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TGI User Guide (Template Generator for InDesign)

Tom Williams
by Tom Williams 2 years ago
 

TGI downloads in Flyerlink

Download InDesign templates for our core product range. Browse to w3pedia >  Product Bible or download the template directly from Jobs > View/Amend > Files for Production.

This is the preferred method for creating a template as Flyerlink templates are always up to date.

Setting Up

TGI Compatibility with InDesign TGI Compatibility with InDesign

Obtain and Install TGI Obtain and Install TGI

Using TGI

Using TGI Using TGI

TGI: Features and Behaviour TGI: Features and Behaviour

About: TGI Product Support About: TGI Product Support

Removal of Designer Mark-up

Making PDFs from TGI-generated documents Making PDFs from TGI-generated documents

TGI User Guide (Template Generator for InDesign)

TGI downloads in Flyerlink

Download InDesign templates for our core product range. Browse to w3pedia >  Product Bible or download the template directly from Jobs > View/Amend > Files for Production.

This is the preferred method for creating a template as Flyerlink templates are always up to date.

TGI Compatibility with InDesign

We officially support InDesign CS5.5 or later.

InDesign Version Does TGI work?
CC (2014) Everything works.

CC (2013)

Everything works. 
CS 6 Everything works. 
CS 5.5 Everything works. 
CS 5 Everything works. 
CS 4 Everything works. 
CS 3

For newer products, complicated shapes and artwork will not be drawn for you.

TGI will not check online for updates.

CS 2 As CS 3, and some product searches might not work as expected.
CS Not supported.

Obtain and Install TGI

Downloading the files

Click on the Tools link below.

Installing the files

InDesign CS4 or later

  1. Open your Script folder in Explorer/Finder.
    You can do this from InDesign, using the Reveal in Explorer/Finder menu item of the Scripts palette.
  2. Remove any previous installation of TGI.
    Assuming that only TGI occupies your Version 4.0 Scripts folder, delete your Version 4.0 Scripts folder. 
  3. Expand the Version 4.0 Scripts.zip archive, so that you have a folder named Version 4.0 Scripts;
  4. Copy/move the Version 4.0 Scripts folder into your Script Panel's folder.

Using TGI

This is a walk-through, showing you how to make a document using TGI.

Overview

  1. (install the TGI script),
  2. Open the Scripts palette in InDesign;
  3. Start TGI;
  4. Choose a product;
  5. Set any options that appear;
  6. Take note of any warnings;
  7. Start designing!

Install the TGI Script

See the links at the bottom of this article.

Open the Scripts palette in InDesign

Show the Scripts palette from the menu:

  • Window > Utilities > Scripts
  • In Older versions of InDesign: Window > Automation > Scripts

Create a Keyboard Shortcut to run TGI from InDesign

  1. Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts...
  2. Product Area: Scripts
  3. Commands: User: Version 4.0 Scripts: TGI.jsx
  4. New Shortcut: Shift+Ctrl+N is usually free.

Start TGI

Double-click on the TGI.jsx script in the Scripts palette, or press Shift+Ctrl+N if you have set up the keyboard shortcut.

If you cannot see TGI.jsx, then try expanding the User folder and its sub-folders.

Hint

It is recommended that you set your default printer to your chosen PDF printer before you start TGI. This way, TGI sets up all your printer options for professional printing.

Search for a product

If you know the product code, or part of it, type it into the box, then OK:

Alternatively, you can browse products by product group.

Choose the product

A list of matching products is presented, along with an option to rotate the document.

At the left of each product in the list, the orientation is shown as:

  • = for a wider-than-tall document;
  • || for a taller-than-wide document.

You can override this default by selecting Orientation: Rotate 90°

Set any options that appear

Some products have finishing options that feature in your design document. If you are asked, then check Workgroup > Jobs > View/Amend> Files for Production when making choices.

Take note of any warnings

You might be informed of things TGI could not complete for you, or you might be given advice about designing for the product. See TGI Warnings below.

Start designing!

Now, be creative! Your TGI-generated document should be product-compliant, except for your artwork, but when you're done remember to check it against the specification before you submit your print-ready PDFs.

TGI: Features and Behaviour

Below is a list of what TGI draws in the documents it generates.

You probably don't need to read this, unless you're looking for something specific.

All Products

Pages

The required number of pages will be generated in the document, depending on product specification. Where a product has a reverse, the even-numbered pages will be reverses.

Layers

TGI places artwork on these layers:

Layer Name Notes
Foreground Your regular artwork layer, where you place your design.
Dimensions Shows sizes of some features.
QuietZone Areas that you should leave clear of important elements.
FoldCrease Folds and creases (where there are no die-cut guides).
Trim Trimmed and shaped edges.
Messages Hints about the product or spec.
Identity Job and product information.
Finishing Finishing markings that must be topmost on the artwork, e.g. die-cut, or page frame.

Elements

Identifier Text

At the top of the pasteboard area, above Page 1, on the Identity layer, a text box contains basic information about the document: product code, information about TGI, the date and time of creation, and if supplied, the job number.

