Master Your Imposition: A Beginner's Guide to Kodak Preps 8 Imposition is often seen as the "dark art" of prepress, but Kodak Preps 8
makes it more of a science than a mystery. Whether you're laying out a 500-page case-bound book or a simple 8-page booklet, Preps 8 provides a flexible, interactive workspace to get the job done accurately.
This tutorial breaks down the essential workflow to help you move from a blank screen to a press-ready PDF. 1. Navigating the Interface
The Preps 8 interface is designed for high-speed scannability with three main task-based views: Pages View:
Use this to set up your run lists, preview individual PDF pages, and adjust trim boxes. Press Runs View:
This is your primary workspace for creating and editing the actual sheetfed or web press runs. Assembly View:
Ideal for complex, multi-part jobs, allowing you to manage the overall structure of your product. 2. Setting Up Your Resources
Before you can build a layout, you need to define your "ingredients" in the
Select the target output device (e.g., CTP or digital press).
Define your paper size. For example, if you're printing a magazine, you might set a stock size like 70x100 cm.
Add critical production marks like crop marks, fold marks, and collation marks. 3. The Core Workflow: Step-by-Step For most standard jobs, follow this logical sequence: Create a New Job: File > New Add Input Files: Drag your customer PDF files into the Define Your Imposition: In the Press Runs view, select Job > Create Imposition
. Here, you specify the page grid—such as 4 pages across and 2 down—and the binding style. Apply a Fold Pattern:
Choose a pre-defined fold pattern (like JDF or MBU) that matches how the sheet will be folded in the finishing department. Add Smart Marks:
Right-click your press run to apply marks. In Preps 8, "Smart Marks" dynamically adjust their position based on the sheet or page size. 4. Advanced Tricks for Pro Users Step and Repeat:
Use this functionality to maximize press sheet efficiency and minimize waste for ganged flat work like flyers or business cards. Shingle (Creep) Compensation:
For thick saddle-stitched booklets, use Preps to automatically move inner pages toward the binding area. This prevents content from being trimmed off during the final face trim. Multi-Web Imposition: kodak preps 8 tutorial
Preps 8 supports complex web offset production, allowing you to create layouts for single or multiple webs simultaneously. 5. Finalizing Your Output
Once your layout is perfect, save the job. You can then print the output as a PDF or JDF file, which is ready to be sent to your CTP device or digital printer. If it’s a layout you’ll use again, save it as a to save hours on future projects. Booklet Imposition Made Easy with Kodak Preps!
The fluorescent lights of the lithography lab hummed, a low-frequency buzz that usually lulled Junior Prepress Tech Mike to sleep. But tonight, the hum was the soundtrack to a panic.
Mike stared at the monitor. The imposing clock on the wall read 11:45 PM. The client, a high-end art book publisher, needed the imposition files for a 200-page perfect-bound book by 8:00 AM the next morning. The printer was waiting. If Mike missed the deadline, the press slot would be lost, and his boss, the grizzled print veteran Hank, would likely use Mike as a guinea pig for the new paper cutter.
"I did the math," Mike whispered to himself, sweat beading on his forehead. "Page one is right, page two is left... but why is the pagination backward on the flats?"
He clicked frantically through the menus of Kodak Preps 8, the industry standard for imposition. He had used older versions before, but Preps 8 had a new interface, sleek and modern, and Mike was lost in the digital woods.
"Come on," he muttered, trying to drag a page onto a signature. The software threw a warning: Sequence Mismatch.
Mike dropped his head into his hands. He needed a miracle. Or, at the very least, a very specific manual.
Then he remembered the unlabelled flash drive Hank had tossed on his desk a week ago. "Kid," Hank had grunted. "Dig into this if you ever feel like actually learning the trade instead of just pushing buttons."
Mike plugged the drive in. A single folder appeared: PREPS_8_MASTERY.
He double-clicked. It wasn’t a dry PDF manual. It was a video file, dated three years prior.
The video window opened. It was a screen recording with Hank’s voice—surprisingly calm and articulate—narrating.
