With the VDP Editor, both static and variable content can be placed on or behind a Print Item. In the Impose Editor the content is arranged in the desired order for output. It does not matter whether the content consists of text, images, barcodes, or simply colored objects. Static content can be entered by the user, serial numbers can be generated automatically, or variable content can be derived from control files to generate variable elements.

The VDP Editor is an integrated web application within the Workflow that fully replicates the functionality previously available up to version 1.13.0 via the Adobe Illustrator Workflow plugin for creating variable elements. The underlying technology used to generate the variable elements remains the same.

The advantage of a web application is that you no longer need to rely on external software to create variable data. Licensing costs and complexity – caused by constantly switching between applications – can be reduced to a minimum. Thanks to the web-based approach, jobs involving variable data can also be made accessible to non-experts within editors of e-commerce solutions, since no application-specific knowledge or licenses are required.

Use the VDP Editor to perform the following tasks:

• Create Serial Numbers within a defined range in ascending, descending or random order.
• Create variable Barcodes and QR Codes with defined size, color, and code specifications.
• Generate Amazon Transparency Codes based on data provided by Amazon via the Workflow for creating QR codes.
• Create variable Images with any size, orientation, and scaling options.
• Generate variable Texts using the selected font, font style, font size, color, spacing (adjustment of letter spacing), and specific effects.
• Create variable Texts and Serial Numbers placed inside or outside a freely defined path with curves and corners.
• Create nested variable text elements that combine information from a control file, static content, and dynamically generated serial numbers.
• Create variably colored Outlines and/or areas fills on predefined objects (note: the shape of the object cannot change).
• Create object stacks in which the content changes variably to produce specific effects.
• Apply design effects that can vary from Print Item to Print Item.
• Generate barcodes / QR codes with static content.
• Create any number of variable elements on a Print Item, where the content can be taken from one or from specific areas in the control file.
• Apply previously created VDP specifications – which mainly define the positioning and content of variable elements – to other Print Items.
• Generate variable output PDFs as Multipage PDF to ensure compatibility with other RIPs.

Since the VDP Editor is a browser-based application used by the user to create variable elements – and relies on web technologies in the background to generate the output PDF – it is important to be aware of the following technical background when working with VDP elements and output:

• Any number of variable elements can be placed on a single Print Item. A VDP specification is always assigned to exactly one Print Item within the Workflow.
• Therefore, a Production Job containing variable content can include only one Print Item.
• If the variable content needs to span across multiple Print Items, these must first be merged into a single Print Item. The Workflow provides options for this via Fixups or through the Impose Editor.
• A control file in CSV format must be provided to define the content. The creation of this control file cannot be performed within the Workflow, but guidelines for formatting the file are available.
• To generate Amazon Transparency Codes, necessary identifiers such as Client ID, Client Secret, and a valid GTIN code must be available in order to query the Amazon Transparency Server through the Workflow.
• Web applications can only handle certain file formats, such as PNG, JPEG, SVG and PDF. This should always be considered during VDP job preparation.
• Variable elements can only be placed in the foreground or background of a Print Item. Currently, it is not possible to insert them into the object hierarchy of a print file.
• Variable elements are only converted into PDF objects during the creation of the output PDF. Until that point, the VDP elements remain entirely within the VDP specification.
• The output PDF is generated in an optimized format for efficient RIP processing with the integrated HHR RIP. Optimized Multipage PDFs for other RIPs can only be created based on ISO standard.