Variable Data Print

in Founder ElecRoc™
Version 6

User Guide

September 2015

Beijing Founder Electronics Co., Ltd.

The software described in this manual is furnished under a license agreement and may be
used only in accordance with the terms of the agreement.

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 Table of Contents i

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Usage Overview ........................................................................ 1

Chapter 2 Data Convert Tool .................................................................... 5

2.1 Single Data File ............................................................................................ 5
1) Start the Tool .................................................................................................5
2) Choose Original Data ....................................................................................5
3) Configure parameters ....................................................................................7
4) Save the Settings ...........................................................................................8
5) Data Preview .................................................................................................8
6) Submit for Conversion ..................................................................................9
2.2 Composite Data File – CSV ......................................................................... 10
1) Choose Original Data .................................................................................. 10
2) Wizard’s step 1: Frame Analyze .................................................................. 11
3) Wizard’s step 2: Field Divide ...................................................................... 12
4) Wizard’s step 3: Data Structure ................................................................... 14
5) Wizard’s step 4: File Combine .................................................................... 15
6) Wizard’s step 5: Final Structure .................................................................. 16
7) Data Preview ............................................................................................... 17
8) File Conversion ........................................................................................... 18
2.3 Composite Data File – Fixed Length ........................................................... 18
1) Choose Original Data .................................................................................. 18
2) Wizard’s step 1: Frame Analyze .................................................................. 19
3) Wizard’s step 2: Field Divide ...................................................................... 20
4) Wizard’s step 3: Data Structure ................................................................... 22
5) Wizard’s step 4: File Combine .................................................................... 23
6) Wizard’s step 5: Final Structure .................................................................. 24
7) Data Preview ............................................................................................... 25
8) File Conversion ........................................................................................... 26
2.4 Database File ................................................................................................ 26
1) Choose Original Data .................................................................................. 26
2) Wizard’s step 1: Frame Analyze .................................................................. 28
3) Wizard’s step 2: Field Divide ...................................................................... 28
4) Wizard’s step 3: Data Structure ................................................................... 29
5) Wizard’s step 4: File Combine .................................................................... 30
6) Wizard’s step 5: Final Structure .................................................................. 31
7) Data Preview ............................................................................................... 32
8) File Conversion ........................................................................................... 33
ii Variable Data Print User Guide

Chapter 3 VDP Editor.............................................................................. 35

3.1 Resource Management ................................................................................. 35
3.2 Create New Template ................................................................................... 36
3.3 Add Items ..................................................................................................... 38
3.4 Configure Items ............................................................................................ 38
1) Size & Position............................................................................................ 38
2) Image........................................................................................................... 39
3) Graphic ........................................................................................................ 40
4) Barcode ....................................................................................................... 42
5) Text.............................................................................................................. 43
3.5 Preview ......................................................................................................... 44
3.6 Save Template .............................................................................................. 45

Chapter 4 VDP Generator ....................................................................... 47

 Usage Overview 1

Chapter 1 Usage Overview

The VDP (variable data print) module in ElecRoc is designed to output
various types of files such as .txt, .csv and .excel that contain variable data,
as an .inx file, in the layout or format that the data will be printed. The INX
file can then be submitted to ElecRoc for digital / inkjet printing.
The process is mainly comprised of the following steps:
1. Enter into VDP module. In ElecRoc’s job window, you can click the
rightmost toolbar icon to enter into the VDP module. As shown in the
below, its main body is an INX file list, while three icons located at the
upper-right corner ( / / ) represent its three key tools.

Figure 1 ElecRoc’s job window

2. Data conversion. Click the icon to run the data convert tool,
converting one or more .txt (or .csv/.excel) files that contain variable data
into an .epd data file, an intermediary format employed in the VDP module.
The EPD file is the basis for the next step “template creation”. For details
on data conversion, refer to Chapter 2.
3. Template creation. Click the icon to run the VDP Editor,
defining via a template the layout or format the variable data will be
printed. For details about the Editor, refer to Chapter 3.
2 Variable Data Print User Guide

4. INX generation. After you have got the EPD data file and the
template, you can generate the INX file. Click the icon to generate the
INX file. For details about the generation, refer to Chapter 4.
5. INX output. INX files’ output and related operations can be done
with the toolbar icons located at the upper-left corner, or with the
right-click menu items. See the following figure.

