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TitlePlanetPress Design User Guide
Revision2014-09-24
Debug an Object or Group48
Select Objects and/or Groups48
Lock and Unlock Objects and Groups48
Reposition Objects and/or Groups49
Resize Objects and/or Groups49
Delete Objects and/or Groups50
Align Objects and/or Groups51
Rotate Objects and/or Groups51
Duplicate Objects and/or Groups51
Snap or Unsnap Objects and/or Groups51
Copy Values of Properties between Objects and/or Groups54
Adding image resources to your document54
Messages Area55
Adding External Resources55
PlanetPress Design Preferences56
Notification Messages Preferences57
Image Resources Preferences58
Color Preferences59
Object Duplication Preferences59
Miscellaneous Preferences60
Editor Preferences61
Display Preferences62
Color Preferences63
Ribbon Preferences63
Object Inspector Preferences63
Document Structure Area Preferences64
Rulers Preferences64
Form Pages Preferences65
Compiler Messages Preferences65
Document and Pages Preferences65
Image Resources Preferences66
PDF Text Extraction Tolerance Factors67
Data Selector Display Preferences68
PlanetPress Capture Preferences69
Dock and Undock Areas of the Program Window70
Minimize and Customize the Ribbon70
Show or Hide Areas of the Program Window70
Resize the Program Window Area71
Data in PlanetPress Design73
Sample Data File73
Capturing Data75
Capture Sample Data Using the Data Capture Tool75
LPD Input75
Serial Input76
Text-Based Emulation Properties81
Line Printer Emulation81
ASCII Emulation82
Comma Separated Value (CSV) Emulation82
Channel Skip Emulation83
Database Emulation83
Export or Import a Database Emulation Configuration85
XML Emulation86
PDF Emulation86
User-Defined Emulation86
Associate a Sample Data File with a Document87
Metadata87
Setting Up a Document95
Set Up a Document95
Cacheable Execution Options100
FreeForm Caching101
FreeForm 2 Caching102
VPSCaching102
VDXCaching103
PPDSetup104
Add or Remove PPDs104
Refresh the PPD Lists105
Specify Job Infos105
Associate Attachments with a Document105
Setting Up Pages107
Page Properties107
Page Types109
Normal Page109
Overlay Page109
Virtual Page110
Execution Order of Pages110
Advanced Paper Handling110
Associate Attachments with a Page111
Add or Remove Overlays111
Manipulation116
PlanetPress Talk Before and PlanetPress Talk After117
Preview options117
Line Repeat and Data Overflow117
Snapping Points119
Object Preview Window119
Fonts and Styles121
Create a Style121
Apply a Style123
View or Edit the Properties of a Style123
Delete a Style124
Set the Default Style for New Objects and Groups124
Create a MICR Style for Account Information on Cheques125
Arabic Content in PlanetPress Design Documents125
CID-Keyed Fonts126
Double-byte Character Sets126
Encoding Tables126
Why have different encoding tables?127
Encoding Tables in PlanetPress Design127
Font Encoding Editor127
Set a Default Encoding Table128
Export an Encoding Table128
Refresh the Font Lists129
Install a PostScript Font in PlanetPress Design129
Text and Box Object130
Borders130
Color131
Text131
Apply a Style to Text in a Text Object133
Set Tabs134
Adjust Alignment and Lines Per Unit settings135
Spell Check Text in a Text Object135
Use the Thesaurus138
Change the Width of the Text Object in the Text Area138
Use Variables in a Text Object138
Data Selection Object140
Data140
Lines141
Archive/Email/Fax141
Text-Based Data Selections142
Database Data Selections143
XMLData Selections144
PDFData Selections145
Edit Text-Based Data Selection Size146
Modifying and Updating Images180
Color Management and Matching181
PostScript Attachments184
Delete a Resource184
Conditions187
Conditions187
Global Conditions187
Local Conditions187
Line Conditions187
Create or Remove a Line Condition188
PlanetPress Supports Global Variables in the Global Function Library Manager189
Create a Global Condition190
View or Edit the Properties of a Global Condition192
Apply or Remove a Global Condition192
Use a Global Condition as a Variable192
Combine Global Conditions192
Override a Global Condition195
Delete a Global Condition195
Create, Edit, or Delete Local Conditions195
Verify a Condition196
Add a Global Function196
View or Edit a Global Function196
Delete a Global Function197
PlanetPress Talk199
Variable PlanetPressTalk Properties199
The PlanetPress Talk Editor201
PlanetPress Talk Editor Features202
Debugging Features203
Code Execution in the Editor203
Enter a New Program in the Editor205
Import or Export a Program205
Save a Program205
Print a Program205
Exit the PlanetPress Talk Editor206
Show or Hide the Commands Area or Spy List206
Adjust the Sizes of the Commands Area, Code Area and Spy List206
Expand or Collapse Command Groups207
Enter Commands in the Editor207
Use Command and Variable Name Completion208
Dynamic Images209
PlanetPress Talk Expressions for Dynamic Images that Reference Image Resources209
PlanetPress Talk Expressions for Dynamic Images that Reference External Images209
Physical Location of Dynamic Images210
Host-Based or Printer-Based Document Execution210
Image Format211
Summary of Execution Environments211
Examples of PlanetPress Talk Expressions that Resolve to Pathnames212
Image Name and Pathname Resolution in Dynamic Images213
