Product Tab

The first screen that you see when you finish creating an Estimate is the Product Specification, in the Product tab.

The Product tab is where you define the product that you are going to estimate; that is, you are going to enter information such as how many components the product has, their size, material type, and colors used. It is based on these data that the system can calculate the Engineering and provide the Estimate's cost details.

There are several ways and fields to input information in this screen, which highly depend on the type of product that you are estimating. You will see some specific guides in the iQuote Online Help explaining how to estimate certain products, but we explain below some of the basic knowledge that you should have about how to use the features and buttons in this screen.

Note: The Product tab screen from the Job and Product Specification records work in the same way as in the Estimate. Thus, there are more than one way of accessing the product specification.

 

The Product Diagram

The area to the left of the Product tab displays a diagram of the product that you are estimating. In this diagram, you can:

See all the Products, which are also known as "final products". They represent what you will deliver to your customer at the end of the process, such as a book, magazine, or mail package. The product is also where you define the final quantity of the Estimate, and all the components linked to it automatically inherit this same quantity. The product is also a component.

See the Components, which are smaller parts of the product. For example, a book product is composed of the cover and the text components. The components can also have more than one level, where a component is composed of another component.

See and edit the Associations (if any). The association is a way for you to build a layout with two or more components that use the same substrate, so that you can print them in the same sheet, avoiding waste.

Note: For more information on how to use Associations, see Using Components Association.

Add and delete any product, component, and/or association.

Review, reorder, add, or edit any relationship between the products, components, and/or associations. To create a relationship between the components, drag one component and drop it on top of another.

Tip: Drag the separation between the diagram area and the product specification area in order to accommodate the visualization to one that best fits your computer screen.

See a few diagram examples from different Estimates:

 

It is important to note that the system takes into consideration the order of the components in the diagram, since there are some cases where, for example, the components are required to be of the same size or smaller than the first component.

You can also delete the link between components, by hovering your mouse over the line and clicking on the delete icon that appears. The system releases the component from the relationship, and it becomes a product.

Moreover, you can edit each component in a few ways. For that, you just need to click on it to select the component and open its Specification screen or to open the options, as explained in Editing A Component.

 

Editing A Component

When you click on the component, the system displays some options for you to edit the component, depending on the component selected. They allow you to better specify the component, provide you with some short cuts for creating new products and components, and detail how the component is configured, among other options.

 

Note: Icons

The system indicates with an exclamation icon when there is some sort of inconsistency in one of the product components:

The pin icon demonstrates that you fixed the component's layout.

The circle with a number displays the number of versions that a component has. The example below has four versions:

The two pages icon demonstrates that you have defined the component's signature details:

 

Add Component

You can use this button to add a new child component to your product or component. When you click on it, the system shows a list of all the active Specification Component Types that exist in your environment, which you must have previously set up in your database.

 

Add Characteristic

You can use the Add Characteristic button to add a new characteristic to the selected component. For that, select one of the available characteristics in the Add Characteristic window that opens when you click the button.

The system displays as options only the Specification Characteristic Types that you have previously set up in the Specification Component Type associated with this component, as explained in the Specification Component Types topic.

Other than that, you can see the customized component name (which you can define in the estimate) and the component name as defined in the database (i.e., the Specification Component Type name) on the top of the window.

After you select the characteristic, you must provide the required details. As each one has its own configuration, see Specification Characteristic Types for more information.

 

Composition

The Composition button opens a window that displays a list of the child components linked to the selected component. Click the new button to create a new link between an existing component that did not have a relationship and the selected component, which is an alternative to the Drag & Drop system that you can use directly on the diagram.

See below a description of the fields in this window.

Component: the name of the available components.

Aggregation Type: use this field to define how the system should aggregate the child component with the product: fixed in the spine (i.e., fixed with the product), inserted in the product (e.g., a loose flyer), or wrap-around the product. This field is only available if the selected component has a composition characteristic, such as the Perfect Binding, Case Binding, Spiral Binding, Loose Leaf, Kit assembly, etc.

Note: You can configure the aggregation options in the Specification Characteristic Type record (navigate to Specification Characteristic Type > select a characteristic > Edit Characteristic Info).

