This Palette is designed to create a design information offset in order to simulate natural production press misalignment. The results can be seen as a kind of pre-production check to see whether a press misalignment in production is detrimental to the way the design looks and feels. A bad effect then gives the user the chance to edit the separation to better cope with such a situation and ensure the feel of the design does not suffer. Particularly useful for heavier overprints such as woodgrains and textures.

The steps performed in the ‘Tracking checker’ Palette

This Palette takes the process of selecting all and nudging the design information a specific distance and direction. Layer selection and nudging is set for up to 4 layers; however, the Palette can be edited to handle more. The nudge distance and direction is also editable allowing the user to tailor it to their specific press tolerance.

How to use the ‘Tracking checker’ Palette

1. Open a design document ensuring only spot separations / layers and up to a maximum of 4 are contained in the Layers Palette Window. To use the Palette with more than 4 layers, please see the section below ‘How to edit the Palette to handle more layers’
2. Click the Tracking checker Palette to run it.
3. The Palette will run through each layer in order and apply the specified nudge amounts.

How to edit the Palette to handle more layers

1. Hold ⌥ (option key) and click on the Palette to enter the editing window.
2. Locate the bottom 2 instances of ‘Select layer’ and ‘Nudge’. Hold down shift then click and highlight both by clicking in the centre of the row NOT the icon (as this will run the entry).
3. Hold ⌘ (command key) and press J. The 2 highlighted entries will be duplicated at the very bottom of the list (scroll down to see them).
4. Click and drag the ‘Select None’ entry (by clicking in the centre of the row) back down to the very bottom of the list. A blue guide line will appear to show you where the drop will be placed.
5. Click the ‘edit’ icon of the ‘Select layer’ entry and change the layer index to 5
6. Click the ‘edit’ icon of the ‘Nudge’ entry and change the across and /or down amounts to an appropriate amount for your process.
7. Repeat steps 2 – 6 for subsequent layers you require (ensuring you change the layer index number in step 5 to the next sequential)

How to edit the tracking nudge distance and direction

1. Hold ⌥ (option key) and click on the Palette to enter the editing window.
2. Click the ‘edit’ icon of the ‘Nudge’ entry you would like to amend.
3. Enter new across and/or down amounts. Left and up amounts should be entered in as a minus (e.g., 2 pixels up – enter -2 in the down field).

How to edit the Palette in AVA 5.9+

1. Open the group list in the Palette 
2. Locate the bottom 2 instances of ‘Select layer’ and ‘Nudge’. 
3. Hold ⌘ (command key) and press J to duplicate each one.They will show at the very bottom of the list (scroll down to see them).
   
4. Click and drag the ‘Select None’ entry back down to the very bottom of the list. A blue guide line will appear to show you where the drop will be placed.
   
5. Click the ‘edit’ icon of the ‘Select layer’ entry and change the layer index to 5
   
6. Click the ‘edit’ icon of the ‘Nudge’ entry and change the across and /or down amounts to an appropriate amount for your process.
7. Repeat steps 2 – 6 for subsequent layers you require (ensuring you change the layer index number in step 5 to the next sequential)

How to edit the tracking nudge distance and direction in 5.9+

1. Open the group list in the Palette Window
2. Click the ‘edit’ icon of the ‘Nudge’ entry you would like to amend.
   
3. Enter new across and/or down amounts. Left and up amounts should be entered in as a minus (e.g., 2 pixels up – enter -2 in the down field).