Page 2 - Preface
Preface Welcome to Database Print Manager (DPM)! DPM is the variable data printing solution of the DDP Server printing system. DPM is described in the following manuals: • DDP Server User Guide – describing the installation and giving an overview of all DDP Server components • Database Print Manager...
Page 3 - Contents; General 1
Contents Preface ....................................................................................................................................... ii General 1 Database Print Manager Overview ............................................................................................ 1 Prerequ...
Page 5 - General; Database Print Manager Overview; Prerequisites
General Database Print Manager Overview Database Print Manager (DPM) is the variable data printing solution of the DDP Server printing system. It is designed to be simple to install and operate, compatible with widely used word processing and database applications, and a constructive document tool f...
Page 6 - Template and control file
DPM Installation DPM is installed during the DDP Server installation. See the DDP Server User Guide for details of the installation. Basic Steps The basic workflow steps for using DPM are as follows: 1. Select or create a database to use with DPM 2. Create a DPM template using your favorite applicat...
Page 7 - Tags and Field Names; Images; Paragraph reflow
Tags and Field Names A tag in the DPM template represents a placeholder for variable data. A tag is identified by an enclosing marker which may be french brackets like «tag», double brackets like <<tag>>, a single bracket and brace like <{tag}> or a single brace and bracket like {&...
Page 8 - Preparing a Database
Creating a DPM Template Preparing a Database It is recommended to first create and fill in data into a database or identify an existing database to use with a DPM job. Type of data supported by DPM include text strings and graphics or images. Graphics/image formats supported include but are not limi...
Page 11 - Creating a Template Document; Saving the Template file as PDF
Creating a Template Document A DPM template consists of static elements (text, graphics, and images), and variable elements represented by tags. You may create a DPM template using any application which can layout pages, e.g. Microsoft Word and Quark QuarkXPress. For more information about templates...
Page 12 - Opening a DPM Control File
Viewing and printing a DPM Template Opening a DPM Control File To preview and print a DPM job, double click a DPM control file within Windows Explorer, or launch DPM and select File » Open to select a DPM control file. A properly created control file refers to a template file containing layout and p...
Page 13 - The DPM Window
The DPM Window You can select DPM functions from the pull down menus or the tool bar. You can control what tools are displayed from the View menu. The Tool bar allows to switch between the different viewing and editing dialogs. The Template bar contains buttons for editing the template. See Editing ...
Page 14 - DPM Settings
DPM Settings To enter the Settings dialog click the Settings button in the tool bar, or select View » Settings . The Settings dialog allows you to enter information for the control file of the DPM job: • the filename of the template • the marker used to distinguish tags • the access information for ...
Page 15 - Viewing the Database
Viewing the Database After launching DPM and establishing the data paths you can check the database. Click the Database button in the tool bar, or select View » Database after completing the Settings requirements. The database interface displays field names and data records to be used by the DPM job...
Page 16 - Editing a Template
Editing a Template To edit a template click the Template button in the tool bar, or select View » Template . DPM provides image and text tools to edit a template. Editing can be helpful before previewing documents as it allows you to adjust text alignments, mark images for replacement, and perform a...
Page 17 - Editing Image Properties
Editing Image Properties Editing images is needed to associate a tag with them. When a DPM template is created, you need to mark images with tags within DPM. It is important to have the correct tag associated with each image. Images can not be substituted correctly if the tag is wrong or missing. To...
Page 18 - Editing paragraph properties
Editing paragraph properties Editing text may be needed to adjust information about alignment and boundaries of paragraphs. For proper text flow, paragraphs need to be marked before personalization. This is done automatically by the built-in paragraph scan of DPM. Paragraph marking can be adjusted b...
Page 20 - Previewing Documents
Previewing Documents To examine the results of merging variable data with the DPM template click the Preview button in the tool bar, or select View » Preview . Preview allows you to scroll through each document to verify that data substitution and alignments are correct. To step through the personal...
Page 22 - Distribution by E-Mail
Distribution by E-Mail You can distribute a DPM template by E-Mail. In order to do this, DPM will create a PDF file for each record in your database and send it to an address given in the database, using your standard mail program. To send the template by E-Mail, select File » Send as E-Mail . This ...
Page 23 - Glossary
Glossary Term/Abbreviation Explanation .DPM file Template file saved in DPM format which launches Database Print Manager on double click. .tsv Tab separated values, an exchange format for spreadsheet applications. Acrobat s. Adobe Acrobat Adobe Acrobat An application for creating and editing PDF fil...
