Preps Ganging - Kodak

Preps Ganging 

Software 

Version 5.3.2 

Getting Started Guide 

English 

731-01097A-EN Rev C

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Copyright 

Trademarks 

© Kodak, 2008. All rights reserved. 

This document is also distributed in Adobe Systems Incorporated's PDF (Portable Document Format). You 

may reproduce the document from the PDF file for internal use. Copies produced from the PDF file must be 

reproduced in whole. 

Brisque, Creo, eCentral, Kodak, Preps, Prinergy, Prinergy Connect, Prinergy Evo, and SmartMarks are 

trademarks of Kodak. 

Adobe, Acrobat, Adobe Illustrator, Distiller, Photoshop, PostScript, and PageMaker are trademarks of 

Adobe Systems Incorporated. 

Apple, AppleShare, AppleTalk, iMac, ImageWriter, LaserWriter, Mac OS, Power Macintosh, and TrueType 

are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Macintosh is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc., 

registered in the U.S.A. and other countries. 

PANTONE, Hexachrome, PANTONE Hexachrome, and PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM are the property 

of Pantone, Inc. 

PEARL, PEARLdry, PEARLgold, PEARLhdp, and PEARLsetter are registered trademarks of Presstek, Inc. 

XEROX is a trademark of XEROX CORPORATION. 

Hhttp://graphics.kodak.com/H 

Internal 731-1097A-EN Rev C 

Revised April 2008

Contents 

About the Preps Ganging tool................................................................................................. 1 

Preps Ganging jobs ....................................................................................................................................1 

General steps for a typical job................................................................................................................2 

Ganged layouts ..........................................................................................................................................2 

Unpopulated PDF workflow ........................................................................................................................3 

Populated PDF workflow ............................................................................................................................4 

Resource lists ......................................................................................................................... 6 

Before you prepare the resource lists: ...................................................................................................6 

Media and stock sizes ................................................................................................................................6 

Adding media to the Media list ...............................................................................................................7 

Adding stock to the Stock list .................................................................................................................7 

Adding marks to the Marks list ...............................................................................................................8 

Templates...................................................................................................................................................8 

Saving a job template for reuse .............................................................................................................9 

Using other Preps software to add templates to the Templates list .......................................................9 

Preferences........................................................................................................................... 10 

Setting the Preferences ............................................................................................................................10 

Getting started on a new job ................................................................................................. 11 

Setting up the job workspace ...................................................................................................................11 

Preparing the job input files ......................................................................................................................11 

Adding files to a job's file list ................................................................................................................12 

Adding a file placeholder......................................................................................................................12 

Replacing a placeholder with content...................................................................................................12 

Setting up the first press sheet .................................................................................................................13 

Creating a press sheet using a template..............................................................................................13 

Starting a completely new press sheet.................................................................................................13 

Managing pages ................................................................................................................... 14 

Adding pages to a layout ..........................................................................................................................14 

Adding a content page to a press sheet...............................................................................................14 

Adding pages from Prinergy.................................................................................................................14 

Adding a file placeholder......................................................................................................................15 

Checking and editing page information ....................................................................................................15

Content Page Info dialog box...............................................................................................................16 

Template Page Info dialog box ............................................................................................................17 

Using the View menu to see page details ............................................................................................18 

Multiple page selection and grouping...................................................................................................19 

Grouping and ungrouping selected pages ...........................................................................................19 

Adding copies of pages ............................................................................................................................20 

Copying or duplicating pages...............................................................................................................20 

Stepping and repeating pages .............................................................................................................20 

Positioning the pages ...............................................................................................................................21 

Viewing and editing the layout dimensions ..........................................................................................21 

Dragging pages to a new position........................................................................................................21 

Overriding the snap feature..................................................................................................................22 

Locking a page into position.................................................................................................................22 

Editing a page’s gutters and margins...................................................................................................22 

Setting gutters between multiple pages ...............................................................................................22 

Adjusting pages ........................................................................................................................................23 

Editing the finished size of a page .......................................................................................................23 

Editing bleed margins of template pages .............................................................................................23 

To set a default bleed margin:..............................................................................................................23 

To set a single bleed width for all four edges of a page:......................................................................23 

To set individual bleed margins for each edge of a page:....................................................................24 

Scaling a content page to fit the template page ...................................................................................24 

Rotating only the content of a page .....................................................................................................24 

Changing the page orientation .............................................................................................................24 

Managing marks ................................................................................................................... 25 

Adding marks to a press sheet layout ......................................................................................................25 

Checking and editing mark information ....................................................................................................25 

Editing a placed mark's information .....................................................................................................26 

Editing a mark file's Info .......................................................................................................................26 

Removing individual marks from the press sheet ................................................................................26 

Removing all instances of one mark on a sheet ..................................................................................26 

Managing press sheets......................................................................................................... 27 

Viewing a job's press sheet information ...................................................................................................27 

Adding press sheets to a job ....................................................................................................................27 

Adding a new press sheet....................................................................................................................27 

Adding a sheet that is based on the current layout ..............................................................................27

Adding a sheet that is based on another sheet....................................................................................28 

Removing a press sheet from a job .....................................................................................................28 

Viewing and editing sheet margins...........................................................................................................28 

Final steps for a job............................................................................................................... 29 

Printing the output ....................................................................................................................................29 

Saving a job template for reuse................................................................................................................30 

Saving and closing a job...........................................................................................................................30 

Useful information ................................................................................................................. 31 

General things to know.............................................................................................................................31 

Menu shortcuts .........................................................................................................................................32 

Other shortcuts .........................................................................................................................................35 

Toolbar shortcuts......................................................................................................................................38

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1 

About the Preps Ganging tool 

Preps Ganging software is a planning and layout tool for job ganging. 

Use this tool to quickly arrange job pages, including different-sized 

pages, on virtual press sheets in preparation for plate production. You 

can arrange pages in an efficient layout, and use the step-and-repeat 

feature to fill an area or entire sheet with copies of a page. Pages that 

you place on a press sheet are automatically snapped to your choice 

of adjacent page trim or bleed edges or a specific gutter width. 

Note: Preps Plus or Pro software remains the tool of choice for regular 

prepress impositions that are based on folding patterns. 

You prepare the Preps Ganging jobs by working with the following 

components of the software window: 

• Preps Ganging menu: Many of the menu items also have 

shortcuts. 

• Workspace: Area for laying out your press sheets 

• Toolbars area: Shortcut buttons for manipulating objects and 

adjusting your view. Additional toolbars appear for specific 

features, such as Step & Repeat. 

• File list: Area for gathering the content files and selecting file 

pages to add to the layouts 

• Resources: A set of tabbed lists for selecting media (devices), 

stock, marks, and templates for the layouts 

• Press sheet list: Area for viewing and managing information about 

the press sheets in the job 

Update note: See also the Preps 5.3.2 Release Notes for a 

description of the new AutoGang feature and list. 

Preps Ganging jobs 

A Preps Ganging job is a collection of one or more press sheet layouts 

of independently positioned pages, which you assemble to fulfill a job 

ticket and to print to a specific device or sheet size. 

When you save a job, it is saved with a .job file name extension, and it 

can be opened, previewed, and edited in Preps Ganging, Preps Plus, 

or Preps Pro. Job template files, which contain the layout information, 

are stored with a .tpl file name extension.