Figure 2 VDP user interface

1) Preview. Before real print, a preview aiming to check out the
output result and thus avoid any possible print error is recommended.
Choose an INX file and then click the toolbar icon ，or right-click the INX
and then choose Preview, to open the following dialog box. Specify the page
range and then click OK. The file for preview is in PDF format, and in
general, the system will automatically start your Adobe Reader to open it.

Figure 3 Preview INX

2) Submit. After you have generated an INX file, click the refresh icon
to show up it. And then you can submit for output (being printed or
exported), in three ways.
Way ①: Drag and drop the INX file onto the node in your job. This way
supports 3 types of nodes, inkjet printer, digital printer, and PDF Export.
Way ②: Choose the INX file and make use of the toolbar icons. A click
on the icon will list all the inkjet or digital printing nodes in your job for
selection. And a click on the icon lists all the PDF Export nodes.
 Usage Overview 3

Way ③: Right-click the INX file. The short-cut menu contains a

command Submit to Output Processors, with which you can open the following
dialog box.

Figure 4 Submit INX

Choose a node from the dropdown list, which contains all the inkjet &
digital printing nodes from your job. The number in brackets indicates the
node ID, which identifies the node in case that there are same node names
in your job. In addition, you can specify the output range.
3) Import/Export. The system supports you to import or export an
INX file into or out of the INX file list.
Click the icon to import an INX file. This brings convenience for
repetitive use of an INX file, e.g. in some cases an existing INX file can
save you a lot of time needed to run the data convert tool, the Editor and
the Generator over again.
Click the icon to export an INX file. Also this can be done by
dragging and dropping the INX file to a PDF Export node in your job. Being
exported from ElecRoc to any specified location, the INX file can be easily
backed up or saved for repetitive use.
4) Delete/Empty.
An INX file can be deleted from ElecRoc by clicking the toolbar icon
or by right-clicking the INX file and choosing Delete.
All the INX files in current job can be deleted from ElecRoc by clicking
the toolbar icon or by right-clicking any file and choosing Empty.
 Data Convert Tool 5

Chapter 2 Data Convert Tool

This tool is designed to help the VDP module, especially the Editor,
identify the data contained in your clients’ various types of data files. The
original data files from your clients may be .txt or .csv files, or Excel
workbooks, or even SQL Server and Access database files. With this tool,
all of these file types will be converted into an intermediary file format that
can be identified by the system, i.e. .epd.

Enabling the VDP module to correctly identify the data inside your
clients’ files, the data conversion will not damage or lose any original data.

In this tool, original data is classified into 3 types: Single, Composite, and
Database. Sections 2.1-2.3 below are steps for converting the Single and
Composite data, while Section 2.4 is for the Database.

2.1 Single Data File

1) Launch the Tool
Click the rightmost toolbar icon in ElecRoc’s job window to enter
into the VDP module. And then click the icon to run the convert tool.

Figure 5 Launch the data convert tool

2) Choose Original Data

1) Choose a data type, here we take the simplest type Single Data as
example (it is checked by default), see ①.

2) Click the button Select File, see ②, and then choose from your local
computer or network the original data file. Also this can be done by
specifying a full file path.
6 Variable Data Print User Guide

Figure 6 Choose original data file

Note: The example here is a CSV file named sample1.txt that can be opened with
Windows Notepad. As shown in the below, it contains many lines of data, and each
line consists of 6 pieces of data, separated by comma. Data in real production is
perhaps simpler than this example, for instance, it might contain only barcode
number.

Figure 7 Example file

Click Confirm to enter into the following window.
 Data Convert Tool 7

4 3

Figure 8 Initial result

3) Configure parameters
Configure the following parameters at the lower-right corner (see ③):

Text Encoding: specify the encoding mode used by the original file, e.g.
ANSI, so that all characters in the file can be identified.

Field Separators: specify or input the separator used between any two
data segments each line in the original file, e.g. comma.

DataFilter: The first line in the original file is often the names for the
variables (or fields), and thus cannot be regarded as data and should be
filtered. Click the button aside the DataFilter parameter to open a dialog
box, see ④, and then choose First Line Data and click Add, and then click
OK.

