Fiery TASKalfa 3051ci, TASKalfa 3551ci, TASKalfa 4551ci, TASKalfa 5551ci, Print Server User Manual

Fiery®Print Server

Variable Data Printing

© 2009 Electronics for Imaging, Inc. The information in this publication is covered
under Legal Notices for this product.

45087237
1 September 2009

CONTENTS

CONTENTS

CONTENTS 3

INTRODUCTION 5

Terminology and conventions 5

About this document 6

OVERVIEW 7

Overview of variable data printing 7

Variable data job components 8

Print Server variable data printing 9

Compatible variable data printing languages 9

Print Server core features for variable data printing 10

PRINTING VARIABLE DATA DOCUMENTS 12

Printing variable data documents using FreeForm 12

How FreeForm works 12

Creating the master document 13

Creating the variable document 14

Combining the FreeForm master with the variable document 15

Guidelines 16

Previewing master documents in the Windows printer driver 21

Printing variable data documents with FreeForm 2 21

Imposing variable data jobs 23

Imposing FreeForm jobs with Impose 23

Imposing FreeForm 2 jobs with Impose 24

Imposing other variable data jobs with Impose 24

INDEX 25

INTRODUCTION

Terminology and conventions

INTRODUCTION 5

This document provides information about variable data printing (VDP) and describes
the variable data printing features that may be supported by the Print Server, including:

• Compatible variable data printing languages such as FreeForm and FreeForm 2

• Imposing variable data jobs with Impose

NOTE: For information about supported variable data languages and features, see Printing.

This document uses the following terminology and conventions.

Term or convention Refers to

Copier The copier or printer

Titles in italics Other documents in this set

Topics for which additional information is available by starting
Help in the software

Tips and information

Important information

Important information about issues that can result in physical
harm to you or others

INTRODUCTION 6

About this document

The document covers the following topics:

• Basic concepts of variable data printing

• Supported Print Server features and compatible variable data printing languages

• Instructions for printing variable documents with FreeForm and FreeForm 2

• Instructions for printing and submitting other variable data job formats, such as PPML
and Creo VPS.

NOTE: For detailed information about printing variable data jobs using third-party variable

data printing applications, see the documentation that accompanies the application.

For example scenarios of popular variable data printing workflows, see Workfl ow Exampl e s.

OVERVIEW

OVERVIEW 7

This chapter describes variable printing technology and discusses the components that may be
supported with your Print Server that allow you to create variable data print jobs.

NOTE: For information about supported variable data languages and features, see Printing.

For specific variable data printing scenarios and workflows, see Work f l ow Exampl e s

Overview of variable data printing

Variable data printing is typically used for personalized mailings, such as direct-mail
advertising. It involves combining a set of master elements that are common across copies
of a document (reusable data) with a set of variable elements that change from copy to copy.
When you use variable data printing, you create personalized communications with elements
that have special appeal to your targeted audience.

An example of variable data printing is a brochure that greets customers by name and may
include other personal information about the customer obtained from a marketing database.
Background elements, illustrations, and text blocks that do not change across copies of the
brochure are master elements. The customer’s name and other customer-specific information
are variable elements.

In its simplest form, you can use variable data printing as a basic mail merge. However,
you can also dynamically assemble images, charts, text, and other objects to create attractive,
highly customized documents.

Variable data printing uses digital printing technology that customizes communication by
linking databases that contain the content for printed documents to a print device, such as the
copier. The customized communication includes rules that specify the selection of content
from the database and the placement of that content in the document.

.

The following two variable data printing technologies describe how reusable data is specified
within a variable data printing language.

Page-based technology describes static, reusable data (the master element) in terms of entire

pages. Each page element is called a master page. Page-based languages are more suitable for
simple, predictable layouts. FreeForm is a page-based language. For more information about
FreeForm, see “Printing variable data documents” on page 12.

Element-based technology describes static, reusable data in terms of elements or objects.

Element-based technology allows you to use many separate objects within a page as static
elements or variable elements individually.

OVERVIEW 8

Element-based variable data jobs use reusable objects for the variable elements in the job,
such as images. Because these elements are frequently accessed, they are stored on the Print
Server and cached as a group.

Variable data job components

A typical variable data print job includes the following major components:

•Content

Content includes the text, images, or photographs placed in different areas of your
document. You can create static or variable content using a variety of applications, such
as Adobe Photoshop or Microsoft Word.

• Database

A database is a table containing all the changeable or variable elements in a printed
document, such as text, graphics, and photographs. You can use a database created in
popular desktop programs, such as Microsoft Excel or FileMaker Pro.

The data must be organized into records and fields (categories) for each record. For
example, in a database about people, a person is a record and the information about that
person, such as name, address, and phone number, is a field.

• Business rules

Business rules, created in a variable data printing application, specify what variable content
to use and where to place it within your document. According to these predefined rules,
which are described by “if” and “then” statements, the variable data application uses
particular elements from databases to create personalized pages and documents that
contain different text and images for a specific audience. For example, you can set up a rule
to print specific content for a specific age range.

•Layout

Layout encompasses the design or page layout of your document in any desktop
publishing or word processing application. The layout must accommodate space for
variable text and images.

• Variable data print applications

Variable data print applications combine master elements and variable information and
prepare the document for printing. For FreeForm, you do not need a dedicated variable
data print application.

•Print device

The print device is the output device that turns digital files into hardcopy documents. This
can be any printer, copier, or digital press that supports variable data printing.