2 PREPS GANGING 5.3.2 GETTING STARTED GUIDE 

General steps for a typical job 

After you receive the job ticket information, you use the Preps 

Ganging software to complete the job's requirements, following these 

general steps. Your actual steps might differ slightly between jobs, 

workflow types, and operations. 

Update note: See also the Preps 5.3.2 Release Notes for a 

description of the new AutoGang feature, which you can use for 

intelligent semi-automation of steps 3 to 8 in the following procedure. 

1. Open a new or existing job. 

2. Gather the input files, including customer content, placeholders, or 

both. 

3. Add the press sheet resources, using either a template or selected 

resources for a new layout: 

Or: 

Add a Template signature 

(includes: Media size + Stock size + Marks) 

Add a Media size 

(device 

configuration) 

+ 

Stock size 

(press sheet 

size) 

+ 

Marks 

(or add these later, 

after you add 

pages) 

4. Add the content pages to the press sheet. 

5. Lay out the pages. 

6. Add marks to the press sheet. 

7. Add more press sheets to the job as needed. 

8. Print the output, and save the job and template. 

Ganged layouts 

When creating a ganged layout, you add and arrange pages to 

maximize the press sheet usage. You can edit the margins and 

distances between pages, and work with such features as snap, 

rotation, scaling, aligning, grouping, and step-and-repeating. 

This example shows a ganged layout without content preview:

3 

Unpopulated PDF workflow 

The following steps summarize a sample Prinergy workflow that 

creates the job in Prinergy, creates unpopulated layouts in Preps 

Ganging, imports the layouts and assigns the pages in Prinergy, and 

does final proofing and plating in Prinergy or Prinergy Evo. 

1. Create the Prinergy job using one of these input setups: 

• Hot folder for automatic import via an import process template 

• User-defined folder for manual imposition import 

Note: Although other import methods might work, these are the 

recommended options for setting up jobs in Prinergy to accept 

unpopulated layout (imposition) information from Preps Ganging. 

2. Create an unpopulated JDF layout in Preps Ganging: 

a. Start a new Preps Ganging job. 

b. Add press sheet layouts from templates, if suitable template 

signatures exist, or else build new layouts. 

c. Add file placeholders as needed, and add the pages to the 

press sheets to create the press sheet layouts (typically 8-up). 

d. Print the output to JDF files, to the folder specified by the 

Prinergy Workshop operator.


3. Import the layout information and process the Prinergy job. 

In Prinergy, the import process template is used to import the 

layout information. The import can be either automated or manual: 

• If a Prinergy hot folder is used, the job is automatically created 

and the Preps Ganging JDF output file is imported. 

• If a user-defined folder is used, the Prinergy operator 

manually imports the imposition. 

The Prinergy Workshop operator assigns the content pages, and 

the imposition is processed using the import process template, 

either via hot folder or manually if a user-defined folder was used. 

4. Proof and plate the 8-up pages in Prinergy or Prinergy Evo. 

Final stages can be handled in a variety of ways. For example: 

• For Prinergy, import the Preps Ganging output files, possibly 

via hot folder, for proofing and output to plate and print. 

• For Prinergy Evo, place the Preps Ganging output files into a 

hot folder for direct transfer to be plated and printed. 

Populated PDF workflow 

The following steps summarize a process that a Prinergy or Prinergy 

Evo workflow might use when it uses Preps Ganging to lay out 

populated PDF files. 

1. Refine pages in Prinergy or Prinergy Evo 

a. Create the job and add files in Prinergy or Prinergy Evo. 

b. Add, refine, and proof the pages. 

2. Generate the output for pickup by a Preps Ganging operator 

a. Generate the PDF output files. 

b. Direct the output to a folder that can be accessed by a Preps 

Ganging operator. 

3. Lay out the pages in Preps Ganging 

a. Start a new Preps Ganging job and add the output files from 

the workflow system. 

b. Add press sheet layouts from templates, if suitable template 

signatures exist, or else build new layouts. 

c. Add the pages to the press sheets to create the press sheet 

layouts. 

d. Lay out the job.

5 

e. Print the output to JDF or PJTF files and send it to the folder or 

hot folder specified by the prepress operator. Depending on 

the workflow requirements, you can also generate PDF or 

Adobe PostScript output files. 

4. Send the pages to Prinergy Evo to proof and plate. 

Final stages can be handled in a variety of ways. For example: 

• In Prinergy, the Preps Ganging output files are imported from 

the hot folder for proofing, before the final output for plating 

and printing. 

• In Prinergy Evo, the Preps Ganging output files are plated and 

printed directly from the hot folder.


Resource lists 

The Preps Ganging software ships with lists of sample resources from 

which you can select when you start building a press sheet layout, 

including media (derived from Preps device configurations), paper 

stock, marks, and templates. 

You typically prepare additional resources and define reusable 

templates that are specific to your operations. While a job is open, 

each of the resource lists highlight any items that are in use in the 

current press sheet. 

• The Media list displays the media information for all device 

configurations that are stored in the Printers folder. When you add 

a media object to the press sheet, you are specifying its target 

device and plate size. 

• The Stock list displays the stock sizes that are defined in this 

installation of Preps Ganging. You can define stocks as needed, 

and you can store additional details for your own reference. 

• The Marks list contains the available SmartMarks that are stored 

in the Marks folder. Mark types that can be added or deleted 

include rectangle, line, text, crop, duplicating (color bars), and 

custom marks, as well as SmartMark groups. 

• The Templates list contains all templates that are stored in the 

Templates folder. You can expand templates in the list to show a 

list of signatures in each template. 

Before you prepare the resource lists: 

Identify and note your media and stock requirements, and gather 

information about the most frequently used layouts for which you will 

want to create templates. You will need his information to configure 

the necessary media, stock, mark, and template resources. 

Media and stock sizes 

Ensure that the resource lists contain a selection of the most 

commonly used plate and sheet sizes. You can then use these to 

create press sheet layouts that you can optionally save as templates. 

Update note: Preps Ganging 5.3.2 adds the ability to configure 

devices (media sizes), without using the Preps Plus or Pro software. 

For detailed information about setting those options, see the Preps 

Help.

7 

Adding media to the Media list 

The following procedure describes the most significant points to 

remember when you set up the media in a device configuration. 

1. In the Folder Preferences, set the Printers folder location that is 

used by the Preps Ganging software. 

2. Add and configure a device, noting the following points about 

setting its media values for use in Preps Ganging: 

• In the Page Size list, select the default media name that you 

want for this device configuration. The actual page 

dimensions of the media are derived from the device PPD file. 

• You can also define and add a Custom Size to a device 

configuration's Page Size list. 

• Set up the Punch Location. The punch area that you define 

is represented by a shaded area when you add the media to 

the workspace. 

Note: Preps Ganging does not currently recognize any devices that 

do not have a defined punch location. 

3. If you used other Preps software to add the device, restart Preps 

Ganging to update the Media list. 

Adding stock to the Stock list 

1. From the Resource menu, choose New Stock. 

2. Type a name for the stock and specify its size. 

3. Specify additional details for your own reference. 

4. Click Save to immediately add the new stock resource to the Stock 

list.


Adding marks to the Marks list 

There are many ways to create a new SmartMark. For example, you 

can use any of these methods: 

• From the Resource menu, choose New SmartMark, and choose 

the mark type. Edit its properties and save it with a new name. 

