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RICOH Printing Systems DDP Server
Database Print Manager
Reference Guide
SOFHA GmbH
Version 2.1
N905306
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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 Reference Guide – this manual The DPM reference guide is stored in machine readable form (PDF format) on the DDP Server CD-ROM. You may print it for use with your DDP Server. The following
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Contents Preface .......................................................................................................................................ii General 1 Database Print Manager Overview ............................................................................................1 Prerequisites...............................................................................................................................1 DPM Installation..............................................
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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 for digital office, production, print for pay and graphic design users. Using DPM enables you to personalize documents by performing text and image substitution. It automatically inserts variab
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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 application 3. Launch DPM to edit and preview the template with merged data 4. Add a form or finishing options to the DPM print job (optional) 5. Print the DPM job Database Source A database is use
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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 <>, a single bracket and brace like <{tag}> or a single brace and bracket like {}. DPM will recognize any of these markers. The marker must be the same throughout the document, and it must be used in the document only to mark tags. The tag is a name or word that corresponds to a field n
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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 limited to eps, TIFF and jpg. After preparing the database, a DPM control file can be created. Creating a DPM control file The DPM control file contains additional information needed by DPM to pe
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After all settings informations have been entered, select File » Save to save the DPM control file. The template can now be viewed and personalized. Selecting a Database Source The database must be established before creating a DPM template. In the Settings dialog of DPM, across from Database, select the Browse button. This will connect DPM and the template with the target database. DPM will launch Select Data Source from Windows, so you can select the correct database driver and give
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Select a Type of Data Source (probably a user data source). Then select Next. Select the driver for the database source, then select Next. Then select Finish. Select the database file and provide a name and location. Click OK. Select the database name from Machine Data Source. Click OK to return to DPM. The path for the database has now been established and connected DPM to the target database. 6 • Creating a DPM Template Database Print Manager Reference
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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 see Template and Control File. Inserting Tags To insert a text tag, enter the field name, surrounded by the chosen marker, e.g. «client_name» or <>. The marker must be the same t
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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 place holders for the document to be personalized. DPM offers the following dialogs to work on a DPM job: • Settings – this establishes and shows the control information for a DPM job. • Da
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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 a Template. The Preview bar contains buttons for navigating in the preview. See Previewing Documents. The Status line at the bottom of the window displays status messages and hints. While a
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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 the database • the path used for variable images • the qualification of tags For more details see Creating a DPM control file. 10 • Viewing and printing a DPM Template Database Print Ma
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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. It is recommended to check and make sure all data entries exist and are correct. Use the scroll bars to move to the desired data entry or cell. You can select Extras » Refresh Database to
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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 an automatic paragraph analysis on the template. You may want to use Preview before editing a template. This allows you to check if the variable data elements are substituted correctly. If
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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 edit images, find the Image editing tool and click on it. It is located within the Acrobat tool bar and has the shape of a little window with an arrow. To edit a bitmap image select it by cl
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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 by the user. Marked paragraphs are automatically reflowed when DPM jobs are previewed and printed. This provides proper alignment and document flow desired by the user. Paragraph reflow is base
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• Split to fixed lines – this splits the selected paragraph into single lines. Additionally each paragraph gets the attribute “Fixed position”. • Clear underlying paragraph’s attributes – this clears marking, alignment and line spacing properties currently associated with the selected paragraph and allows to reassign these attributes. • Clear last paragraph’s attributes – this undoes the last assignment of properties to a paragraph. • Clear all paragraph’s attributes – this clears alig
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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 personalized documents, click the navigation buttons in the preview bar, or select Extras » First / Previous / Next / Last record. This will show the respective personalized document. To step thr
