VDP software: What is out there, and what are recommendations?

[Sev]

We have been doing more and more VDP, using either InDesign's merge script, or doing the merging in MS Word. Both are slow and bring the machines down to a crawl at times. We print on a Xerox 700 digital color press with a Fiery RIP with Command WorkStation 5 for our color work, and print on a Xerox 4110 for our black and white work. The 4110 does not have an external RIP, so it's capabilities are limited. We see the need to expand our VDP capabilities, by upgrading the software to better handle and to do a better job of merging and working with larger databases and larger quantities of data to merge. We are fairly new with this, but are getting more volume with the VDP part of the business. We are already very strong in our offset production, and are getting more and more digital job. So it seems logical to pursue more VDP work. Any help and ideas to point us in the right direction is most appreciated.

-Sev

 

[dabob]

For a reasonable cost we found that FusionPro desktop is pretty good value . . .

PTI | FusionPro VDP Creator - Print Personalization

 

[Shawnd]

Xmpie works great on our Xerox 700 with bustled Fiery, doesn't hurt that they are owned by Xerox.

 

[Stephen Marsh]

FusionPro and Xmpie appear to be the common alternatives to using InDesign data merge. There are "correct" ways to use data merge which increase it's productivity when compared to do using it "incorrectly". Before looking at other solutions, I would first make sure that the data merge function of InDesign is being used to the best of it's ability.

Something else to check is that your RIP has basic built-in variable data capability such as Fiery FreeFlow which can also help with productivity when producing variable data print runs.

 

[ajr]

We use Print Shop Mail, quite good running 2 700s and 2 Nuveras.

AjR

 

[kaiserwilhelm]

We use GMC Inspire (Formerly PrintNetT) - costly, but if you are driving a digital web press at 500 FPM, you better have the right software to feed the beast.