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I work at a mailhouse and we use a range of software, including XMPie which is my preferred flavour of choice. I quite like it, it's fairly easy to use and very powerful. However, don't underestimate how incredibly powerful the humble MS Word can be for data merges. It can lead to a bit of fun...

My $0.10 is more from a prepress point of view rather than mechanical. A little tip for when your gradients are looking average: check the file to see if the gradient is a vector object with a gradient fill. If so, your RIP is deciding on the gradient steps (i.e. how many steps, how big etc)...

There might be a better way to do #1, but for jobs like that I export each record as it's own PDF (i.e. 1,000x records = 1,000 PDFs) and fire them through to our printers using a neat little program called Batch and Print Pro.

There are probably better ways of doing it, but here are two different approaches... A. 1. Print the variable data component (pages 1 & 2) as one run 2. Print the static component (page 3) as another run 3. Collate the pages together in a separate run, i.e. print a 3 page blank PDF where pages...

If you want to number 2/3/4 part NCR then a data merge is probably the best option. If the PDF you want to number is just a single page you could also use simple InDesign page numbering. Place the artwork on the master page, add a text box wherever you want your number to show, click into the...

PrintShop Mail might also work. I've done invoice type runs and it worked quite well. I particularly liked how I could apply conditions to each page in the working file (ie if Field A="1" then don't print this page, but print page 2). It is more geared towards mailing rather than transactional...

Yes, it was a sample business card from the Ricoh Showroom in Australia, so printed under controlled conditions by super technical Ricoh wizards. It wasn't overprinting offset ink as you are looking to do, simply white toner on black card. The technician who showed me said they had to run it...

For what it's worth I hear there is a new Ricoh coming out with a 5th colour unit (your choice of spot gloss or white as the 5th colour). It is based on the 751 model... I imagine it would be at a cheaper price point than the Indigo/Nexpress etc. Not too sure how far away it is from release yet.

If you have InDesign you can quickly create a 50 page document and set your desired PDF as a master page. Viola - instant duplication of PDF :) We typically use this method when creating notepads etc. That's what we do here with our 6250 - it only takes 30 seconds to set up.

We have the dog-ear issue relatively frequently, but it always easily repaired by our Konica technicicans. Usually it happens after a service and the techs forget to make "X" adjustment. When they come in it's a 30 minute fix. Perhaps suggest to your technicans call the Konica Wellington New...

Thanks for your input - I'll look into the various suggestions and see what ones I prefer. Either way, it looks like I'll be off to the library sometime soon and hunting out an excel/VBA book. Up skilling never hurt anyone eh? :) Chur, Graeme

A client has sent through an extremely advanced MS excel file - I can't upload it for privacy reasons, but it's basically a spreadsheet that generates a report with graphs, charts and data based on what you select from a from a drop-down list. I select "X" from the list and a swanky report with...

We have an Oce 6250 - might be geared for a higher volume than what you're after though. We can pump through 50-100,000 sheets in a week with no issues with quality, registration etc. Absolutely rock-solid work horse - love it. Not a high end graphic machine, best with bulk text etc.

Have you tried turning grey processing off? I once had that problem on our C8000 - I ended up using another colour press that ran on Creo which worked, but I've since learned that this sometimes does the trick.

Kia ora, My name is Graeme, I'm from New Zealand and I work for Wakefields Digital. I'm a digital operator, I do a bit of prepress and I handle all variable data jobs. I've been reading the forums for the past couple of years but I thought I'd finally introduce myself. I'm 26, been in the...