Click Yes in case that you see the following pop-up when you are
configuring the above parameters.

Figure 9 Pop-up
As displayed in the Structure area (located at the upper-right corner),
8 Variable Data Print User Guide

the first line has been identified as field names, see ⑤.

4) Save the Settings

Click the toolbar icon ，see ⑥, to save the above settings.
6
5

Figure 10 Save the settings

5) Data Preview
Click the toolbar icon , and input the data range you want to preview,
see ⑦, and then click Confirm. The result shows what fields are contained
in each line of data, and what detailed value is for each filed.

Figure 11 Data preview

 Data Convert Tool 9

6) Submit for Conversion

Return to the main window and click the toolbar icon . If converted
successfully, a hint pops up. In case that you want to stop the conversion
halfway, you can click the toolbar icon .

Figure 12 Data Conversion

Now you have completed the conversion. And you can exit the tool.
Note: Operations are different if you chose an original data file of fixed length.
1) In this case, choose Fixed Length for the Field Separators parameter.

Figure 13 Choose original data file

2) In the next window, choose the Structure node at the upper-right corner, see ①,
and then at the left area, press down and drag the left mouse button to choose a data
of certain length, and then release the mouse button. Input field name in the pop-up
dialog and then click OK, see ②. In this way, you have defined a field and set its
values.
10 Variable Data Print User Guide

Figure 14 Field divide

Repeat the above operation to divide the rest data into multiple fields.

2.2 Composite Data File – CSV

1) Choose Original Data
After you enter into the tool, choose Composite Data, and then choose a
CSV file by using the button Select File, and then click Confirm.

Figure 15 Choose original data file

Note: This dialog box can be opened anytime by clicking the toolbar icon , or
by choosing from the main menu File > New Data Mode.

The example used here is named sample1.csv, which can be opened by

Notepad or Excel. As shown in the below, it contains many lines, and each
 Data Convert Tool 11

line consists of 6 pieces of data, separated each other by a comma. The

first line is names, and the rest lines are data and different from each other.
Data in real production perhaps is simpler than this example, for instance,
it might contain only barcode number.

Figure 16 Example file

2) Wizard’s step 1: Frame Analyze

A wizard window appears after you click Confirm in the previous step.
The first step of the wizard is named Frame Analyze.

Figure 17 Frame Analyze

1) On the directory tree in the middle of the window, ensure that the
original file File1 is being selected, see①.

2) Configure parameters at the lower-right corner as follows, see②:

Set Field Separators to a comma (this is because each piece of data in

the example original file is separated by a comma).

Set Recording Parse Mode to Fixed row (this is because each line in the
example original file is different from each other). A hint pops up. Click Yes.
12 Variable Data Print User Guide

Figure 18 Hint
Filter out the first line at the DataFilter parameter. As to the example
used here, its first line is names, and should not be regarded as data, and
thus need to be filtered. Click the DataFilter parameter to open a dialog box,
choose First Line Data from the dropdown list, and then click Add and OK.

Figure 19 Filter the first line

3) Click Next.

3) Wizard’s step 2: Field Divide

The second step of the wizard is Field Divide.
 Data Convert Tool 13

Figure 20 Field divide

First, check if the type and name for each field are correct. The type is
Character by default. If it is actually not Character, please set it to its real type.
As to the name, once being filtered, the first line will automatically be
regarded as field names, and in this case, you do not need to change them.
In case that the first line is not filtered, the names by default will be Field1,
Field2, and so on. For better memory, please re-name them at your will.

1) In the middle of the window, see①, expand the Structure node (by
clicking ) to show up all the fields (the example above contains 6 fields).
And then choose a field.

2) See②, to change the type, find out the Field type parameter at the
lower-right corner and choose its right type. To change the name, find out
the parameter Name and input a new name.

Then, if needed, you can further divide a field (see steps 3)-6) below).
CSV file often uses symbols such as comma to divide a line into several
fields, and thus a further divide is usually not needed.