Page Frame

On all pages, a page frame box of the appropriate thickness and colour, on the Finishing layer.

Dimensioning

The first page shows dimension lines on the top and left edges, on the Dimensions layer, detailing the PDF width and height, and the finished width and height.

Quiet Zones

These are marked in blue QUIET-ZONE colour, on the QuietZone layer, showing areas that should be kept clear of essential design elements. This layer is hidden by default, and can be revealed by clicking on the ‘eye box’ (leftmost column) next to the QuietZone layer in the Layers palette.

Trim Guides

These are marked in purple TRIM-GUIDES colour, on the Trim layer, showing where the product will be trimmed.

Design Notes

Any Design Notes stored in Flyerlink® will be shown in the left side of the pasteboard.

Mini Brochures and folded products

Panels

Panels are generated for standard Mini Brochure products.

Red page frame for front panel

A red page frame is drawn to indicate the front panel on the finished item. Check that this is as you require, particularly with One-Piece Mailers, reverse folds, and roll-folded Mini Brochures.

Perforation

Where a simple perforation option is specified on leaflet products, the parallel edge closest to the perforation is marked with a dashed green+white line.

 

Booklets only

Pages shown as spreads

This is only to assist with visualisation of the layout.

See Designing for Production to understand why some elements should not run continuously across a spread (3 mm is trimmed from each page at the spine).

Booklet Creep

TGI has the capability to show the inward creeping of the outer trimmed edge on Booklet products, but we have not yet applied this to our product range. If you need to produce a document for a Booklet product that shows creeping trim guides and quiet zones, then please contact operations@printing.com with your needs.

Die-cut, creased, embossed, and spot-UV products

Half-creased products (Greetings Cards, etc)

TGI prompts for ‘short crease’ or ‘long crease’.

A crease line is placed at the centre of the design. Warnings are given for tent-like orientations.

Rounded Corners

Crystal Credit Cards, Premium (round corner) Cards, and Premium Pocket Calendars, etc., are presented with the required die-cut shape.

Foil

Add solid shapes to the Finishing layer, using swatch colours: OPULEAF-GOLD, OPULEAF-SILVER.

Spot-UV

Add solid shapes to the Finishing layer, using swatch colour: SPOT-UV.

Embossing

Add solid shapes to the Finishing layer, using swatch colour: EMBOSSINI.

Large Format only

  • 2 pt Page Frame on the Finishing layer
  • 10 mm Quiet Zone.

Eyelets

For Banners having eyelets, TGI will place eyelets with the correct spacing. This also works with custom-sized Banners.

Folders

If you chose a Style in Finishing Options, then artwork for the shape is provided by TGI.

If you are modifying an existing folder design, then you will need to unlock and ungroup the elements before editing.

 

 

About: TGI Product Support

The InDesign Template Generator - Product Support (link below) lists every printing.com printed product, detailing its support level and completeness.

You probably don't need this document

Now that TGI supports nearly all printing.com products, this document is less important than when the TGI project was first started in 2006.

Rather than being a critical document, the Product Support listing is simply an export from our internal quality processes (implementation and version control logs).

Support Level

This is a measure of our confidence that the generated document meets the production specification:

Support Level Notes
No Support Initial state
Do Not Show Deliberately hidden
Open Network Templates provided elsewhere
Brand Demand Private builds only
Hide (parked; no support) For work-in-progress
Internal Testing We're getting it ready
Alpha Release Use with caution
Beta Release Nearly ready; some faults
Certified Release We're confident it'll work!

For general release, TGI only creates documents for products having a support level of Internal Testing or better (shown bold).

Completeness

This is a measure of how complete the generated document will be. For example, if elements need to be added manually, then the Completeness will be less than 100%.

Making PDFs from TGI-generated documents

Print Settings

TGI automatically sets up your Print settings. However, do check that these are correct before you generate your PDFs, because TGI makes some assumptions about your setup.

Follow the File Check Guide and Designing for Production to help you check that your file meets production specifications.

Template Mark-up

TGI adds extra information into your design document, for visual guidance to help you with design, and essential production mark-up that is used when making your printed jobs.

Colour Print Notes
QUIET-ZONE No Shows hidden or near-edge areas
FOLDING-GUIDES No Shows folding or creasing axes
TRIM-GUIDES No Shows physical edges
DIE-CUT-GUIDE Yes (overprint)
SPOT-UV Yes (overprint)
EMBOSSINI Yes (overprint)
OPULEAF-SILVER Yes (overprint)
OPULEAF-GOLD Yes (overprint)

Print = No

It is important that markings are not present in PDFs supplied for print (they would spoil the look of the print). We will not accept responsibility for print that is affected by template mark-up.

Automatic removal of template mark-up

Both of our supported preflight solutions (File Check 2.0, and Instant PDF) will automatically strip out the colours that should not be printed.

On the FileCheck Report this will appear as, 'Any InDesign TGI elements have been removed'.

 
 

Documentation

Using Flyerlink® FileCheck 2.0

See also

Using InDesign TGI Templates for Fabric

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