• On the press sheet, double-click a mark. Edit the properties and 

save it with a new name. 

• In the Marks list, right-click a mark and choose Edit. Edit the 

properties and save it with a new name. 

• Use any Preps software that uses the same Marks folder to create 

new SmartMarks, add custom mark files, and organize marks into 

groups. 

Templates 

In Preps Ganging, you are always working with templates, whether 

you are reusing an existing template or building a new one. A template 

is a container that holds one template signature for each unique layout 

in that template. Each job's layouts are stored in its job-specific 

template, and you can also save a copy of the job's unique layouts to 

a new reusable template. 

A template signature provides the information that determines a 

press sheet layout, including its target device and media, press sheet 

size, work style, template page positions, and marks. A job can use 

template signatures with different work styles, including sheetwise, 

work and turn, work and tumble, single-sided, and perfector. You can 

select and change the work style per press sheet. 

In any job, you might work with reusable template signatures or jobspecific 

template signatures that you create for a job's layout 

requirements, or a combination of these. 

Template pages define the placement of content pages and act as 

containers for them. There is one template page for each content 

page, and each template page is numbered. The method by which 

pages are numbered depends on how the template is created. 

The positioning information about the template pages on each press 

sheet is stored in the template signature and includes the final page 

size (trim box), orientation, and bleed dimensions.

9 

You can use Preps Plus or Preps Pro to open and edit Preps 

Ganging templates. If you are familiar with Preps Plus or Pro, you will 

notice that Preps Ganging template signatures are similar and also 

slightly different. For example, Preps Ganging currently supports only 

signatures that contain only independent pages. 

Saving a job template for reuse 

1. Create a Preps Ganging job with new, unique press sheet layouts 

that you will want to reuse. 

2. From the File menu, choose Save As Template. 

3. Give the template a different name that makes its purpose easy to 

identify. It is helpful to maintain a consistent naming structure. 

4. Choose a location within the Templates folder for the new 

template. 

5. Click Save to store the new layouts in this template and 

immediately add the template to the Templates list. 

Using other Preps software to add templates to the Templates 

list 

To add a template to the Preps Ganging Templates list, you can use 

any Preps software. For detailed information about creating templates 

in Preps Plus or Pro, see the Preps Help. 

Note: Preps Ganging currently recognizes templates only if they 

consist of independent pages only. 

1. In the Folder Preferences of the Preps software that you are using, 

set the Templates and Marks folder location that is used by the 

Preps Ganging software. 

2. Create a template using any Preps software. 

3. Save the template to the Templates folder within the configured 

Preferences folder location. 

4. Restart the Preps Ganging software to add the new template to the 

Templates list.


Preferences 

Several Preferences options are available, which you can configure 

with default values for settings that you typically do not change very 

often. 

For example, you can choose whether Preps Ganging should display 

distance measurements between page centers or between trim edges. 

You can set up the Preps Ganging window to display the resource 

lists on either the right side or left side of the workspace. Other 

settings include a default bleed limit and various snap options. 

Update note: In Preps 5.3.2, the Preps Ganging Preferences dialog 

box also includes the full set of preference options that is available in 

Preps Plus or Pro. For detailed information, see the Preps Help. 

Setting the Preferences 

1. From the Preps Ganging (Mac OS) or Edit (Windows) menu, 

choose Preferences. 

2. Click the Ganging tab. 

3. Set the Preps Ganging Preferences dialog box options as needed. 

For descriptions, see the Preps Ganging Help.

11 

Getting started on a new job 

Each new job starts with a list of input files and a blank workspace, 

where you set up a press sheet on which to create the first layout. 

Setting up the job workspace 

1. Save any job that is already open. 

2. Press COMMAND/CTRL+N to clear the workspace, file list, and press 

sheet list. 

3. Save the new job: From the File menu, choose Save, give it a 

name, and specify where it is to be stored. 

Preparing the job input files 

If a job's output from Preps Ganging is to include the customer's 

content, you select the job input files from a location on your computer 

or network to add to a file list for the job. The original files are not 

affected. If you do not work with content, or if some content files are 

not yet ready, you can add file placeholders instead. You can lay out 

multiple or large input files in a single Preps Ganging job, inserting 

additional press sheets as needed to accommodate all of the pages 

and different stock or work style requirements. 

Note: Only PDF input files are supported. Support for other file 

formats will be added in a future update. 

Input files can include: 

• Individual page files that were exported by a prepress system 

• Single-page or multiple-page documents from various other 

software sources 

• File placeholders for a specific number and size of pages


Adding files to a job's file list 

Use any of these methods: 

Adding a file placeholder 

• From the File menu, choose Add Files, and then locate and add 

the PDF files. 

• From a local or network folder location in Finder or Windows 

Explorer, drag a PDF file into the file list. 

• From Finder or Windows Explorer, drag a PDF file onto a press 

sheet in the workspace. 

This adds the file to the file list and places its pages on the sheet: 

1. From the Job menu, choose Add File Placeholder. 

2. Specify the page trim size and number of pages, and provide an 

optional name. 

3. Click OK to add the file placeholder and its placeholder pages to 

the file list. 

4. Add the placeholder pages to the job's press sheet layouts. 

The file and its pages appear in green text to indicate that they are 

placeholders that can be replaced with content files when available. 

Replacing a placeholder with content 

1. In the file list, select the placeholder file. 

2. From the Job menu, choose Replace File Placeholder. 

3. Locate and select the file, and click Open. 

4. If the page count of the placeholder file and the new content file are 

different, respond to the message that asks how to handle the 

difference.

13 

Setting up the first press sheet 

When you start to build a press sheet for a job, you can use an 

existing Preps template that contains a signature with a suitable 

predefined layout, or you can build an entirely new press sheet layout: 

• If a suitable template exists that closely matches the job 

requirements, you can select and add a template signature and 

modify it as needed for this job. The original template remains 

unchanged. 

• If no suitable template exists, you can start an entirely new layout 

by adding a media object to represent the plate size, or a stock 

object to represent the paper size, or both of these resources. 

Creating a press sheet using a template 

1. Open an existing job or start a new job. 

2. Add a new blank press sheet based on the current sheet or on 

another sheet, or work with the current sheet. 

3. In the Templates list, expand or collapse folders by clicking the 

triangles, until you find the template that you want. 

4. Click the template triangle to expand its list of signatures. 

5. Double-click a signature or drag it to the workspace. 

Starting a completely new press sheet 

1. Start a new job (COMMAND/CTRL+N) or insert a new press sheet 

(COMMAND/CTRL+T) into an existing job. 

2. Add the resources that define the press sheet size. You can drag a 

resource to a position, or double-click it to add it in its default 

position. 

If you start a press sheet with media only and no stock: When you 

print, you can choose to print to a stock size that is the same as the 

press sheet’s media size. Or you can cancel and return to the press 

sheet to add a stock. 

If you start a press sheet with stock only and no media: When you 

print, you can choose to print to a virtual Press Sheet Size device, 

which sets the media to be the same size as the press sheet’s stock. 

Or you can cancel and return to the press sheet to add a media.


Managing pages 

Preps Ganging content pages include any pages that you add from 

customer input files or from file placeholders. The customer's original 

files are not affected by any layout changes that you make to a 

content page on a press sheet, and any rotation or scaling that you 

apply to placed content page affects only that page. If you select the 

same page from the file list and place it elsewhere on the same press 

sheet, it will have the default properties, with no content rotation or 

scaling applied. 