3) If you need to divide a field, choose the field and then choose a
suitable option at the Split type parameter, see③. Here we take the option
CSV as example, and then choose a separator at Field Separators (input
manually in case that your needed option is not in the list). The result will
be immediately displayed in the left table.
14 Variable Data Print User Guide

Figure 21 Divide a field

4) The icon becomes activated when you have chosen a field divide
mode. Click this icon or right-click a field and then choose Insert node, to
open a dialog, see④. Input the node name and click OK.

5) Repeat the step 4) to insert another node, i.e. by steps 4)-5) you
will create two sub-fields under the field, see⑤.

6) Choose the first sub-field and set its Field index to 1. And similarly,
set that for the second sub-field to 2, see⑥.

And then, click Next.

4) Wizard’s step 3: Data Structure

Expand all nodes to see if the data structure determined by previous
two steps is correct or not. If correct, click Next to continue; if not, you can
click Back to re-configure.
 Data Convert Tool 15

Figure 22 Data structure

5) Wizard’s step 4: File Combine

The system asks if you want to add other data file, after you click Next
in the previous step.

Figure 23 Add File

If needed, click Yes. If not, click No to continue the next step.

If you choose Yes, you will then repeat the previous 4 steps, i.e. to
choose a new data file, and then analyze, divide, and confirm structure, till
you see the above pop-up over again. Then click No to see the following
user interface.
16 Variable Data Print User Guide

1 2

3
Figure 24 File Combination
Here we take the Keywords mode as example.

1) Choose a file as main file, e.g. File1, and then choose a field from the
main file as Main Key One.

2) Choose a file as sub file, e.g. later-added File2, and then choose a
field from the minor file as Sub Key One.

To set up an effective file combination, the values for the two fields
Main Key One and Sub Key One must be completely the same.

3) Click Add.

Click Next.

6) Wizard’s step 5: Final Structure

This step displays the final data structure, determined by the previous
steps, for you to confirm.

If correct, click the toolbar icon to save the settings.

 Data Convert Tool 17

Figure 25 Final data structure

7) Data Preview
Click the toolbar icon in the above window. And then, in the pop-up
window, input the preview range, and click Confirm.

The result appears in the below, showing what fields are contained in
each line of data, and what detailed value for each field is.

Figure 26 Data preview

18 Variable Data Print User Guide

8) File Conversion
Return to the main window, and click the button Convert or the toolbar
icon . In case that you want to stop the conversion halfway, you can click
the toolbar icon .

Figure 27 Data Conversion

A box pops up showing if the converting is successful. Now you have
completed the conversion and can exit the tool.

2.3 Composite Data File – Fixed Length

1) Choose Original Data
After you enter into the tool, choose Composite Data, and then choose a
file of fixed length by using the button Select File, and set the Field Separators
to Fixed Length, then click Confirm.
 Data Convert Tool 19

Figure 28 Choose original data file

Note: The example used here is named sample1.txt, which can be opened by
Notepad. As shown in the below, it contains many lines, and each line’s length is fixed
and absolutely the same, without any separator.

Figure 29 Example file

2) Wizard’s step 1: Frame Analyze

A wizard window appears after you click Confirm in the previous step.
The first step of the wizard is named Frame Analyze.
20 Variable Data Print User Guide

Figure 30 Frame Analyze

1) On the directory tree in the middle window, ensure that the original
file File1 is being selected, see①.

2) Configure parameters at the lower-right corner as follows, see②:

Set Data Parse Mode to Fixed row (this is because each line in the original
file is different from each other).

Configure the DataFilter parameter if needed (Because the example file

used here is comprised entirely of data, and thus nothing needs to be
filtered).

3) At the bottom of the window, click the icon to open a dialog box,
see③. Choose the type Rows, input node name and then click OK.

Click Next.

3) Wizard’s step 2: Field Divide

The second step of the wizard is Field Divide.
 Data Convert Tool 21

Figure 31 Field Divide

1) In the middle of the window, see①, choose the Rows node created in
the step 1 Frame Analyze.

2) At the upper-left of the window, press down and drag your left
mouse button to choose a certain length of data as the values for a field,
see②, and then release the mouse button to open a dialog box. Input the
field name and click OK.

Also this operation can be done as follows:

3) Choose the Rows node created in the step 1 Frame Analyze, and then
click the icon at the bottom of the window to open a dialog box, see③.
Choose the type Field, and then input field name and click OK.

