Generating Print output

Print output can only be generated from the Designer when a data set is available (see Loading data). The Designer merges all sections in the Print context (see Print context) with the data set, and generates the output using those data values.

Connect supports a number of different types of print outputs. These include:

• PCL
• PDF
• PostScript (including the PPML, VIPP and VPS variants)

To generate Print output, select File from the menu and choose Print or Proof Print. .

• File > Print... allows the following printing options:
  • Using the Default output settings.
    For more details, see Print Using Standard Print Output Settings
  • Using the same settings that were last used to produce printed output.
    For more details, see Print Using Standard Print Output Settings
    
  • Using entirely new output settings set via the Advanced option, which allows selection from a myriad of print output options.
    
    These settings cannot be saved for later re-use. To do that, one should instead create printing Presets, which are designed to allow just this behaviour.
    
    For a detailed description see Print Using Advanced Printer Wizard .
    
  • Using previously saved Printing Preset options.
    
  See Job Creation Presets and Output Creation Presets for more details.
  
  

• File > Proof Print... allows either the default output settings; the last used output settings or previously saved output Presets.
  For more information on this option see Print Using Standard Print Output Settings. for more details.
  

Saving Printing options in Print Presets

Selecting File > Print Presets allows you to create or modify printing Presets (which contain all the printing options), which can be saved for re-use in later print runs. This can be particularly handy when creating special print runs, that need to be run periodically.

These presets make it possible to do such things as filtering and sorting records, grouping documents and splitting the print jobs into smaller print jobs, as well as the more standard selection of printing options, such as binding, OMR markings and the like.

See Job Creation Presets and Output Creation Settings for more details.

Connect Printing options that cannot be changed from within the Printer Wizard

There are a number of settings for the Print context and Print sections that have an impact on how Print sections are printed, which cannot be influenced through either a Job Creation Preset or an Output Creation Preset.

These settings are:

• Duplex printing. Duplex printing has to be enabled for a Print section, in order to print that section on both sides of the paper. The same applies to Mixplex printing.
  See Enabling double-sided printing (Duplex, Mixplex).
• Finishing. The Print context , as well as each of the Print sections, can have its own Finishing settings. In printing, Finishing is the way pages are bound together after they are printed.
  See Setting the binding style for the Print context and Setting the binding style for a Print section.
  Also see Finishing Options for an explanation of the Finishing options.
• Bleed. The margins around a page are called the Bleed. It can be used on some printers to ensure that no unprinted edges occur in the final trimmed document.
  See Page settings: size, margins and bleed.

Generating Print output from Workflow

1. In the Designer, prepare a template with a Print context, and a data mapping configuration, Job Creation Preset (optional) and Output Creation Preset.
2. Send these files to PlanetPress Workflow; see Sending files to Workflow.
3. Create a process in PlanetPress Workflow containing at least the following steps:
   • Any Input task that will capture a job file that is compatible with the data mapping configuration that is used.
   • Either:
     • An All In One task. This task incorporates the Execute Data Mapping, Create Print Content, Create Job and Create Print Output tasks. It is fast and efficient but you can't use a Job Creation Preset with it.
     • An All In One task in combination with a Create Job task and a Create Print Output task. This is best if you want to use a Job Creation Preset.
     • An Execute Data Mapping task, Create Print Content task, Create Job task and Create Print Output task. This would be the way to go if you want to reuse the record set created by the Execute Data Mapping task to create another kind of output in the same process. (see Workflow Help: Create Print Content).

     The tasks mentioned here can all be found on the OL Connect tab of the Plug-In Bar in Workflow; see OL Connect tasks.

   This Walkthrough sample shows how to build a Print process for Connect documents in the Workflow Configuration tool: Creating a Print process in Workflow.

• Last Topic Update: 25, June, 2018 01:26 AM
• Last Published: 13, September, 2019 08:35 AM