Template pages define the placement of content pages. There is one 

template page for each content page. 

Adding pages to a layout 

Each time you add a content page or a copy of a page, the file list 

Count column is updated with the number of instances of that page 

on the press sheet. A value of 0 (zero) appears beside any page that 

is not yet placed. 

Adding a content page to a press sheet 

1. In the file list, expand an input content or placeholder file to view its 

list of pages. 

2. Drag a page from the file list to a position on the press sheet. 

3. Drag the next page from the file list until it is near an edge of the 

first page. 

4. Release the mouse to snap the second page to its default position 

adjacent to the first page. The default snap position is defined in 

Preferences. 

5. Repeat to place any remaining pages for this press sheet. 

To add pages to the back of a two-sided sheet, use the Flip tool. 

Adding pages from Prinergy 

1. Create the job, and add and refine the pages. For instructions, see 

the Prinergy Connect Workshop or Prinergy Evo Help. 

2. Drag the pages to the Preps Ganging job's file list or workspace 

from their folder location.

15 

Adding a file placeholder 

1. From the Job menu, choose Add File Placeholder. 

2. Specify the page trim size and number of pages, and provide an 

optional name. 

3. Click OK to add the file placeholder and its placeholder pages to 

the file list. 

4. Add the placeholder pages to the job's press sheet layouts. 

The file and its pages appear in green text to indicate that they are 

placeholders that can be replaced with content files when available. 

Checking and editing page information 

1. Click the Select tool, and then select the pages using one of 

these methods: 

• Click a page, or press and hold SHIFT while clicking multiple 

pages. 

• Click one page in a page group to automatically select all of 

the pages in the group. 

2. In the Edit menu, choose Get Info. 

3. Click either the Content Page or Template Page tab. 

4. Check or edit the current position and adjustment options, as 

needed. See the descriptions that follow.


Content Page Info dialog box 

To access: Select a page in the workspace > Edit menu > Get Info > Content Page tab 

Option 

Description 

Display-only properties 

File Name 

Page Number 

Page Size 

Name of the customer input file that contains this page file 

Numbered position out of the total number of pages in the input file 

Page dimensions defined in the source file 

Editable properties 

Position 

Scaling 

Constrain proportions 

Page Rotation 

Choose to either center the content on the template page (default), or 

specify the offset values to position the lower-left content page corner 

a specific distance from the lower-left corner of the template page. 

Note: The lower-left corner of a content page is defined in terms of 

either the trim box or the bleed box, depending on how the page size 

is defined in the input file. 

Specify if or how to adjust the content page dimensions to fit within 

the template page trim box. 

Note: The result of your selection is affected by the setting of the 

Constrain proportions option. 

• None: Applies no scaling (default) 

• Scale the content to fit template page: Adjusts the content to fit 

the template page trim size 

• Set Scaling: If you select this option, you can specify either 

scaling percentages or new adjusted page dimensions. The 

current scaling factor values are displayed and updated 

whenever you edit any of these values or if you select the Scale 

the content to fit template page option instead. 

If you want to use the Set Scaling option, select this check box to 

retain the original proportions of the content page or clear it if you 

need to change the proportions. 

A content page can be rotated in 90 o increments without affecting the 

template page orientation.

17 

Template Page Info dialog box 

To access: Select a page in the workspace > Edit menu > Get Info > Template Page tab 

Option 

Page Number 

Finished Page Size 

Position on Sheet 

Locked 

Reference Point 

Description 

You can select and edit page numbers as needed—for example, to 

assign the same number to multiple template pages. If you duplicate, 

copy, or step and repeat a page, each copy of the page retains the 

same template page number. 

Final trim box dimensions. You can edit these values, for example, if 

you need to crop a content page or add white space. 

Horizontal and vertical offsets between the page’s lower-left corner 

and the selected reference point on the press sheet. 

Select the Locked check box if you do not want to be able to 

reposition this page directly in the workspace without first unlocking it. 

In the Reference Point diagram, click a corner or the center of the 

press sheet as the reference point for the template page position on 

the sheet. The Position on Sheet values are updated whenever you 

select a different reference point. 

Content Bleed Limits 

If no bleed is specified in a source file, a default maximum bleed of 

3.175 mm (0.125 in.) is applied to the layout copies of the page only 

(the source file is not affected). When two pages are placed very close 

to each other, Preps Ganging automatically adjusts the bleeds so that 

they meet in the middle between the pages. 

To apply individual bleed margins to a page, clear the Use 

symmetrical margins check box to activate all the text boxes around 

the page diagram, and type individual top, bottom, left, and right 

widths: 

Use symmetrical 

margins 

Page Orientation 

Select this check box if you want to specify one bleed margin width for 

all four edges. Type the value into the top margin's text box. 

Specify the template head direction: Up (default), Right, Down, or Left. 

This value is also updated whenever you use the Rotation tool.


Using the View menu to see page details 

Use the View menu to choose what to show or hide in the workspace. 

Option 

Show 

Dimensions 

Show Page 

Previews 

Show Page 

Sizes 

Show Trim 

Boxes 

Show Bleed 

Boxes 

Show File Page 

Numbers 

Show File 

Names 

Show Template 

Page Numbers 

Description 

Displays the layout dimensions, including distances between page edges or 

centers (depending on the Preferences setting) and between adjacent pages and 

press sheet edges. You must select a page to edits its text boxes. 

Displays a preview of all page content, if content was added. This option switches 

between hiding and showing content. 

Displays the width and height when you click a page, page group, mark, stock, or 

media in the workspace. The following distance measurements are also shown 

for the selected object: 

• If a page is selected, the distances between it and any adjacent pages and 

the sheet edges are shown and are editable. 

• If a media or stock is selected, the distances are shown and are editable. 

• If a mark is selected, the offset distances to the mark's original anchor point 

are shown, but cannot be edited here. 

• Clicking in an empty area of the workspace (so that no object is selected) 

clears the display of any page sizes. 

Displays blue borders around pages to indicate their trim boxes, based on the 

final page size that is set in the template page properties 

Displays red borders around pages to indicate their bleed margins, if any, based 

on the settings in the template page properties 

Displays the input file's page number at the bottom of each content page, whether 

or not preview is on 

Displays the input file name at the bottom of each content 

page, whether or not preview is on. If Show File Page Numbers is also selected 

in the View menu, the page number is appended to the file name. 

Displays the page numbers at the center of each page, whether or not preview is 

on. The page numbers are derived from the template page Info. 

Show Marks, 

Show Pages 

Show Group 

Count 

Allows you to temporarily suppress the display of pages and marks, depending on 

your current area of concern. For example, turning off the display of pages makes 

it easier to check or select marks. 

Displays a number at the center of each group, to indicate the number of pages in 

the group

19 

Multiple page selection and grouping 

To save time and to apply consistent edits to several pages at the 

same time, you can use any of these methods for working with 

multiple content or placeholder pages, empty template pages, or any 

combination of pages: 

• You can select multiple pages and then apply a single edit to all of 

them or set the same gutter distances between all of them. 

• If you need to handle multiple pages as a single object, you can 

select the pages and convert them to a group before moving the 

group or editing the Info properties. 

• You can create a step-and-repeat group to quickly fill an area with 

copies of a page or page group. 