Independent Production: select this check box if the system must produce this component independently. That is, the engineering calculates another process to make the component and only assembles it with the product in the end.

Order: this field displays the components' order in the diagram. You can change the items order by clicking the up the down arrows on the Composed By grid. By doing this, you are able to define the order of the components that make up your Estimate’s final product.

 

Composition Detail

This button opens the Composition Detail window, which displays more details of what composes the component selected and allows further configuration, such as the consumption by version and page numbering.

You can use the field in the Component area to alternate between different product versions and the components related to the product but note that only versioned components and the components that have a child component will appear as an option. Moreover, virtual components only appear in the table, when you select the component that it is part of.

Note: For more information about versioning, see Creating product versions.

See below a description of the fields and buttons in this window.

Component: it displays the name of the component that is part of the product/component selected in the Component area.

Version: it displays which version of the component is being used in the component selected in the Component area.

Factor: this field represents the factor/ratio of this component compared to the final product, and it is mostly used when you want to insert more than one or less than one component in each final product. However, by default it is a "1.0" factor, which means that there is one unit of the component for every final product.

Note: Example
Imagine that you want to send a credit card billing statement where everyone receives the same envelope and marketing brochure, but each person might receive a different number of “pages” in their billing statement, depending on how many transactions there are in their credit card this month. In this case, the total number of envelopes might be less than the number of pages that you need to print. For that, you would use the Factor field.

Qty: it displays the component's total quantity that compose the final product. By default, the system applies the same quantity from the final product to the component(s), but it can change depending on if you use the Factor field or manually overwrite the quantity.

Lock Qty: if this checkbox is not selected, the system automatically recalculates the quantity of the component(s) every time that you manually change the final product's quantity. If you select it, the defined quantity does not change.

Note: If you manually change the quantity or apply a factor to the component, the system automatically selects the Lock Qty checkbox related to it.

Aggregation Type: use this field to define how the system should aggregate the child component with the product: fixed in the spine (i.e., fixed with the product), inserted in the product (e.g., a loose flyer), or wrap-around the product. It is only available if the selected component has a composition characteristic, such as the Perfect Binding, Case Binding, Spiral Binding, Loose Leaf, Kit assembly, etc.

Note: You can configure the aggregation options in the Specification Characteristic Type record (navigate to Specification Characteristic Type > select a characteristic > Edit Characteristic Info).

Pages: this field displays the number of total pages that the component has.

Order: this field displays the components' order in the diagram. Note that, for mailing products, the envelope must be the first one unless you are using an alternate carrier.

Numbering: define if the pages are numbered or not.

Page Numbering: use this field to manually define which page numbers each component will have in the final product. For example, you can define that the cover will be "1-2, 35-36" (i.e., the first and last pages). This field is not available for mailing products. 

Pocket Number: assign a pocket number for each of the components. This feature is used, for example, when the product has more than one component version and you need to define how the system should combine the different versions with the other component(s) in the saddle stitching machine. This field is not available for mailing products. 

 

Mailing Products fields

Mailing products have some exclusive fields that the system displays only when the related component uses the Envelope Inserter characteristic. See their description below:

Part-Inventory Item: it displays the part-inventory item number that has been assigned to this component/version. This field updates automatically when you create a Job for this Estimate, and the system creates the items.

Flies Pkg: you can use this checkbox to indicate that the variable data in this component contains the address information that the postal services use to deliver the final product. 

Note: Example
In a scenario where the final product is an envelope mailing with a letter inside, imagine that the address is printed on the letter, which is then inserted into the envelope. If the envelope has a window, the postal system can see it and can deliver the envelope to the correct address. In this case, the “Letter” component would have the Flies Pkg checkbox selected.
If the envelope does not have a window, then the address must be printed on the envelope. In this case, the “Envelope” component would have the Flies Pkg checkbox selected.

Personalized: the system automatically selects this column when the component has the Variable Data characteristic, such as when you add the recipient's name on the cover.

Selective Insert: you can use this field to define if the system should insert this component into some, but not all of the final products. For example, if you select this check box and then enter "0,5" in the Factor field, then only 50% of the customers will receive the component. 

