Using One InDesign Document to Manage All Collateral for a Company

[Mike the Print Man]

Just did this video and thought I would share. Let me know what you think, if you find something like this useful or not.

Thanks.

 

[Dov Isaacs]

Intellectually, this is very interesting and provides an excellent introduction to a number of features of InDesign.

These techniques might work out well for an organization with one graphic artist and relatively few records to merge and types of collateral to produce.

However, it does require a tremendous amount of discipline on the part of those using this technique and would generally produce suboptimal results when printing output from large numbers of “records.”

One of the problems is that the data merge feature of InDesign was actually lifted directly from PageMaker many versions back. Although InDesign does output PDF correctly for such data merged files (and can even produce PDF/X-4 files to meet the proper requirements of high quality printing), there is very little optimization of that PDF both in terms of PDF file size and efficiency. What you really want is output of PDF/VT-1 files. PDF/VT-1 is based on PDF/X-4 but optimizes the PDF to use PDF Forms XObjects and Image XObjects such that common objects (text, vector, raster image, and group of same) only appear in the PDF file once and can be cached by DFEs (Digital Front Ends, RIPs for digital presses) to dramatically increase print performance. PDF/VT-1 is supported by most recent vintage (i.e., last 10 years) DFEs that use either Adobe PDF Print Engine or Harlequin RIP software.

Unfortunately, Adobe's InDesign team didn't want to upgrade the data merge feature and directly support PDF/VT-1 export. However, there is at least one third party plug-in product for InDesign that provides very sophisticated data merge capabilities, well beyond those of InDesign's native data merge, and produces exceptionally efficient PDF/VT-1 files. Take a look at XMPie's uDirect product <uDirect Classic>. Yes, it is a bit pricey, but it you have high volume data merge needs, this plug-in product may very well meet your needs!

(In the interest of full disclosure, I have no personal financial interest in XMPie. However, as an Adobe Principal Scientist dealing with end-to-end PDF publishing workflows, I was co-chair of the ISO TC130 WG2/TF3 group that developed the PDF/VT-1 specification and worked closely with XMPie to assure that (1) the spec actually could be implemented, (2) that XMPie's implementation of the specification in their InDesign plug-in not only conformed to the ISO specification, but yielded PDF that within reason could keep DFEs for very high speed digital presses running at full press speed.)

Further information about PDF/VT can be found at the PDF Association's website at <PDF Association publishes PDF/VT Application Notes showcasing the benefits for variable data print streams – PDF Association> with samples of XMPie PDF/VT-1 files at <Cal Poly Graphic Communications PDF/VT Test File Suite 0.1 – PDF Association> (I personally put together these samples using InDesign and XMPie uDirect with assistance of a group of fourth-year (senior) students from CalPoly San Luis Obispo's Graphic Communications department.

- Dov

 

[YourCastle]

I love this idea, but definitely have multiple copies hidden away in case someone screws it up or it gets corrupted. I lose about one file EVERY month from ID crashing and corrupting a file.

If anyone has many clients using the same materials with small changes...

Something along OP lines that I use for my real estate agents at my company is a modular approach with PDFs.

When i produce the monthly newsletter, individual agents will use it to promote themselves. The bulk of the newsletter is common, so those pages/portions are PDFs that update automatically across the dozen of agent-specific newsletters we mail out. My predecessor would copy and page each piece to the agent-specific file, which was very time consuming and created more opportunities for error.

 

[Mike the Print Man]

I love this idea, but definitely have multiple copies hidden away in case someone screws it up or it gets corrupted. I lose about one file EVERY month from ID crashing and corrupting a file.

If anyone has many clients using the same materials with small changes...

Something along OP lines that I use for my real estate agents at my company is a modular approach with PDFs.

When i produce the monthly newsletter, individual agents will use it to promote themselves. The bulk of the newsletter is common, so those pages/portions are PDFs that update automatically across the dozen of agent-specific newsletters we mail out. My predecessor would copy and page each piece to the agent-specific file, which was very time consuming and created more opportunities for error.

That was one reason why I suggested using linked InDesign files instead of doing the design work directly in the "Master" file. Plus, in the example I gave in the video, the customer would supply us with InDesign files already, so there was no need to copy all the work they already did, I would just import their copy. Thanks for watching.

 

[gregbatch]

Further information about PDF/VT can be found at the PDF Association's website at <PDF Association publishes PDF/VT Application Notes showcasing the benefits for variable data print streams – PDF Association> with samples of XMPie PDF/VT-1 files at <Cal Poly Graphic Communications PDF/VT Test File Suite 0.1 – PDF Association> (I personally put together these samples using InDesign and XMPie uDirect with assistance of a group of fourth-year (senior) students from CalPoly San Luis Obispo's Graphic Communications department.

- Dov

DesignMerge Pro also creates PDF/VT.