About DesignMerge
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DesignMerge® Pro
Product Introductionand Overview
What is DesignMerge®
DesignMerge is a suite of “plug-in” software modules for QuarkXPress® & Adobe® InDesign®
Adds VDP features to QuarkXPress & InDesign
DesignMerge works directly with existing documents Just take any document and “Make it Variable™”
Any element of the document can be variable Text, Images, Articles Layouts & Master Pages
The product is ideal for existing QuarkXPress orAdobe InDesign users that want to createprofessional VDP documents No new software to learn! Users are immediately comfortable with
the interface!
Why Use Plug-in Software for VDP?
Adds powerful VDP features to existing page layout applications
No need to leave the page layout application, or to convert to a different format Many other VDP programs require conversion to XML or other formats before
the VDP output can be generated
Edits and modifications are easy to manage Takes advantage of the most powerful (and popular) composition
engines in the world Other products must mimic the features of Quark & InDesign Example: just try doing variable type-on-a-curve, with a drop-shadow, in
any other VDP application!
DesignMerge Differentiators
Works directly in the QuarkXPress or InDesign application No re-design or conversion required
Intuitive, menu-driven user interface Supports variable Text, Images, Articles, and Layouts Multiple output driver support (PS, PPML, etc) Automatic Copy-Fitting included Advanced conditional processing features (Rules) Multiple-up Layout and Imposition support Translation Tables Bar Coding, AppleScript and Data-Driven Graphic
(pie charts, etc.) support available Quark 6/7/8 or InDesign CS2/CS3/CS4; Mac & Windows 200+ page printed manual, box and CD included
DesignMerge Differentiators in a GA Environment Easy to implement; “low overhead” Fits seamlessly into existing workflow Non-proprietary — does not alter the
QuarkXPress or InDesign document format Documents can be opened with or without DesignMerge
Flexible — Supports PPML and Optimized PostScript for Color or B&W VDP output
Cross-platform — Macintosh or Windows US-based development, sales, and technical
support
Typical Applications
Traditional VDP – Anything that must be personalized Direct Mail Letters Postcards Newsletters Invitations
Short Run & “Document Assembly” Applications Business Cards Name Badges Coupons Tags & Labels Raffle Tickets Consecutive Numbering Financial Statements & Prospectus
(Data-Driven Graphics)
Supported Output Formats
PPML Emerging as an industry standard for VDP output Very efficient output format for variable graphics
Optimized PostScript Works with all PostScript-based systems Cached PostScript is much smaller and processes much faster Cached PostScript is lightning-fast when producing PDF Driver can separate Fixed & Variable data to work with EFI
FreeForm™ technology
Other Formats QuarkXPress or InDesign Documents EPS PDF (with Acrobat Distiller)
Benefits of DesignMerge
Easy to visualize VDP production One less hurdle in the sales process Confidence that VDP can be delivered
Supports both QuarkXPress & InDesign Customer can accept either file format Cross platform, Mac & Windows
Short learning curve Start selling and delivering VDP jobs faster
Archived documents can be “made variable” Ready stock of jobs to reference
Affordable
Using DesignMerge®
DesignMerge® Installation
Install DesignMerge Software from CD
XTensions/PlugIns are installed into appropriate folder
Relaunch your native application
You are Ready to Start Your First VDP Job
After application has opened you will then see the DesignMerge pull down menu in the top menu bar
Linking Database File to Layout
Now let’s set up our links
Go to the pull down menu and select Setup>Database Definitions
Database Definitions File
Create a New DDF (Database Definition)
This points layout to database text file
Reads incoming database fields
When saved, the DDF is stored inside Quark/InDesign file for future use
What is a Variable Link? Variable Link associates
placeholder text or pictures in the document to a field in the database file, and determines how DesignMerge will merge data from that field into the placeholder
The name of each Variable Link appears in the list on the left side of the window
To select a Variable Link, click on its name in the list The window will change to show you how the link has been set up
Applying Variable Text Links To Layout
Drag-select (highlight) the word “Name”
Using the DesignMerge floating palette
Select the “Name” Variable Link using the popup menu on the DesignMerge palette
Applying Variable Text Links To Layout
Click the Assign button in the palette. This “sets” the link
assignment. A green bracket underscores the variable text after you click the Assign button, indicating it’s been set
Repeat the process for each remaining Text Link
Applying Variable Picture Links to Layout
Select picture box that will be variable
Applying Variable Picture Links to Layout
Click the Tag Pic button in the palette. This “sets” the link
assignment. A green green box appears inside the picture box after you click the Assign button, indicating it’s been set
Merge and Test Your Documents
Your Options Are To Merge Current Document Proof Variable Links Variable Link Report Longest Line, Shortest
Line Test Preflight Report Data Preview
Now you can Feel Confident in Proceeding withthe Actual, Final Merge
Save as Multiple QuarkXPress Files
Save as EPS Build Document
Output Your Job To Press
PostScript Enables the built-in
PostScript printing capabilities of DesignMerge
The module also includes several options for “image and form caching”
Supports “chunking” print output
PPML Creates Fixed Layer Variable Text Layer Variable Image Layer Image and Form Caching Creates .ZIP Container
VIPP VPS
Major Feature Set
Database Setup and Document Preparation
Menu-driven setup with“wizard” interface
Simple tagging palette – take any document and“Make it Variable™”
Any element can be variable Text, Images, Articles,
Groups Variable Layouts & Master
Pages Includes pre-flight and
datapreview features
No re-design of pages or exporting to XML or other formats required
MPS CopyFit™ Module
Auto-fitting of text overflow, underflow, or both
Applied while merging User-definable copy fitting
parameters Eliminate text wrapping
issues and “lost text” on print runs
Each box can be assigneddifferent settings
Standalone versionalso available
MPS Rules Module (Conditional Logic)
Prepare If/Then statements within DesignMerge
Menu driven - No manual programming required
Create Rules from the simple (insert a Salutation) to the complex (specifying a Master Page based on the city and age of a recipient)
Unique debugging and testing features
Multiple-Up Layouts & Sequencing Support
Create multiple-up layouts at the workstation
Data “sequences”created usingstep-and-repeat
Publish data in “cut & stack” order(zip code sorts, etc)
Visually check file priorto printing
No programming
Bar Code, DDG, and AppleScript Modules
PostNet bar coding is built into the DesignMerge product. The MPS Bar Code module provides support for a number of other popular bar code formats (Code 128, UPC, Code 39, etc.)
Data-driven graphics (pie charts, bar charts, etc) can be created on-the-fly using DesignMerge and third-party DDG module
The MPS AppleScript module provides a robust set of AppleScript verbs for controlling DesignMerge Pro and creating custom “Actions”
Output Drivers
Modular architecturefacilitates new driver development(Third Revision)
Support for all leading VI languages, including Optimized PostScript, FreeForm™ and PPML
PPML output with enhanced PPD information
About Meadows Publishing Solutions
Meadows is a software development company, specializing in “extensible” technologies
Principal areas of expertise include XTensions modules for QuarkXPress and QuarkXPress Server, and plug-in modules for Adobe InDesign CS2/CS3/CS4
Founded in 1991, located near Chicago, Illinois Current focus is on data publishing, workflow
automation and variable data printing Flagship product is DesignMerge® Pro
Thank You!