Note: there are some cases where you are not able to use only the Factor field, as some inserting equipment may not be capable of dynamically inserting or not inserting a specific component into each envelope. Moreover, the machines may process the mailing in a way that each envelope that needs a different insert would run as a separate run on an inserter that does not have dynamic selective insert capabilities.

Note: If you change the Factor or the Qty fields, the system automatically selects the Selective Insert field and it becomes read-only. You will not be able to deselect the Selective Insert in this situation.
If you change the Factor field back to 1 and the Qty to the same quantity that the Engineering calculated, the system deselects the Selective Insert field and makes it editable again. However, you can still enforce the selective insert by selecting the field manually. 

Input State: this field indicates in which state the component is in when the consolidation process to form the final product begins. You can use it as a quality check process for the production operators, to make sure that the "current state" of each component is correctly and completely processed prior to being assembled. 

Note: Examples of typical input states
•    Static / Generic – it indicates that there should be no variable data on this component as it enters the assembly process. Thus, the operator does not need to keep this component in a specific order for postal presort reasons, or if one of these components is damaged during the assembly/inserting process, it can be replaced easily with another piece of the same generic component, as opposed to having to “re-personalize” that component with any specific variable/personalization data.
•    Live Data / Pre-Personalized – it indicates that there is variable data personalization on this component as it enters the assembly process. Thus, the operator must keep this component in a specific order for postal presort reasons, and if this component is damaged during the assembly/inserting process, it must be replaced with a specifically “re-personalized” piece.
•    Generic - Personalize Inline – it indicates that there is no variable data on this component as it enters the assembly process, but it will get variable data applied inline during the assembly process. Thus, the operator does not have to keep this component in a specific order as it enters the assembly process. However, if this component is damaged during the assembly/inserting process, it must be re-processed through the assembly process (and any other pre-personalized components in this package must be either salvaged or re-printed) and then re-assembled with a clean generic piece of this component and then again personalized inline.

Match Information: this field indicates the specific production process and quality control procedures that should be enforced during the assembly process. It is often used when more than one component has variable data/personalization, so that it is critical that each component in the final product has matching variable data throughout the components.

Note: Examples of typical match information
•    No Match – there is only one component in the final component that has variable data, so no matching is necessary. For example, a postcard with an inkjet address.
•    Read/Write 2 Way Match – this indicates that two components have variable data in the final product, where one of them carries the pre-imaged variable data and the other is dynamically imaged during the assembly process to match that data on the pre-personalized piece. For example, imagine that a pre-personalized letter must be inserted into an envelope without window, so the address must be printed on the outside of the envelope. In this case, a camera is used to read the variable data on the letter as it passes through the inserter, then the inkjet head on the inserter dynamically sprays the variable data on the envelope that matches the data for the corresponding letter.
•    Camera Match 2 Way – this indicates that all variable data has already been applied to any or all the applicable components as they enter the assembly process. A camera, or scanner matching process, must be used to image each component to look for any mismatches in the variable data between components and stop the machine if necessary, so that the operator can correct the sequencing and get the matching process back in synch.

Notes: use this field to add notes to the component. 

 

Buttons:

Automatic Numbering: use this button to allow the system to fill in the Page Numbering field automatically. You just need to inform the number where the paging begins, and the system calculates the numbering based on the product's specification.

Note: the page numbering changes according to the signature type. For example, there is a difference between how the perfect bind and the saddle stitch are numbered. The image below references a saddle stitch numbering:

Clear Numbering: erase all entries in the Page Numbering field.

Lock All Quantities: click this button to automatically lock all quantities.

Unlock All Quantities: click this button to automatically unlock all quantities.

Delete: select one of the component lines and click the delete button to erase it.

Up and Down Arrows: select one of the component lines and click these buttons to reorder the components.

 

Used By

This button opens the Used By window, which allows you to see and edit which components and/or products the selected component is related to in a child relationship. For example, the "Cover" component is related to the "Bound" product:

See below a description of the fields in this window.

Component: the name of the component or product.

Aggregation Type: use this field to define how the system should aggregate the child component with the product: fixed in the spine (i.e., fixed with the product), inserted in the product (e.g., a loose flyer), or wrap-around the product. It is only available if the selected component has a composition characteristic, such as the Perfect Binding, Case Binding, Spiral Binding, Loose Leaf, Kit assembly, etc.