"Welcome to the Preps 8 tutorial," Hank’s voice crackled through the speakers. "If you're watching this, you're probably stuck, or you're Hank from the past reminding future Hank how to fix a screw-up."
Mike hit play.
"Lesson One: The JDF Workflow and Smart Marks." Master Your Imposition: A Beginner's Guide to Kodak
Mike watched, mesmerized. On the screen, Hank wasn’t just guessing; he was building a foundation. He explained how Preps 8 handled JDF (Job Definition Format) files differently than Preps 7. Mike realized he had been importing his files incorrectly from the start. He had been treating a digital file like a static piece of film.
"Always define the creep first," Video-Hank instructed. "Don't let the software guess your binding. Preps 8 is smart, but it's not a mind reader. If you're perfect binding, you need to account for the spine thickness."
Mike paused the video. He went to his imposition settings. He had left the binding type as "Saddle Stitch" — the default. He changed it to "Perfect Bound" and entered the calculated spine width.
Suddenly, the pagination on his screen shifted. The odd-numbered pages snapped to the right, the evens to the left. The Sequence Mismatch error vanished.
"Okay," Mike breathed, a glimmer of hope returning. "That’s half the battle."
He unpaused the video. "Lesson Four: Custom Marks and Templates."
Mike’s current template was a mess. He had manually drawn crop marks, which were shifting every time he resized the sheet.
"Stop drawing lines," Video-Hank scolded, as if he could see Mike. "Use the Smart Marks palette. Preps 8 allows you to define dynamic marks that attach to the page geometry, not the sheet coordinates."
Mike navigated to the Marks tab. He had ignored it before, intimidated by the grid of options. Following the tutorial, he dragged a "Dynamic Registration Mark" onto the root of the signature.
instantly, the chaotic mess of lines aligned perfectly on every page of the 16-page signature. It was geometric sorcery.
"Finally," the video continued, "Let's talk about the Export. The Ganging Feature."
Mike looked at his sheet layout. He had two empty spots on the flat. Usually, he would leave them blank, wasting expensive paper.
"You're leaving money on the table," Video-Hank said. "Use the Auto-Gang feature. Import a smaller job—like a business card or flyer—into the voids. Preps 8 will calculate the spacing automatically."
Mike didn't have a smaller job, but he realized he could duplicate the book cover to run alongside the text pages for a proof. He followed the steps: Edit > Auto-Gang. He selected the cover PDF.
The software hummed for a second, then populated the empty space with the cover, perfectly aligned and centered, with its own set of smart marks. Soft proof : Zoom in and check page
Mike checked the clock. 1:15 AM.
He had hours to spare.
He ran the Preflight. No errors. Trapping was applied correctly. Bleeds were sufficient. He exported the high-resolution PDFs and generated the JDF ticket for the CTP (Computer-to-Plate) machine.
Just as the progress bar hit 100%, the lab door creaked open.
Hank walked in, holding a lukewarm cup of coffee. He looked at the screen, then at the flash drive sticking out of the USB port, and finally at Mike.
"Cutting it close, kid?" Hank asked, though his voice lacked its usual edge.
"Actually, no," Mike said, pulling the drive out. "I finished early. Used your tutorial. The Auto-Gang feature saved the sheet."
Hank raised an eyebrow. He walked over to the monitor, squinting at the imposed flats. He saw the perfect binding creep adjustment. He saw the dynamic registration marks. He saw the cover ganged into the white space.
"You watched the whole thing?" Hank asked.
"The important parts," Mike said. "You're a good teacher, Hank."
Hank grunted, picking up his coffee. "Don't let it go to your head. The real test is when the paper jams." He turned to leave, then paused at the door. "There's a folder on there called 'Preps 8 Advanced Scripting.' Watch that before next week. We got a die-cut box job coming in that’s going to be a nightmare."
Mike smiled, watching the files transfer to the print server. He wasn't just a button-pusher anymore. He was an impositor. And thanks to Preps 8, he was going to get some sleep.
Under Final Size:
Pro Tip: Save this configuration as a Template (File > Save as Template) named "Letter_8.5x11_Saddle."