RIP workflow

Prepare files for CADlink Digital Factory.

Export a 300 dpi PNG with transparency and let Digital Factory build the white underbase from it. NestSheet’s CMYK + W1 TIFF is made for MainTOP. Test one small sheet on your own queue before the first production batch.

Start your first sheet See the export specification

Current NestSheet specifications and vendor workflow references, checked on ; RIP claims carry vendor sources below.

NestSheet studio with 17 pieces from ten PNG designs auto-nested on a 600 mm roll, ready to export as a PNG for CADlink Digital Factory
Ten PNG designs packed on a 600 mm roll. Export the sheet as a PNG when your RIP builds the white.

The RIP

What CADlink Digital Factory is — and what it wants.

Digital Factory documents white-underbase controls and a transparency editing tool. Its layer documentation distinguishes white supplied in artwork from white generated in the queue. Ask which route your installed print mode uses and where its choke is applied. The linked vendor documentation is the source for those controls.

Digital Factory also documents template hot folders. Treat watched-folder setup as part of the receiving queue: establish the accepted input and test ordinary import first, then configure the folder using the vendor’s instructions. Record how files are named and how the operator confirms the completed job.

How-to

Questions to settle before a production handoff.

Keep the vendor’s instructions and the result of your own queue test in the job record.

  1. Identify the installed setup

    Record the RIP edition and version, printer model, driver and media queue. Obtain the vendor’s documented input formats and white-layer workflow for that combination. Use the actual shop configuration when evaluating a production file.

  2. Locate the white controls in Digital Factory

    Use the vendor’s layer and queue documentation to locate controls for the selected white source. Record whether the file supplies the white or the queue creates it, then confirm where choke is applied. Test that choice with the actual printer and media queue.

  3. Export the PNG

    In NestSheet’s export window choose PNG: colour with transparency at 300 dpi, the input Digital Factory builds its underbase from. Set Mirror to match the queue, off when it mirrors at print time. The TIFF with CMYK + W1 is the MainTOP file; ask your supplier before sending it to Digital Factory.

  4. Test size and orientation

    Use an approved sample with known physical dimensions and asymmetric text. Check the imported width and height, the selected scaling and the expected transfer orientation. Save the tested file and queue settings together.

    NestSheet Inspector for sunset-riders.png: 170 × 76 mm, rotation 0°, one copy, 300 dpi ready, source 2008 × 898 px RGB, white layer from alpha with 2 px choke for the whole sheet
    The Inspector: each design’s size, position and rotation — the values to compare with the queue.

  5. Approve white and the physical sample

    Inspect colour and white coverage separately where the queue provides that view. Check solid artwork, transparent holes and small details. Print and transfer a sample through the intended material process, then record the observed result and settings.

The preset

The two NestSheet print files.

For Digital Factory, export the PNG and let the RIP build the white. The TIFF with W1 is the MainTOP file.

Current file specification and receiving-workflow checks
Field Value or check
For Digital Factory PNG with transparency, 300 dpi
White in the PNG none: the RIP builds it from transparency, with its own choke
Mirror export-window switch; off by default for PNG
For MainTOP TIFF, CMYK + one W1 channel, mirrored
Choke in NestSheet 0 / 1 / 2 px, sheet-wide; applies to the TIFF’s W1 channel
First production batch after one small test sheet on your queue
Approval record file, queue, dimensions, orientation and sample result

Failure modes

Review the file and the queue separately.

A small controlled job helps identify which part of the workflow needs attention.

White edge needs investigation

SymptomA pale rim appears around the artwork on the sample.

PreventionCompare source transparency, the received white layer and colour-to-white alignment. Change one setting at a time and record the effect on the same final-size sample.

White-only artwork needs a clear check

SymptomA white logo is hard to judge against the preview background.

PreventionUse a contrasting preview background and a sample with deliberate white and transparent regions. Confirm the queue’s white coverage and inspect the transferred sample on the intended material.

Artwork has an opaque background

SymptomA rectangular area appears behind the intended cut-out design.

PreventionReopen the source file against contrasting backgrounds and check its alpha. Prepare the approved transparent artwork in your editor, then repeat the receiving queue test.

Queue setup differs from the test

SymptomThe production job uses a different version, driver or media setup.

PreventionReturn to the recorded configuration and compare the changed settings. Repeat the relevant file and sample checks with the production setup, then store the new approval record.

FAQ

The questions operators actually search.

Which NestSheet file should I use with Digital Factory?
The PNG export: colour with transparency at 300 dpi. Digital Factory’s documentation treats the transparency layer as the underbase layer, so the RIP builds the white and applies its own choke. The CMYK + W1 TIFF is NestSheet’s MainTOP file; confirm with your supplier before sending it to Digital Factory. Print one small test sheet before the first production batch.
Where does Digital Factory apply white choke?
Digital Factory’s vendor documentation distinguishes white supplied in the artwork from white generated in the queue. Locate the controls for the route your print mode uses, then record that choice with the job. Test the white edge on known artwork at final size and keep the approved queue settings with the physical sample.
How should I evaluate a supplied white channel?
Give the supplier the full file specification, including format, colour channels, white name, resolution and orientation. Use known white and transparent regions to check the receiving queue’s interpretation. NestSheet’s Production DTF preset specification is a mirrored 300 dpi CMYK + W1 TIFF for MainTOP; approve any proposed receiving workflow with its exact setup.
How do I keep repeat jobs consistent?
Keep the approved source artwork, final-size test file, RIP version, printer driver, media queue and sample result together. When a setting or material changes, compare the new job against that record. This gives the next operator a clear reference for size, orientation, white coverage and the production process used for approval.

Sources

Where the RIP facts come from.

Current NestSheet specifications and vendor workflow references, checked on the date shown. What each vendor states — versions, downloads, headline features — is cited from the vendor’s own pages.

Keep going

Related on this site.

Make your first PNG for Digital Factory.

Add transparent PNGs, pack the roll and export a 300 dpi PNG for your Digital Factory queue.

Start your first sheet See pricing
  • PNG with transparency · 300 dpi
  • Digital Factory builds the white
  • Test one small sheet first