Note: You can configure the aggregation options in the Specification Characteristic Type record (navigate to Specification Characteristic Type > select a characteristic > Edit Characteristic Info).

Independent Production: select this check box if the system must produce this component independently. That is, the engineering calculates another process to make the component and only assembles it with the product in the end.

Fixed Demand: if you select the Independent Production check box, you can edit this field. It allows you to enter a custom quantity for the component, instead of inheriting the same quantity from the parent component.

Tip: Although you can set this definition in this window, we advise you use the Composition Detail window for that.

Linked With: this field allows you to define the order of the activities related to the component in the engineering or if it is an imposition. 

 

Edit Layout

This button opens the Edit Layout window, where you can define or change some of the component's layout definitions, such as the bleed, margins, gaps, etc.

It displays the product layout's definitions that the Engineering calculates, according to the Specification Characteristics that you use and the Production Group setups. The window also allows you to fix or change any details that you may need to, including the margins and folding scheme. 

The top section of the page provides the following fields for configuration related to the product's folding:

Fix scheme: if you select this field, the system fixes the folding definitions from this window so that the Engineering cannot change them anymore. If you change any of the following fields, the system automatically selects this checkbox.

Folding Scheme: select which folding scheme the system must use for the product. For more information, see Folding Scheme.

Fix Signature Margins: if you select this field, the system fixes the margin values defined in this window so that the Engineering cannot change them anymore. If you change any of the following fields, the system automatically selects this checkbox.

Trimming Top: enter a size for the layout's top trimming.

Trimming Bottom: enter a size for the layout's bottom trimming.

Trimming Right side: enter a size for the layout's trimming on side opposite to the spine.

Bleed: enter a size for the layout's bleed.

Spine: enter a value to define the spine(s) size.

Gathering Flap: define the size of the flap that the machines use in the gathering process. The flap is cut at the end of the process.

Quantity of parallels: use this field to define the quantity of signatures in the same sheet. By using this field, you are telling the system that the machines must fold all the signatures and then cut it.

Parallel Cut: enter a size for the cut between signatures. The system displays this field only when the Quantity of parallels is higher than zero. 

Note: The place (i.e., the column or row) to apply the trimmings, bleed, spine, and gathering flap are defined in the fold schema.

Note: The fields from the top section update all the lines from the layout. Thus, if you change the Spine field's value in a product that has more than one spine, for example, the system updates all of the spines.

In the Layout section, you can define:

Define layout: if you select this field, the system fixes the layout definitions from this window so that the Engineering cannot change them anymore. If you change any of the following fields, the system automatically selects this checkbox.

Printing size: the system automatically updates this field by summing the size that you defined in the product specification with any trimming, bleed, and/or margins that you add in this window.

Elements in horizontal direction: this field allows you to add signatures in the same sheet, in the horizontal direction. By using this field, you are telling the system that the machines must cut all the signatures and then fold it.

Elements in height: this field allows you to add signatures in the same sheet, in the vertical direction. By using this field, you are telling the system that the machines must cut all the signatures and then fold it.

Note: If you define a number for this field, the system discards the best simulation options (as per the setup from the functionality being used) and only calculates the simulations with a set number of repetitions in the layout. In this case, the system only validates if the value that you enter applies to the minimum and maximum values defined in the Cylinder Type configuration from the functionality.

Arrangement: this field defines the layout's position. You can rotate it in 90º, 180º, 270º, or 0º (default).

Imposition: define the imposition for the print process.

One side (front or back)

Front and back

Perfecting

Work and turn

Work and tumble

Top Margin: enter a size for the layout's top margin.

Bottom Margin: enter a size for the layout's bottom margin.

Right Margin: enter a size for the layout's right margin.

Left Margin: enter a size for the layout's left margin.

Zero sheet trim waste: select this checkbox to define that the sheet does not need trimming before the print process.

Every change that you make in the values, the system automatically reproduces in the layout simulation. For example, see below how the simulation changed after editing the Elements in height, the Arrangement and the Margins, when compared to the image above.

