about designmerge

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!