Page groups are treated as single objects, although you can ungroup 

pages when you need to edit individual page Info properties within a 

group, and you can replace the content for individual pages without 

first ungrouping. 

Grouping and ungrouping selected pages 

1. Use the Select tool to drag a marquee around the pages, until 

all the pages that you want in the group are highlighted. 

2. Click the Group tool. 

A dashed line forms a blue rectangle around the grouped pages: 

Note: You can use the View menu's Show Group Count option to 

display the number of pages in each group. 

To break a group apart, select the group and click the Ungroup 

tool. If the group contained more groups, only the most recently 

created group is ungrouped. You can continue to ungroup any groups 

that were inside the group.


Adding copies of pages 

Copying or duplicating pages 

Each time you add a content page or a copy of a page, the file list 

Count column is updated with the number of instances of that page 

on the press sheet. 

Stepping and repeating pages 

• To copy and add a placed page with template page properties, 

use the Edit menu’s Copy and Paste options. 

• To add a copy of a content page with its default properties: Add 

the same page from the file list again. 

• To add a duplicate of a placed page with template page 

properties: OPTION/ALT+drag the page to a new position. 

Use the step-and-repeat feature to quickly fill an area with copies of a 

page, page group, or multiple pages, while retaining the same 

template page numbers and settings as the original pages. The 

stepped pages are automatically grouped and will function as a single 

object until you ungroup them. 

This section describes the toolbar method. For a dialog box method 

with advanced options, see the Preps Ganging Help. 

1. Place the page in a corner of the area to be filled. 

2. With the page selected, click the Step & Repeat tool. 

3. In the toolbar that appears in the toolbars area, select how the 

repeated pages are to be separated: 

• Trim to trim (default): The pages are arranged so that the 

trim edges touch. Any bleed margins between inside pages 

are automatically removed. 

• Bleed to bleed: The bleed margins between the inside pages 

are automatically adjusted to half their original width. 

• Gutters: The pages are separated by the horizontal and 

vertical distances that you specify. Any bleed margins that 

overlap between pages are automatically adjusted to split the 

width equally. 

4. Drag the page to the opposite corner or side of the area, and 

release the mouse.

21 

Positioning the pages 

To determine whether a single cut or two cuts are needed between 

two adjacent page edges, you examine factors such as bleed margin 

and cutter requirements. For example, although a bleed is often 

necessary on the outer edges of a page, the inner edges might need 

only a narrow bleed (two cuts) or no bleed at all (one cut), depending 

on the content along adjacent edges. 

Viewing and editing the layout dimensions 

1. Click the Dimensions tool to turn on the display of distances 

between pages. 

2. Click a page to display its distance dimensions and make the text 

boxes editable. 

3. To edit a distance, click once inside its text box. 

4. Type the new value and press TAB or RETURN. 

Dragging pages to a new position 

1. In Preferences, set the default snap settings to be applied. 

2. Drag a page to a position using one of these methods: 

• From the file list, drag a page or pages, and release the 

mouse when the pointer is above your target position for the 

first page. To fine-tune its position, you can edit its distance 

text boxes. 

• On the press sheet, click anywhere on a page, multiple-page 

selection, or a page group, and drag it to a new position. 

Release the mouse when guide lines indicate the nearest 

suitable grid position to which the selection will snap. 

• If you do not want a page to snap to a position, press and hold 

COMMAND/CTRL as you drag. 

• To move a page along its horizontal or vertical axis, press and 

hold SHIFT as you drag. 

The page position information is updated in the measurement text 

boxes and in the template page Info.


Overriding the snap feature 

‣ Press the COMMAND/CTRL key while dragging a page. 

When you release the mouse, the page will remain exactly where it is 

instead of snapping to the nearest grid or snap line. 

Locking a page into position 

To fix a page to a particular position while you move other pages or 

edit distances around that page, you can lock and unlock the page as 

needed. Locked pages cannot be moved without first unlocking them. 

1. Position the page as needed. 

2. With the page selected, from the Objects menu, choose Lock 

Position. 

To unlock a page, from the Objects menu, choose Unlock Position. 

Editing a page’s gutters and margins 

1. From the View menu, select Show Dimensions. 

2. Click the page for which you want to adjust the gutter or margin 

widths. 

3. Edit the gutter and/or margin text boxes as needed. 

4. Click or tab out of a text box to immediately apply the change. 

Setting gutters between multiple pages 

1. Select a page to use as the reference for the pages for which you 

want to set common gutters. If the page is in a group, you must first 

ungroup it. 

2. Optionally lock the page into position. 

3. Drag a marquee all of the pages that you want to arrange in a 

uniform layout, including the page that you will use as reference. 

4. To set the vertical and horizontal gutters for all of the selected 

pages, edit the reference page's gutter text boxes. For example, if 

you are using the lower-left page as the reference, you will edit its 

top and right gutters.

23 

Adjusting pages 

When you add content pages, the page dimensions are determined by 

the content page size and bleed margins, as specified in the 

customer's input file. In the output, the dimensions are determined by 

the template page size and bleed margins. 

If you add a content page to a smaller-sized template page, the 

content is centered on the template page and no content is visible 

beyond the template page trim box. To make the entire content 

appear within the template page trim box, you can scale the content 

page to fit. The original input file remains unchanged. 

You can rotate a template page and its content, and when necessary, 

you can apply a rotation value to a content page without changing its 

template page orientation. 

Editing the finished size of a page 

1. Display the Template Page Info for the page. 

2. View and edit the Finished Page Size values to change the final 

trim box measurements, as needed: 

• To crop a page, you can reduce the finished page size of the 

template page. 

• To add white space around a content page, you can increase 

the finished page size of the template page. 

Editing bleed margins of template pages 

To set a default bleed margin: 

1. From the Preps Ganging menu, choose Preferences. 

2. Specify the Default Bleed Limit. 

To set a single bleed width for all four edges of a page: 


2. Select the Use symmetrical margins check box. 

3. Type the bleed margin width for all four edges into the top margin's 

text box.


To set individual bleed margins for each edge of a page: 


2. Clear the Use symmetrical margins check box to activate all the 

text boxes in the diagram. 

3. Type individual top, bottom, left, and right widths. 

Scaling a content page to fit the template page 

1. Display the Content Page Info for the page. 

2. In the Scaling area: 

• If you do not want to change the original proportions of the 

content page, select the Constrain Proportions check box. 

• Clear this check box if you need to change the proportions. 

• Scale the content to fit the template page's finished size. 

3. Apply one of the following types of scaling, or none: 

• Specify scaling percentages. When you set percentage 

values, the adjusted size is automatically displayed. 

Rotating only the content of a page 

• Specify new adjusted sizes. When you specify size values, 

the percentages are automatically displayed. 

‣ In the Content Page Info, set the Page Rotation to 0, 90, 18, or 

270 degrees. 

Changing the page orientation 

Select a page, with or without content, and use one of these methods: 

• Click the Rotate tool as many times as needed to clockwise 

change the head direction to a right, down, left, or up orientation. 

• To rotate in a counterclockwise direction, press and hold OPTION, 

and click the Rotate tool. 

• In the Template Page Info, set the Page Orientation to Right, 

Down, Left, or Up. 

Rotating a group rotates the entire group as if it were one object.