 

Gap between elements and gap between pages

The Gap between elements and Gap between pages tables allow you to change the gaps individually so that you can define different values for each vertical or horizontal lines in the layout, overwriting the default parameters from the top section of the page. This is a way for you to differentiate some gaps in the layout, instead of having to apply the same value to all of them.

The tables define, respectively, the gaps that exist between different elements (e.g., product repetitions) and pages of the same element. The system automatically populates the rows in the tables according to the layout defined above, naming the layout lines using V for the vertical ones and H for the horizontal ones, as well as numbers in crescent order according to their position in the layout. For example:

However, it is important to note that if you change the layout's Arrangement, the system does not change the lines' nomenclature. All of them keep their names as if the layout was rotated at 0º.

To change the gap size, you just need to enter a value in the Size column.

 

Signature Detail

This button is only available for Bound components, and it opens the Signature Detail window, where you can:

Click on the Import signatures from engineering button when you first open the window, so that the system loads the signature definitions that the Engineering calculated.

Edit the component's signature configuration, such as the number of pages and layout.

Note that, if necessary, the Engineering can split the total quantity of pages from the signature into smaller booklets (e.g., 5 booklets of 16 pages to build a total of 80 pages). Because of that, the system creates a new line in the Signature Detail window for each booklet that composes the product, creating a different component for them too.

Once you define the signature detail, some buttons are no longer available in the diagram. The Edit Layout and Product Versioning buttons, for example, keep their function but are moved to the Signature Detail window. Moreover, the component obtains a new icon:

 

Product Versioning

This button opens the Versioning window, where you can manage the product's or component's versions.

Note: For more information, see Creating Versioning Products.

 

Duplicate Component

If you need to create a new component that is very similar to one that already exists (i.e., with the same product specification), you can duplicate it by using one of the two available options: Duplicate Component and Duplicate Component Set. The first one duplicates only the component that you selected. The second, allows you to duplicate the selected component and all the components related to it. 

However, note that if the duplicated component has "child" components, the new component will also have the same relationships to the same "child" components.

Note: The system does not duplicate the association, if there is any.

 

Delete Component

Click one of the two available options to erase a component: Duplicate Component and Duplicate Component Set. The first one deletes only the component that you selected. The second, allows you to delete the selected component and all the components related to it. 

 

Lateral buttons

See below the description of other important buttons on the lateral menu of the Product tab:

 

The Product Specification

The area to the right of the Product tab displays the product specification, where you can define the product by detailing its characteristics, such as the size, colors, and paper. For example:

The main tips to understand the specification screen are:

By selecting a Product Line when you create the Estimate, the system gets a "template" of the product and automatically adds some predefined components and characteristics, but you can add more if necessary.

Note: You can configure the Product Line's "template" through the Product Structure.

After you calculate the Engineering, a new tab opens next to the Specification, where you can see a summary of how the Engineering defined its activities.

Note: To be able to edit the Engineering activities, your iQuote User must have the “Allow activity manual changes (product and engineering tab)” access control, which you can set from the User Profile page. If you leave it blank for a User Profile, the system displays this tab as read-only.

Each section in the Specification represents a product characteristic, such as "Cover Format with Flap" and "Colors and Varnish". For more information about the characteristics and how to create and to configure them, see Specification Characteristic Types.

"Paper" comes from the Substrate records, which are defined by three groups: the substrate type, the substrate line, and the grammage. In the Estimate, you can select the Provided checkbox so that the system knows that it should not add the substrate's cost in the budget.

Note: See Substrates for more information.

Note: If you pick a Substrate Type with only one Grammage/Thickness option, the system auto-populates this information in the field, so you do not have to open the drop-down list and select an available option.

You can define how the system displays the characteristics on the screen through the Specification Component Types.

It is possible to say that there is a hierarchy of how the product is built: 
Product Line > Product Structure > Specification Component Type > Specification Characteristic Type.

The characteristics that the system displays using the same formatting of a link (e.g., the "Cover Format with Flap" on the image above), means that you can change the characteristic type, usually the product's format. You can do that configuration also through the Component Type record, by adding Characteristic Options to a characteristic.

Some characteristics, usually the Generic ones, do not have fields to enter information.

You can create more than one version of a component so that each version has a different specification and/or structure. For more information about versioning, see Creating product versions.