Figure 32 Insert field

4) Choose the newly-created field node on the directory tree, and then
22 Variable Data Print User Guide

in the left data area, press down and drag your left mouse button to
choose a certain length of data as the values for the field, and then release
the mouse button to open a hint box. And choose OK. Values for the field
can also be specified by way of the parameters Field Offset and Field Length
at the lower-right corner, see④. The former refers to at which digit each
value starts and the later refers to how many digits each value contains.

Figure 33 Specify the values

Repeat any of the two ways above to divide the rest data into multiple
fields.

After the dividing, please set correct type for each field. And each
divided field, if needed, can be further divided into several sub-fields (see
step 2 in previous Section 2.2).

Click Next.

4) Wizard’s step 3: Data Structure

Expand all nodes to see if the data structure determined by the
previous two steps is correct. If correct, click Next to continue; if not, you
can click Back to re-configure.
 Data Convert Tool 23

Figure 34 Data structure

5) Wizard’s step 4: File Combine

The system asks if you want to add other data file, after you click Next
in the previous step.

Figure 35 Add File

If needed, click Yes. If not, click No to continue the next step.

If you choose Yes, you will then repeat the previous 4 steps, i.e. to
choose a new data file, and then analyze, divide, and confirm structure, till
you see the above pop-up over again. Then click No to see the following
user interface.
24 Variable Data Print User Guide

1 2

Figure 36 File Combination

Here we take the Keywords mode as example.

1) Choose a file as main file, e.g. File1, and then choose a field from the
main file as Main Key One.

2) Choose a file as sub file, e.g. later-added File2, and then choose a
field from the minor file as Sub Key One.

To set up an effective file combination, the values for the two fields
Main Key One and Sub Key One must be completely the same.

3) Click Add.

Click Next.

6) Wizard’s step 5: Final Structure

This step displays the final data structure, determined by the previous
steps, for you to confirm.

If correct, click the toolbar icon to save the settings.

 Data Convert Tool 25

Figure 37 Final data structure

7) Data Preview
Click the toolbar icon in the above window. And then, in the pop-up
window, input the preview range, and click Confirm.

The result appears in the below, showing what fields are contained in
each line of data, and what detailed value for each field is.

Figure 38 Data preview

26 Variable Data Print User Guide

8) File Conversion
Return to the main window, and click the button Convert or the toolbar
icon . In case that you want to stop the conversion halfway, you can click
the toolbar icon .

Figure 39 Data Conversion

A box pops up showing if the converting is successful. Now you have
completed the conversion and can exit the tool.

2.4 Database File

1) Choose Original Data
After you enter into the tool, choose Database, and then you will see a
dialog box popped up, see the left figure below.

Figure 40 Database
1) At the parameter Data Source, choose Excel (see①, here we take
 Data Convert Tool 27

Excel as example, if needed, you can choose other option).

2) At the parameter File Name, see② above, input the full file path or
click Browse to choose the Excel file.

3) See③ above, Click the button Select to open the following dialog box,
and in which you need to tick the sheets you want to use.

Figure 41 Choose Data Sheets

Note: The example used here is named Sample.xls, and can be opened with Excel.
It contains three sheets. The two sheets ticked in the above figure contain the
content as shown in the below.

Figure 42 Example file

28 Variable Data Print User Guide

2) Wizard’s step 1: Frame Analyze

A wizard window appears after you click Confirm in the previous step.
The first step of the wizard is named Frame Analyze.

Figure 43 Frame Analyze

1) Choose a sheet from the directory tree located at the upper-right
corner of the window, see①, by default, the last sheet will be selected.

2) Click Next.

3) Wizard’s step 2: Field Divide

The second step of the wizard is Field Divide.
 Data Convert Tool 29

Figure 44 Field Divide

1) The system automatically finishes the work of dividing fields.
Expand the node Table Structure (see①, by clicking ) located in the middle
of the window, and you can see the automatically-generated fields (in the
example above, four fields are displayed).

2) By default, the system names the fields with the content in the first
row of the sheet. If needed, you can choose a field and then rename it at
the lower-right corner of the window, see②.

Click Next.

