Variable Data Workflow From Design to Production

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Variable Data WorkflowFrom Design to
Production

• Presenter Karen Lytle, Executive
  VP-Marketing

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Agenda

• Lytrod Software Overview
• What is workflow?
• 6 steps to an effective VI Workflow
• Advantage of Xerox Freeflow and Lytrod Software
  DDC
• DDC vs pre-composition
• Other variable workflows
• Next Steps

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Lytrod Software Overview

• Lytrod Software is Celebrating 22 Years of
  Experience in Supporting Xerox Technologies
• Established in 1985
• Software Developers
• Corporate Headquarters in Fairfield, CA

Sacramento
San Francisco

• Lytrod Software Designer Products
• Direct Mail Variable Data Design Software
• Trans-Promo Statement Design Software
• Variable OMR Bubble Forms Design Software
• Xerox Legacy Technology Migration Software
• Driving FULL COLOR and Monochrome Printers
• Solutions for Office, Graphic Arts, Midrange, and
  Enterprise Environments
• Xerox Advanced Partner
• Optimized for FreeFlow
• Xerox Software Partner of the Year two years
  running

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What is workflow?

• Webster
• The proactive analysis, compression, and
  automation of information-based business cycles.
• Real World
• A well conducted orchestra of People, Processes,
  Technology and Knowledge working harmoniously to
  get business done.

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Where does the time go?

• Task Time
• Someone doing something
• Process Time
• Something doing something
• Transfer Time
• Someone or something moving something through the
  workflow
• Queue Time
• Someone or something waiting for someone or
  something
• Implement a VI workflow that doesnt waste time
  (Money)!!

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Step 1 - Planning

• Clearly define the finished piece
• Follow the Business
• What is the desired outcome of the document?
• To Sell, Promote, Bill, Remember, Etc.
• Follow the Document

• Finished piece size
• Printer media/speed limitations
• Finishing Options
• Data Source
• Variable Options
• Run Length

• Fonts
• Images
• Design Resources
• Postal Sorting
• Colors Available

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Step 2 Mock-Up

• Representation of the finished piece
• Static Elements
• Conditional logic
• Images
• Text
• Media
• Slip Sheets
• Calculations
• Imposition
• Sample Data (with production format field names,
  xml tags, pcc, etc.)

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Step 2 Mock-up Example
V2
ltAgent_Picgt
V3
V1
V1 for Gender Male, V2 for Gender Female, V3
for Gender unknown
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Step 3 Design for Digital

• Design for Digital
• Image size rotation
• Scale and Rotate the resources
• Image resolution
• 300 dpi Do over do it!
• Font selection
• PostScript Type 1 Fonts
• Color Management
• Beware of embedded profiles!
• Just because you can, Should you?
• Focus on the Business of the document
• Design the Data Mine the Line
• Think about the document when designing the data
• Use tools that will allow data transformation
  without changing the original data file!

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Step 4 Gather the resources

• Art Work (.eps from Design Suite)
• Quark, InDesign, Publisher, Etc
• Fonts
• Include fonts used in artwork
• Text Files
• .txt, .rtf
• Images
• Low resolution and High resolution
• Color Specifications
• Pantone, CMYK mix
• Rules
• For conditional logic. Written as simple
  statements.
• Data
• Sample data file with exact formatting of the
  production data

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Step 5 Assemble the VI Document

• Use tools designed for Variable Data
• Proform Designer
• Graphic Arts VI Designer
• Stay away from Plug In solutions
• Plug-in Technology does not produce true Dynamic
  Document Construction resources required for
  production printing.
• Inside Tip Hybrid VIPP is NOT DDC VIPP Huge
  difference!!
• VI Document Design brings the resources together,
  defines the conditional logic, and packages the
  resources in a easy to transfer digital
  Container. This is referred to as a Xerox
  Freeflow VPC file, or VIPP Project Container.
• Produce a PDF proof of a sample data file
• VI Document Design tool should output a resource
  package, not a pre-composed print file!

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Step 6 Production Printing

• The Power of DDC is realized in the production
  printing job submission!!
• JUST SEND THE DATA to the Xerox Freeflow VI
  enabled printer!
• The Xerox Production Printing System will process
  and print the data file simultaneously
• This means the job starts printing immediately!
  With 50 records, or 50,000 records, the time to
  submit a data file to the time the VI jobs begins
  printing is just seconds!!

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Understanding DDC

• VIPP Dynamic Document Construction
• Variable data and relevant customer information
  iscollected and sent separately to the printer
• VIPP is invoked to dynamically construct the
  page.
• Drastically reduces file size and greatly speeds
  upthe printer processing.

Mary Smith 123 Main St Anycity, USA 12345
Data Data Data
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Lytrod Automates the Process

• Lytrod Enhances the VI Workflow with New Features

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DocuSP Print

• Current print challenges
• Print queues expect print files
• VIPP Workflow Review
• Create template resources
• Just Send the Data
• VIPP Project Containers (VPC) more than just a
  zip file a PRINT FILE!
• DocuSP Queue Management
• Hot Folders!

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Create Hot Folder for the VIPP Enabled Queue

• In Queue manager highlight the queue and right
  click to access the menu.

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Create Mapped Drive on PC
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New Designer Save Option
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New Support of MultiPage PDF

• Select ellipses ()
• Select PDF, Open
• Select ADD
• When asked to use same data record on each page
  answer YES

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A page is create for each PDF page!

• Delete the blank page
• Select blank, select Delete

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Design artwork using ANY application!
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One License Drives Multiple Printers!
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Production Job Submission from any Source!
Internet
PC Or MAC
Mainframe
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Supports DocuSP, Fiery, and CREO DFEs
Imbedded Postscript
EFI FIERY
XEROX DocuSP
CREO
Creo VPS Workflow (XMPie)
Fiery Freeform Workflow (PrintShop Mail)
True VIPP/DDC Workflow Lytrod Graphic Arts VI
Designer
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Other Variable Workflows

• Many say they emit VIPP but
• Are they just a plug-in
• Do they support DDC?
• Perhaps some VIPP commands are inserted into
  composed PostScript, virtually eliminating the
  value of VIPP
• Question if they support other precomposition
  workflows such as PostScript, PPML, VPS
• True DDC requires only the data as a print file
• Limited by the software applicationBecause they
  are really JUST AN ENTRY LEVEL PLUG-IN

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Next Steps Let us identify your needs
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Visit our website www.lytrod.com
Over 70 variable applications with supporting
marketing tools
LytrodLive Ongoing Educational Webinars
Create a personalized document with these on-line
demos!
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We are ON YOUR TEAM!

• VP of Marketing
• Karen Lytle
• klytle_at_lytrod.com
• 1 707-422-9221
• Technical Marketing Manager
• Cynthia Osborn
• cosborn_at_lytrod.com
• 1 707-422-9221
• Technical Support
• 1st Level Local
• 2nd Level Xerox Technical Support Centers
• 3rd Level Lytrod Softwaresupport_at_lytrod.com
  Lead Richard Zabala1-707-422-9221
  (630am-430pm PST)

Karen Lytle Cynthia Osborn
Richard Zabala Technical Solutions Manager