25 

Managing marks 

Marks in the Preps Ganging software are based on the Kodak 

SmartMarks software technology, with minimal support of the older 

static marks used in other Preps software. Preps Ganging includes a 

selection of custom mark-image files and built-in marks that are 

controlled by positioning rules, which you can modify in the Info dialog 

box for placed marks or mark files. You can also create new marks by 

modifying existing marks, and you can add and use your own mark 

image files. 

When you create a mark and save it to a location that is within the 

Marks folder, the new mark file is automatically given a .smk file 

name extension and can be selected in the Marks list for future jobs. 

Preps Ganging provides minimal support for some of the static marks 

that might exist in Preps templates. 

Adding marks to a press sheet layout 

‣ Drag a mark from the Marks list to the press sheet in the 

workspace. 

Marks that you add to a press sheet are placed on all instances of the 

page or pages that you specify, including nonsequential pages. For 

example, if you place a mark on page 1 and a job's press sheet 

includes five pages that are numbered as page 1, then the mark is 

placed on all five pages. 

Checking and editing mark information 

Each mark occupies the area that you specify in its Info properties: 

• For text marks, rectangle marks, and repeating marks, you define 

the height and width of the area. 

• For line marks, you define the start and end points. 

• For custom marks, the size of the mark is predetermined and is 

not editable. However, you can specify the area that a duplicating 

custom mark (color bar) should fill.


Editing a placed mark's information 

1. To enlarge your view and make it easier to select marks, click 

the Zoom tool and click or drag a marquee around the area. 

2. Use the Select tool to select marks using one of these 

methods: 

• To select specific individual marks, click a mark, or press and 

hold SHIFT while clicking multiple marks. 

• To select all placed instances of a mark on the press sheet, in 

the Marks list, right-click the mark and choose Select in 

Sheet. The marks are selected only if the properties of the 

mark in either the Marks list or on the sheet have not been 

edited since the mark was added. 

3. Access the selected mark's Info using one of these methods: 

• Double-click the mark in the workspace. 

• From the Edit menu, choose Get Info. 

4. Edit the properties as needed. 

Editing a mark file's Info 

1. In the Marks list, right-click a mark. 

2. Choose Edit to display the mark's Info. 

3. Edit the properties, as needed. 

4. Click Save to save your changes to the SMK file that is stored in 

the Marks folder. 

Removing individual marks from the press sheet 

1. On the press sheet, select the mark or marks to be removed. 

2. Press DELETE to remove the marks from the current press sheet. 

Removing all instances of one mark on a sheet 

1. In the Marks list, select and right-click a mark. 

2. Choose Remove From Sheet to remove all instances of this mark 

from only the current press sheet.

27 

Managing press sheets 

For each job, you create press sheet layouts that provide the 

information needed for making plates. 

Viewing a job's press sheet information 

In the workspace: Basic information about the press sheet that is 

currently open in the workspace appears in a label at the top of the 

sheet. This label indicates the press sheet number in this job, its work 

style, and whether you are working on the front or the back side of the 

sheet. 

In the press sheet list: Below the workspace area, a sequentially 

numbered list provides details about each press sheet in the job, 

including work style, template, job signature, colors, stock, and media. 

Before you add anything to a new layout, the press sheet list displays 

the default values for the first press sheet. The list is updated as soon 

as you add a press sheet or change the layout information for a press 

sheet. 

You can use this list to switch the display between press sheets, 

change work styles, or edit signature names. 

Adding press sheets to a job 

Adding a new press sheet 

A job can require multiple press sheet layouts, and each layout can be 

unique or identical to other layouts in the job. 

1. From the Job menu, choose New Sheet. 

2. Add the resources that define the press sheet size. Drag a resource 

to a position, or double-click it to add it in its default position. 

Adding a sheet that is based on the current layout 

‣ From the Job menu, choose New Sheet.


Adding a sheet that is based on another sheet 

1. In the press sheet list, select the sheet that you want to copy. 

2. From the Job menu, choose Duplicate Sheet. (Shortcut: 

COMMAND/CTRL+D) 

Removing a press sheet from a job 

‣ In the press sheet list, select the sheet and press DELETE. This 

cannot be undone. 

Viewing and editing sheet margins 

1. To be able to see the distance measurements, from the View 

menu, choose Show Dimensions. 

2. In the View menu, choose Show Pages if you want to see page-tosheet 

edge distances. 

3. Optionally clear the selection of Show Marks to simplify your view. 

4. To be able to view or edit a distance of an object, activate its 

margin measurement text boxes using one of these methods: 

• To display all sheet-based distances, click any empty area on 

the press sheet. The distances between the sheet edges and 

the media edges become editable. 

• To display the margin distances around a specific page, click 

the page. The distances become editable. 

• To display the distances between the sheet edge and media 

edge, click an empty area on either object. The distances 

become editable. 

5. Edit the distance values as needed. 

The value is updated as soon as you move the cursor out of the text 

box, by either pressing TAB or by clicking anywhere else in the 

workspace. 

• If the job is sheetwise, it flips on a vertical axis—the grip edge still 

appears at the bottom. 

• If the job is perfecting, the press sheet is flipped on its horizontal 

axis—your view of the grip edge position changes.

29 

Final steps for a job 

Final steps in every job include saving the job and its template file and 

printing the output. 

When you save a job, it is saved with a .job file name extension, and it 

can be opened, previewed, and edited in Preps Ganging, Preps Plus, 

or Preps Pro. The job's template file, which contains its layout 

information, is stored in a file with the same name as the job, with a 

.tpl file name extension. You can also save a copy of the template 

under a different name, for reuse in other jobs. 

Depending on how you build the press sheet layouts in a job, the job 

template that is automatically saved in the Templates folder can be 

based on any number of templates. It contains or points to one 

signature per press sheet layout. 

You can print selected press sheets or sides or the entire job to the 

connected printer or to an output file type (PDF, PostScript, JDF, 

PJTF, or PPF). When you print a job, Preps Ganging checks that you 

have specified a stock and media for each press sheet in the output. 

Printing the output 

Update note: Preps Ganging 5.3.2 adds the ability to configure 

devices (media sizes) and to set a full range of preference and print 

options, without using the Preps Plus or Pro software. For detailed 

information about setting those options, see the Preps Help. 

The following procedure applies to the Preps Ganging 5.3.1 Print 

dialog box. 

1. From the File menu, choose Print. 

2. In the Send to list, select the output type: Printer, PDF, PS 

(PostScript), JDF, PJTF, or PPF. 

3. In the Press Sheet options area, specify the sheets that you want 

to print: All, Current sheet, or Sheet Range. 

4. In the Sides list, choose whether to print the fronts or backs of the 

specified sheets, or both. The default is both Front and Back. 

5. Click Print. 

6. In the Select output location dialog box, specify a file name and 

choose a location for the output. 

7. Click OK.


Saving a job template for reuse 

1. Create a Preps Ganging job with new, unique press sheet layouts 

that you will want to reuse. 

2. From the File menu, choose Save As Template. 

3. Give the template a different name that makes its purpose easy to 

identify. It is helpful to maintain a consistent naming structure. 

4. Choose a location within the Templates folder for the new 

template. 

5. Click Save to store the new layouts in this template and 

immediately add the template to the Templates list. 

Saving and closing a job 

1. From the File menu, choose Save or Save As. The default location 

is the same folder that was used for the last save. 