4) Wizard’s step 3: Data Structure

Expand all nodes to see if the data structure determined by the
previous two steps is correct.
30 Variable Data Print User Guide

Figure 45 Data Structure

If you have ticked more than one sheet, please choose other sheet
located at the upper-right corner, and then repeat the previous three steps
to determine its data structure.

When you have determined all sheets’ data structures, click Next to
continue; if not, you can click Back to re-configure.

5) Wizard’s step 4: File Combine

The system asks if you want to add other data file, after you click Next
in the previous step.

Figure 46 Add File

If needed, click Yes. If not, click No to continue the next step.

If you choose Yes, you will then repeat the previous 4 steps, i.e. to
choose a new data file, and then analyze, divide, and confirm structure, till
you see the above pop-up over again. Then click No to see the following
 Data Convert Tool 31

user interface.

1 2

Figure 47 File Combination

Here we take the Keywords mode as example.

1) Choose a file as main file, e.g. Sheet1, and then choose a field from
the main file as Main Key One.

2) Choose a file as sub file, e.g. later-added Sheet2, and then choose a
field from the minor file as Sub Key One.

To set up an effective file combination, the values for the two fields
Main Key One and Sub Key One must be completely the same.

3) Click Add.

Click Next.

6) Wizard’s step 5: Final Structure

This step displays the final data structure, determined by the previous
steps, for you to confirm.

If correct, click the toolbar icon to save the settings.

32 Variable Data Print User Guide

Figure 48 Final data structure

7) Data Preview
Click the toolbar icon in the above window. And then, in the pop-up
window, input the preview range, and click Confirm.

The result appears in the below, showing what fields are contained in
each line of data, and what detailed value for each field is.

Figure 49 Data preview

 Data Convert Tool 33

8) File Conversion
Return to the main window, and click the button Convert or the toolbar
icon . In case that you want to stop the conversion halfway, you can click
the toolbar icon .

Figure 50 Data Conversion

A box pops up showing if the converting is successful. Now you have
completed the conversion and can exit the tool.
 VDP Editor 35

Chapter 3 VDP Editor

The Editor is used to design the layout or format by which the variable
data is printed. Its outcome is a template file.

Click the rightmost toolbar icon in ElecRoc’s job window to enter

into the VDP module. And then click the icon to run the Editor.

Figure 51 Main window

3.1 Resource Management

We recommend you first to upload into the system the pictures and
PDF files you want to use.

Choose from the main menu Resource > Resource Manager to open the
upload window.

We take the picture uploading as example. At the time when you print
variable barcodes on a product’s package box, you may need to use the
design picture of the package box as background, to play a reference role,
so that you can better determine the barcode’s position.
36 Variable Data Print User Guide

Figure 52 Resource Management

Choose the icon at the upper-left corner, and then choose at the left
pane the pictures you want to upload, from your local computer hard disk,
and then click the button to upload. Pictures shown at the right pane are
uploaded ones available for use.

Return to the main window, and now you can create your template.

3.2 Create New Template

Each time when you start up the Editor, a new template will be created
automatically. By clicking the toolbar icon or by choosing from the main
menu File > New Template, you can manually create a new one.

At the lower-left pane, choose Doc Layout and then configure the
template’s properties by way of the parameters displayed at the rightmost
pane. Mainly, please use Page Definition and Data Template to set the page
size and the EPD data file.

As to other parameters, define them according to your actual needs.

For instance, the resolution is 600x600 dpi by default. If you want to use
another resolution, before you create a new template, choose from the
main menu Edit > Preferences, and then define it by way of the parameters
Normal > Horizontal/Vertical Resolution. Its value range is 300-1200 dpi.
 VDP Editor 37

Figure 53 Template Properties

Page Definition: The size and orientation for the finally-generated file.
The default setting is A4 Portrait.

Data Template: The EPD file generated by the data convert tool. By
clicking the blank area behind this parameter, you will activate a button ;
and by clicking this button, you will open a window, in which you can
choose an EPD data file you want to use.
Note: In case that you are using simple data, i.e. data with single structure or
the Simple data supported by the data convert tool, you can directly use the Editor’s
Data Binding instead of using the data convert tool to generate an EPD file.