Custom Data Selections213
PlanetPress Talk Before and After213
Creating and using Runpages214
Convert an Object to PlanetPress Talk215
PlanetPress Talk Basics217
Assumed Knowledge217
PlanetPress Talk217
PlanetPress Talk Terminology219
The Elements of PlanetPress Talk219
PlanetPress Talk Syntax220
Data Types222
Variables224
Create a Global Variable225
View or Edit a Global Variable226
Delete a Global Variable226
System Variables with Local Scope228
System Variables with Global Scope228
System Objects with Global Scope229
Current System Object229
Runpage232
Using Foreign Language Text with PPtalk232
Learning PlanetPress Talk236
Integrate PlanetPress Talk into Documents237
Define and Assign Values to Variables237
Select Data238
Use Functions as Arguments238
Debug Scripts238
Calculations and Arithmetic in PlanetPress Talk239
Tips and Tricks239
Code Samples240
Print a variable number of copies of a page based on a value in the datastream240
Store two lines of input data on one line of the data page240
Print a line of text on odd-numbered pages241
Determine the proper page to print based on the width of the data in the data page242
Conversion Tables631
ASCII Conversion Table632
Points to Inches or Centimeters634
Points to Inches635
Points to Centimeters637
Line Height as a Function of Lines Per Unit (LPU)638
Line Height as a Function of Lines Per Inch638
Line Height as a Function of Lines Per Centimeter638
Tools and Utilities641
The Image Downloader641
Adjust the Image Quality Options643
Virtual Drive Manager645
Managing Documents and Printers647
Obtain Information from a Printer647
Delete Documents or Files on the Printer647
Printer Firmware Version648
Control Versions of a Document648
Adjust Printer Settings649
Form Cache650
Remove Background Color650
Named Colors651
Create a Graybar Report652
The Hex Viewer654
Preview a Document On Screen659
Previews of Documents that Use ASCII Emulation661
Preview a Capture-Ready document662
Print a Document Preview663
Print Using a Windows Driver664
Printing Using a Windows Driver665
Generate a Soft Proof665
Convert a Document and Save It to a File667
Install a Document669
Install a document on one or more printers669
Send the document to one or more local PlanetPress Workflow servers669
Save a PTK or PTZfile to send to a remote PlanetPress Workflow installation670
Send a document to PlanetPress iWatch or a UNIX or Linux CodeHost BrightQ print spooler system:670
Perform a Batch Conversion and/or Installation671
To use the Batch Send To wizard671
Move a Document between PlanetPress Design Installations672
Trigger672
How a Variable Content Document Runs on a Printer672
Phase 1: Data Reading672
Phase 2: Global Condition Resolution673
Phase 3: Document Page Printing673
Techniques for Inserting Triggers673
Trigger Syntax674
Trigger Syntax for Documents Installed on a Hard Disk674
Trigger Syntax for Documents Installed in RAM674
Trigger Syntax for Documents Installed in Flash Memory675
Run a Document Installed on a Printer675
Run a Document Installed in a PlanetPress Suite Workflow Tool675
Run a Document that Uses a Database Emulation676
Run Several Documents as a Single Job676
Troubleshoot Execution Problems676
Keyboard Shortcuts681
PlanetPress Design General681
Exit PlanetPress Design681
Use the Help System681
Show or Hide Areas of the Program Window682
Work with Hierarchies682
Work in the Document Structure Area682
Work with Documents682
Preview and Install Documents683
Work with Pages683
Adjust the Zoom684
Use Basic Editing Commands684
Work in the Data Pane684
Work with the Data File685
Work with Data Selections685
Use the Hex Viewer686
Work with Objects687
Work in the Text Properties of a Text Object688
PlanetPress Talk Editor688
General689
Show or Hide Areas of the Editor689
Expand or Collapse Groups in the Commands Area689
Work in the Code Area690
Use Command Name Completion/Argument Insertion690
Undo Commands690
Work with Selections690
Add/Remove Comments691
Indent Code691
Search691
Jump to a Specific Line691
Use Bookmarks691
Execute a Program691
Debug Code692
Print the Script692
Converted Document692
About Documents692
About Document Elements693
About Data Selections694
About Objects694
PPD File694
PP7 File694
PTZ File695
PTK File695
About Resources695
This documentation covers PlanetPress Suite version 7.5. To view the documentation of previous versions please refer to
the PDF files available in the Downloads section of our website:
Some icons are used throughout this guide in order to catch your attention to certain particular information.
Notes: This icon shows you something thatcomplements the information around it. Understanding notes is not critical but may be helpful when using PlanetPress Design.
Warnings: This icon shows information that may be critical when using PlanetPress Design. It is importantto pay
attention to these warnings.
Technical: This icon shows technical information that may require some technical knowledge to understand.
Other Documentation
For more online documentation on different PlanetPress Suite Products, refer to:
PlanetPress Design User Guide
PlanetPress Search User Guide
PlanetPress Talk Reference Guide
PlanetPress Trigger and Data Capture Guide