2. Accept or change the location. For Save As, you can also accept or 

change the default file name. 

3. Click Save. 

4. From the File menu, choose Close to clear the workspace, file list, 

and press sheet list.

31 

Useful information 

This section summarizes various tips and shortcuts. 

General things to know 

This list summarizes some general things to know as you work with 

the Preps Ganging software. 

Aspect 

Shortcuts 

Distance measurements 

Tips 

You can print the lists of various shortcuts in this section, and keep them 

handy until you are familiar with the ones that are most important to you. 

The display of distance measurements in the workspace depends on your 

Preferences settings and your selections in the View menu. Additional 

information is available in an Info dialog box, such as Template Page Info. 

When you enable viewing of distances or dimensions, lines are displayed 

that connect the points being measured, and text boxes display the 

distance values. Most text boxes become editable after you click the 

applicable page. Others, such as template page dimensions, can be 

edited only in an Info dialog box. 

Measurements that are not in an editable state appear in 

dimmed text boxes with no borders. 

A blue border around a measurement text box indicates that it 

can currently be edited. 

Drag and snap 

Double-clicking an 

object in the workspace 

Double-clicking an 

object in the resource 

lists 

Removing versus 

deleting objects 

The snap feature helps you accurately and quickly place a page with the 

correct distance between adjacent pages. If you drag a page and release 

the mouse when the page is close to another page on the press sheet, it 

automatically snaps to the adjacent page. The way that the pages are 

separated when snapping depends on the Preferences Snap option that 

you choose. 

Opens an Info dialog box of properties 

Automatically places that object (media, stock, mark, or template)in the 

workspace in its default position 

There is a difference, even though you might use the DELETE button for 

either of these actions. Remove generally means to take an item out of 

the workspace but retain it in the file or resource lists, while delete can 

mean to make it permanently unavailable.


Aspect 

DELETE versus 

OPTION/ALT+DELETE to 

remove a page 

Other Preps software 

Transparency vs 

flipping 

Press sheet resources 

versus templates 

Tips 

If you want to remove a content page as well as its template page, select 

the page and press DELETE. To remove a content page without removing 

its template page, select the content page and press OPTION/ALT+DELETE. 

Individual pages within groups cannot be deleted. However, you can use 

OPTION/ALT+drag to replace just one page with a different file list page. 

Update note: See the Preps 5.3.2 Release Notes about the revised 

relationship between Preps Pro and Preps Ganging software. 

• Templates that you create in Preps Ganging can also be used in 

Preps Plus or Pro. 

• In Preps Ganging, you can use and edit template signatures that 

were created in Preps Plus or Pro if they contain independent 

pages only and do not contain folded impositions. 

• You can use Preps Plus or Pro to review and edit the run list of a 

Preps Ganging job. 

You can use a transparency slider to check how the pages on the front 

and back align, or you can use the Flip tool to work on the other side of a 

two-sided sheet. 

You can base any press sheet in a job on either an existing template 

signature layout or on selected resources, and you can switch the media 

or stock resource for a press sheet without removing pages. 

Menu shortcuts 

For some actions, you can use shortcut keystrokes instead of menus. 

For example, instead of using the Objects menu to group selected 

objects, you can press these two keys: COMMAND+G (Mac OS) or 

CTRL+G (Windows). To ungroup, you add the SHIFT key to the 

keystroke sequence. 

In procedural topics in this guide, the shortcut keystrokes are spelled 

out, and corresponding Mac OS and Windows keys are typically 

paired. The table of shortcuts in this section uses symbols and 

abbreviations to represent the keyboard command keys: 

Action Spelled-out shortcut Symbol version of 

Menu version of action 

shortcut 

To group selected 

COMMAND/CTRL+G /CTRL+G Objects menu > Group 

objects: 

To ungroup: SHIFT+COMMAND/CTRL+G + /CTRL+G Objects menu > 

Ungroup

33 

To do this: 

*Select all 

same-type 

objects 

*Select all 

objects 

Add files 

Copy 

Duplicate 

*Flip the 

sheet 

*Group 

*Ungroup 

Get Info 

*Lock 

*Unlock 

First do 

this: 

Select an 

object 

Open or 

start a 

job 

Select an 

object 

Select an 

object 

Set up a 

press 

sheet 

Select 

pages 

Select a 

page 

group 

Select 

page or 

mark 

Select a 

page 

Select a 

locked 

page 

Symbols used in the following table include: 

• Mac OS keys: COMMAND ( ), SHIFT ( ), OPTION ( ), CONTROL ( ) 

• Windows keys: CTRL, SHIFT ( ), ALT, ESC 

Then press: 

Mac Windows And 

CTRL 

CTRL 

A 

A 

^+ ALT+CTRL A 

CTRL 

CTRL 

CTRL 

C 

D 

F 

Description 

Selects all objects of the same type as the currently 

selected object. 

When nothing is selected, all objects of all types are 

selected. 

Opens a dialog box for you to locate and select files to 

add to the job 

Copies and pastes the copy of the currently selected 

object. Selecting a page opens the Step & Repeat dialog 

box. 

Displays the opposite side of the press sheet and makes 

it available for editing 

CTRL G Places multiple selected pages into a group 

+ +CTRL G Ungroups the selected page group 

CTRL 

CTRL 

I 

L 

+ +CTRL L 

Displays the Info properties for the selected pages or 

marks 

Locks the selected page in its current position on the 

press sheet and adds a lock icon to the page 

Removes the lock symbol and makes the selected page 

available for repositioning 

Minimize CTRL M Reduces the window size to minimum 

Start a new 

job 

Save 

current 

job 

CTRL 

Open a job CTRL O 

N 

Clears the file list, press sheet list, and workspace; 

resets the transparency slider to zero 

Displays a dialog box for locating and selecting an 

existing job 

Print CTRL P Displays the Print dialog box 

Quit CTRL Q Closes the Preps Ganging software 

Save this job CTRL S Saves the current job and job template


To do this: 

Save this job 

as... 

*Insert a new 

sheet 

*Duplicate 

this sheet 

First do 

this: 

Select a 

sheet 

Then press: 


+ +CTRL S 

Description 

Displays a dialog box for specifying the file name and 

location 

CTRL T Inserts a new press sheet into the job 

+ +CTRL T 

Adds a copy of the selected sheet in the press sheet list 

(the current sheet is the default), minus any content that 

was placed on the original sheet 

Paste CTRL V Places the copied or cut objects in the workspace 

Close job 

Cut 

Save 

current 

job 

Select an 

object 

Undo CTRL Z 

Redo + +CTRL Z 

*Display 

Media 

*Display 

Stock 

*Display 

Marks 

*Display 

Templates 

Zooming 

CTRL W Closes the current job 

CTRL X Copies the selected item and removes the original 

CTRL 1 

CTRL 2 

CTRL 3 

CTRL 4 

Reverses the last action that you performed, if it is an 

action that can be undone 

Reapplies the last action that you undid, if it can be 

redone 

Brings the selected list tab to the foreground in the 

Resource lists area 

*Zoom in 

*Zoom out 

Select an 

object 

Select an 

object 

CTRL 

CTRL 

Fit in window CTRL 0 

*View @ 

100% 

Aligning objects 

Align left 

Align top 

Align right 

Select an 

object 

Select 

objects 

Select 

objects 

Select 

objects 

+ ALT+CTRL 0 

PLUS 

(+) 

MINUS 

(-) 

Increases the view of the selected area or objects. If 

nothing is selected, zooms the entire workspace. 