Figure 54 Data Binding

38 Variable Data Print User Guide

3.3 Add Items

In the toolbar lists 8 types of items that can be added into a template.
To add an item, drag and drop it to suitable position on the page. As
example, here we add some commonly-used items, including image,
graph, barcode and text.

Drag and drop

onto the page

Figure 55 Add Items

3.4 Configure Items

Respectively choose the added items and configure their properties.
This work can be done by using the parameters at the right pane, or
right-click menu commands, or main menu commands.

1) Size & Position

There are three methods to adjust the size and position.

Center an item
on the page

2
3

Figure 56 Size & position

1) Choose an item and use a drag & drop to randomly move it. And
 VDP Editor 39

being selected, each item shows 8 orientation points at its 4 sides and 4
angles. Move the cursor onto such point, and then drag and drop, in this
way you can freely change the item’s size.

2) Use the parameters at the right pane, mainly the size and position
parameters, see① above, to accurately define the size and position. The
position parameter controls the coordinates of the item’s upper-left corner.
The origin of the coordinate system is the upper-left page corner.

3) Use the commands under the right-click menu Position or main

menu Layout > Position, see② above, to snap an item to 4 page edges, or
center it horizontally, vertically, or at both directions on the page.

2) Image
Image item is often used as a fixed background picture that plays a
reference role, so that you can better determine where the variable data
shall be output. Usually it uses the product package design picture, a
picture that may have already been printed by offset press, and thus no
need for being printed as variable data by digital or inkjet printers.

Choose an image item, and then click at the blank area behind the
Content parameter at the right pane, see③ above, and then choose New
from the activated dropdown list.

Figure 57 Specify the image

Click the button behind the parameter Image File, and then choose
an image you want to use, from the pop-up dialog box. Optional images
are those uploaded previously by using Resource Manager.
40 Variable Data Print User Guide

Figure 58 Setting finished

You may further define related parameters, at the right pane, such as
scaling and centering. In general, the default settings are recommended.
Note: After you have configured the properties, we suggest you right-click the
item and choose Lock, to lock its size, position, and other properties, so as to prevent
any unintended modification in the next operations.

3) Graphic
Before you configure the barcode item, you may need a graph item to
produce a white background, printed out with white ink and used as a
bottom layer, underneath the barcode. This is applied to the case that no
blank area on the background image is left for the barcode, or the case
that the paper color is not white enough.

1) Choose the item. First, you need to find out and choose the
already-added graph item. At the lower-left corner of the window lists all
the added items on the page, see① below.
 VDP Editor 41

1 2

Figure 59 Adjust position & size

2) Layer. Due to overlap between items, the graph item may be
covered entirely by the image item configured previously. In this case, use
the commands under the main menu Layout > Layer, or equivalent
right-click menu commands, to show up the graph.

At the lower-left corner, the more the item stays near the bottom, the
more the item appears at the forefront; vice versa.

3) View. If the item is too small to be viewed, you can use the toolbar
icon or the commands under the main menu View to zoom in the view.

4) Size & position. Adjust the size and position as you do with the
image item.

5) Graph’s properties. Click the button behind the parameter Path,

see② above, to open the setup window.

Here we take how to define the fill color as example: Click on the blank
area behind the Fill Color parameter, and then choose the button New,
see③ below. In the pop-up dialog, choose Fill Color and then continue to
choose New, see④ below. And then choose a color and click OK (see⑤
below, for instance the spot color Spot white, choose the Spot Color mode
and click the button Select, and then choose the spot color in the pop-up
dialog).
42 Variable Data Print User Guide

Figure 60 Configure a graph’s properties

Note: If you want to use spot color, please choose from main menu Edit >
Preferences > Spot Color Manager to define spot colors beforehand.

Use the same method to define the outline color. Or you can choose
Empty, which means not to use any color at all.

4) Barcode
Now let’s configure the barcodes.

1) Choose the barcode item and move it onto the graph item.

Figure 61 Configure the barcode’s size & position

2) Barcode type and parameters. Choose a suitable barcode type at
the parameter Barcode Type, such as Code 128C, and then click Barcode
 VDP Editor 43

Parameter to open its parameter setup window.

8
6

7
Figure 62 Barcode parameters
Configure at least the following parameters:

Height, Width: Specify the barcode’s height and width by way of the
parameters Height and Module Size. Their values should base on your actual
needs, see⑥ a b ov e .

