Impose separate PDFs to print together

[littlekiwi]

This is my first post and I'm new to the process of printing so excuse my ignorance and hopefully I'll make enough sense that someone may be able to help me!

I have two PDF documents that I need to print together, imposed on one another. What would be the best way to impose these two PDFs in an offset print workflow?

I'm learning about the various print workflows and from what I can see some Imposition software can do this, however I'm not sure whether a RIP can deal with this or if either of these would be the preferred method by print service providers.

Docs are both currently PDF/X-1a, but would be printed as CMYK + Spot, they both have matching trimbox/bleedbox attributes, if this helps?

Cheers

[Lukas Engqvist]

When you say impose you mean superimpose? Ie print one ontop of the other?
In Agfa system it can be acheived by using a versioning workflow, otherwise it would almost seem easiest to do it in a layout application, using blend mode to acheive the desired result.
Easier to visualise what you get

[littlekiwi]

Thanks Lukas, yes I meant superimpose

I agree extracting the contents to a layout application would be easier but I'm just trying to see if it can be done without this, purely because of the potential for the files to be incorrectly superimposed.

Appreciate the help!

[eskopdl]

With EskoArtworks FastImpose you may create layers in your impostiion then put both documents into the layout on separate layers, then output them with all layers on (or any off) as you see fit. This is done quite frequently when, for example, all the images in a series of books/catalog etc. match in content and position, but the text is different ( as in language versions, or regional versioning ).
Here's the product page. FastImpose - EskoArtwork

[Ultimate]

Hi,

We can show you how to, in Impotrip Econo Edition.
You can download a complete trial version on our Web site:
DEMO Request Form

If you have questions, simply contact me directly at raymond@imposition.com

Ray Duval
Ultimate Technographics Inc

[Vee]

Depending on the content, you can do this in Acrobat too. Use the watermark feature.
I used to do this every week for an athletic media guide we printed. The "master pages" (border graphics and page numbers, etc) were approved in advance, and each week when the text/copy changed for the game - I placed the new PDF into the approved masters, and saved out the complete PDF for SignaStation to impose for the press run. Fast, easy and accurate.. every time.

[littlekiwi]

Wow thanks for the responses, incredibly helpful. I'm going to look into the applications posted as I think they do exactly what I am looking for...

[Quetu]

With QPDFRaster can do this and more

PDF into PDF

QPDF - QPDFRaster
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Can download a demo version:
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