Decreases the view of the selected area or objects. If 

nothing is selected, zooms the entire workspace. 

Fits the workspace to the window, including any items 

that are not on the sheet 

Displays the selected object at its actual dimensions. If 

nothing is selected, displays the press sheet at its actual 

dimensions, centered in the workspace. 

Moves multiple selected pages to the alignment that is 

indicated by the arrow direction. For example, using the 

left arrow causes all the left edges of all the selected 

pages to align with the left-most page or a selected, 

locked page.

35 

To do this: 

Align bottom 

First do 

this: 

Select 

objects 

Then press: 


Changing the order of overlapping objects 

Bring to front 

Bring forward 

Send 

backward 

Send to back 

Select an 

object 

Select an 

object 

Select an 

object 

Select an 

object 

Other keyboard symbol shortcuts 

Description 

+ ALT+CTRL ] Places a selected page or mark on top of other objects 

CTRL ] 

+ ALT+CTRL [ 

CTRL [ 

Places a selected page or mark on top of the object that 

was directly over it 

Places a selected page or mark under an object that is 

directly under it 

Places a selected page or mark at the bottom of other 

objects 

View or set preferences CTRL , (comma) Displays the Preferences dialog box 

Help CTRL ? 

Displays the user documentation for this software. (Note 

that you also need to press in order to access the 

?.) 

*Display next sheet + +CTRL > Displays the next sheet in the jobs press sheet list 

*Display previous sheet + +CTRL < Displays the previous sheet in the jobs press sheet list 

* Indicates a command key sequence unique to Preps Ganging. All other commands are standard to 

the operating system. 

Other shortcuts 

This table summarizes various other shortcuts that use just the keyboard, just the mouse, or 

both. Whenever the Mac OS and Windows shortcuts require differently named command 

keys, both key names are given, separated by a slash (MACOSKEYNAME/WINDOWSKEYNAME). 

For example, to duplicate an object, the shortcut is COMMAND/CTRL+drag. This means that 

you press and hold COMMAND (Mac OS key) or CTRL (Windows key) while you use the mouse 

to drag and place a new copy of the original object. 

Note: In these shortcuts, a plus sign is used to mean the word and—it does not mean to 

press the PLUS (+) key.


To achieve this: Do this: Description 

Viewing and selecting items 

Select multiple items 

Zoom in and out 

SHIFT+click the items, or 

drag a marquee around 

them 

Roll the mouse wheel. 

Allows you to click multiple pages or marks or drag a 

marquee around them to select them all 

Increases or decreases the zoom as you roll the mouse 

wheel toward or away from you 

Pan the press sheet SPACEBAR+drag sheet Moves the press sheet in the same way as the Pan tool 

Editing properties 

Edit distance values 

Edit a placed page 

Edit a placed mark 

Edit an existing stock 

or mark file 

Moving items 

Move a page along 

its axis 

Nudge an item 

Override the snap 

behavior 

Replacing items 

Replacing a content 

page 

Replace content on 

only one of multiple 

same-numbered 

template pages 

Click the item in the 

workspace and edit its 

distance text boxes 

Double-click a page in the 

workspace. 

Double-click a mark in the 

workspace. 

Right-click the item in the 

Stock or Marks list 

SHIFT+drag a page 

Select the item and use the 

arrow keys: 

or or or 

COMMAND/CTRL+drag a page 

Drag a new page onto the 

old page 

OPTION/ALT+drag a page 

Distances between a particular page, mark, or sheet and 

its adjacent items become editable after you select it in 

the workspace. 

Opens an Info dialog box, with separate tabs for Content 

Page and Template Page properties 

Opens an Info dialog box of mark properties 

Displays a menu from which you can choose Edit to 

display an Info dialog box of properties 

Moves a page to a position that is on either the x or y axis 

of its original position. If you move the page diagonally, it 

snaps to its nearest original axis. 

Moves the selected, unlocked page or mark in the 

direction of the arrow 

Allows you to drag and place pages without regard to 

snap settings. When you release the mouse, the page 

remains exactly where it is instead of snapping to the 

nearest available grid line. 

When a recycle symbol appears on the page that is under 

the page that you are dragging and you release the 

mouse, replaces that page and any other page on the 

press sheet that has the same template number. Retains 

the original template page properties for each replaced 

page. 

Replaces only the page with a recycling symbol on it, 

even if it is in a group. Does not affect any other pages 

with the same template page number. Assigns the next 

available template page number to the new page. Works 

only for pages dragged from the file list.

37 

To achieve this: Do this: Description 

Replace a stock or 

media in the 

workspace 

Replace a template 

in the workspace 

Replace placeholder 

with content 

Creating duplicates 

Step and repeat 

Duplicate a page 

Duplicate a press 

sheet in the list 

Deleting pages 

Double-click the new item 

in the Stock or Media list 

Double-click the new 

template signature in the 

Templates list 

Select file list placeholder > 

Job menu > Replace File 

Placeholder 

Select page > 

COMMAND/CTRL+D 

OPTION/ALT+drag 

Press sheet list > select a 

sheet > COMMAND/CTRL+D 

Replaces the corresponding item in the workspace 

without removing any placed pages 

Removes any placed pages and replaces the existing 

layout resources or template in the workspace. Messages 

provide guidance if needed, such as to ask whether to 

keep the existing media or use the device media of the 

new template signature. 

Replaces the file placeholder with content. If the new file 

is larger or smaller than the placeholder, a message asks 

you what to do with the extra pages in the larger file. 

Displays dialog box of step-and-repeat options 

Creates a copy of the original page and places it where 

you release the mouse. The original object remains in its 

original position. 

Inserts a duplicate of the selected press sheet into the 

press sheet list and displays the layout without any 

content 

Delete entire page DELETE Deletes the selected template page and its content 

Remove only the 

content 

OPTION/ALT+DELETE 

Removes only the selected content page and not its 

template page. If used on a page group, removes all the 

content pages and retains the template pages.


Toolbar shortcuts 

To do this: Use this tool: For these tasks: 

Point and click or drag 

Select 

Selecting pages on the press sheet and 

selecting marks on the press sheet 

Pan to a different view 

Pan 

Moving your view of the press sheet 

Zoom in 

Zoom 

Zooming in and out 

Step and repeat a 

selected page 

Step & Repeat 

Stepping and repeating pages 

Display distances 

between objects 

Dimensions 

Viewing and editing the layout dimensions 

Preview page content 

Preview 

Previewing and hiding the content 

Rotate a selected page 

Rotate 

Changing the page orientation or rotating only 

the content of a page. 

Group or ungroup 

selected pages 

Group 

Grouping and ungrouping selected pages 

Ungroup 

Flip the press sheet view 

Flip 

Flipping to the back of a two-sided sheet 

Adjust the transparency 

Transparency 

Adjusting the press sheet transparency 

Align selected pages 

Align 

Aligning pages

Eastman Kodak Company 

343 State Street 

Rochester, NY 14650 U.S.A. 

© Kodak, 2008. All rights reserved. 

TM: Kodak 

To learn more about solutions from Kodak, visit 

http://graphics.kodak.com/. 

Subject to technical change without notice.

Preps Ganging - Kodak

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