Preview Data/Data: There are two types of data. Preview Data refers to
the data used only for preview. The barcode shown at the top of the setup
window uses the preview data. The real data used in actual print is defined
by way of the parameter Data. Such data for a barcode may be fixed
constant data, or variable data, or even combination of constant and
variable data.

Click the button behind the parameter Data, see⑦ above, to open a
dialog box. At the left lists all optional variables, including those fields
generated by the data convert tool. Expand and find out the varialbe you
want to use, and then double-click it. At the right displays the variable you
have chosen, including the default constant “ABCDEFG123456” (delete it if
not needed). Click OK.

Text: This setting controls if the barcode’s data appears as text along
with the barcode after the print. If you want to print such text, please
specify suitable font and size for the text, see⑧ above, ensuring the text
be completely displayed within the given height and width.

3) Size & position. Return to the main window. Make adjustment if the
barcode’s position or height changes due to the above settings.

5) Text
As to the text item, do the configurations as per the methods above.
44 Variable Data Print User Guide

2 3

Figure 63 Configure the text item

1) Choose the text item, adjust its size and position, and then click the
Data parameter to open its setup window, see①.

2) Expand all optional variables, including system variables, and

double-click the one you want to use. And then choose the text you added
or input, right-click and choose Text style or Paragraph style, and you can
further define the font or paragraph properties, see②.

3) Take the text style as example. You can configure the details such
as font, size, and font style, see③.

3.5 Preview
Choose the main menu File > Preview, or click the toolbar icon .

Figure 64 Preview setup

By default, the setup dialog box shows the name, the bound data file
and output range for the current template. If needed, you can modify all of
 VDP Editor 45

them. And then click OK to open the preview window.

Figure 65 The preview window

3.6 Save Template

Click the toolbar icon to save your template.

Figure 66 Save the template

 VDP Generator 47

Chapter 4 VDP Generator

You can now use the Generator to make the INX file after you have
produced the data file with the data convert tool and the template with the
Editor.

Click the rightmost toolbar icon in ElecRoc’s job window to enter

into the VDP module. And then click the icon to run the Generator.

Figure 67 VDP Generator

Choose the template file. Click the Browse button behind Layout File to
open the following window. Here lists all the templates created with the
Editor on current ElecRoc Client.
48 Variable Data Print User Guide

Figure 68 Choose the template

Before the generation, we suggest you click the button Preview to
foresee the output result, so as to avoid any possible error.

Figure 69 Preview the template

Close the preview window, and return to the template selection
window, click OK to back away.

Choose the data file. Click the Browse button behind Data File to open
 VDP Generator 49

the following window. Here lists all the data files generated with the data
convert tool on current ElecRoc Client. In general, choose the same data
file that your template uses.

Figure 70 Choose data file

Note: If your template has been applied with Data Binding instead of a data file,
please choose Simple from the Select epd directory dropdown list, and then you can see
and choose the bound data file.

Figure 71 Bind data

50 Variable Data Print User Guide

1) Click OK, and return to the main window.

Figure 72 Parameter setup

2) Choose a repetition type. Choose No reuse, if not needed.

RIP reuse: At the time when the system outputs the data line by line, it
will compare the output results of the first and second lines. If there are
invariable or same data objects between the two results, such as fixed
images and constant texts, then being checked, this option enables the
system to re-use the tiffs of the same and invariable data objects, i.e. no
longer RIP again these objects when it outputs the rest lines of the data, so
as to improve the RIP efficiency.

Device reuse: This option requires device support from the backend
digital or inkjet printers, and currently is only applied to the HP Indigo
series. If checked, in the device’s RIP process, it will re-use the tiffs of the
same and invariable data objects, so as to improve the RIP efficiency.

3) Specify the output range. The default setting All means to output all
the variable data in your data file. If needed, you can choose Range or
Custom and let the system output only part of the data.

4) Click Start.
 VDP Generator 51

Figure 73 Generating INX

5) The progress bar shows the progress. The log info below shows the
detailed processing information. When the generation is completed, return
to ElecRoc job window and click the refresh icon , and then you can see
the generated INX file.

Figure 74 INX file list