Metadata

In LightSWITCH and FullSWITCH metadata for a job can be moved through a flow together with the actual files for a job. An XML file or JDF file submitted with a PDF file for example can travel through the flow with the PDF file in a job folder. Embedded metadata can be used through variables.

PowerSWITCH extends this substantially; the advanced version of the SWITCH product family has a number of additional tools and configurators specifically to work with metadata.

Associating Metadata with a Job

PowerSWITCH has metadata pickup tools for XML, JDF, Adobe XMP and opaque metadata; these tools are designed to locate metadata embedded in or submitted with a job and associate that metadata with the job ticket for that job. Once metadata has been associated with a job it is referenced from the job ticket for that job and is thus accessible wherever that job moves in a flow.

Associating PDF Information with a Job

The configurator for Apago PDFSpy allows users to retrieve a lot of statistical information from a PDF file and store that as metadata in the job ticket for that PDF file. Apago PDFSpy gathers information about the pages, fonts, colors, metadata and more in a PDF file.

Associating Proofing Information with a Job

The configurator for PerfectProof ProofMaster optionally stores information about the proofing process as metadata in the job ticket for a proofed job.

Extracting Metadata

At any point in a flow the extract metadata tool allows one to save a portion of the metadata associated with a job to a separate metadata file. This allows users for example to export the XMP information that was picked up from a PDF file as a regular, separate XMP file.

Of course the XSLT tool can be used to transform the export metadata file to a different type of XML, HTML or even text file.

Metadata and Scripting

Once metadata has been associated with the job ticket of a job, it is fully accessible from the scripting environment. That means any script written for PowerSWITCH has full access to the information about a job provided in the metadata for that job.

Embedded Metadata

If a job contains embedded EXIF, IPTC or XMP information, this information can be accessed through variables without using any pickup tools; SWITCH makes it immediately accessible.

Through scripting embedded metadata can be read and updated.