Cut Circle**.
+  - Press **Step and Repeat**.
+==== A sheet of business cards ====
+  - Select the card (with bleed) and set the **Bleed**.
+  - Tick **Artboard Size** with the sheet size, and **Fill Artboard**.
+  - Tick **Add Crop marks**, and **Add Cut Paths** with both gutters set to **Cut Center of Gutter**.
+  - Tick **Label** so the sheet says how it's cut, for example "Cut 90 x 55 | 10up".
+  - Press **Step and Repeat**.
+===== Tips =====
+  * Save your common layouts as presets (see [[using_presets|Using Presets]]).
+  * For multi-page imposition, booklets and double-sided work, see [[imposepro|Impose Plus]].
+  * To pack odd shapes as tightly as possible, see [[nesting|Nesting]].
+===== What's new =====
+  * **1.8.7**
+    * Fixed: the label's time shows am and pm correctly.
+    * Improved: numbering is more reliable, and general bug fixes and reliability. Needs PowerScripts 3.8.42 or later.
+  * **1.8.6**
+    * Improved: the warnings for a gap smaller than the bleed and for double cuts show with the result instead of stopping the run.
+    * Fixed: a horizontal gutter set to Cut to Crop Marks with a Cut Edge frame now warns about double cuts too.
+  * **1.8.5**: Buy in PowerScripts now opens this script's page in the shop.
+  * Older changes: [[releasenotes|PowerScripts Release Notes]]
-==== 1.4.2 ====
-  * Fixed: Bug where "Fill artboard" option would mess up ungrouped artwork
-  * Added: Option to create a new Artboard

User Tools

Site Tools

Differences