Export PDF based on Field

Hi Folks,

Please forgive me if this was discussed already, I couldn't find anything via search.

 

I do mailings in Fusion Pro quite often, and my mailing department will give me a list that is tray sorted for bulk mailing.

 

I was trying to find a way to make a separate pdf for every tray in the mailing list.

 

In my .CSV file there is a 'tray' field with 1 through however many trays we have to do. Right now, I have to either separate the csv file into each tray and merge them separately in Fusion Pro, or do the whole pdf and extract the pages that belong to each tray.

 

I would think that there is a simpler way to do it. Anyone have an idea?

 

Thanks,

Mike

Edit:

 

I know that when bindery does traying, they look at the "sequence" number that also is printed on the piece and coordinates that with the tray numbers that comes from the paperwork or Tray tags. Not sure if there is an easier way of doing it. I know that printing the job based on each tray would be a NIGHTMARE for us in print production. I think the key is having the sequence number on the piece, tray tags printed out with the quantities in each tray, and correct paperwork.

The mailing software is Satori. That's how we get the list sorted. The rest is just a pdf with the fields built in Fusion Pro plug-in of Acrobat. Once I get the PDF's finished and separated, I give them to the copy department to produce and keep in the separate trays for the USPS.

Once I get the PDF's finished and separated, I give them to the copy department to produce and keep in the separate trays for the USPS.

 

I would think it would be the copy department's responsibility to make sure the correct quantities are in each tray based on the ENTIRE run.

For the Copy dept. to check, they would have to have the excel list with the records that are in each tray, and determine which records go to which tray. (e.g. records 1 through 400 are tray 1, 401 through 1372 are tray 2 and so on.) Giving them a separate pdf: Tray_01.pdf, Tray_02.pdf etc. is faster for them and causes less problems in accuracy.

What we have on every piece:

 

endorsement line *Sort Positon*Bundle Number*Tray Number

 

The key to this is where it breaks based on either the ENDORSEMENT LINE, if no endorsement line then use the TRAY NUMBER.

 

The paperwork should have this also right after the money breakdown page(what prices you are getting per piece, page 4 I think.) out of Satori.

Ahhh, it would be nice to put that on every piece. One day I will be able to convince the powers that be to allow that extra information on the piece, but it's not welcomed at the moment.

 

As it is currently, there's no way to tell which piece belongs where except to match it up to the original list. So we have to keep each tray separate through production. (and yes it's a pain)

Ahhh, it would be nice to put that on every piece. One day I will be able to convince the powers that be to allow that extra information on the piece, but it's not welcomed at the moment.

 

I've been at two different print shops and both demand that the Sort Position(sequence number) be on the piece at minimum. This is just quality control. You drop the pieces on the floor, out-of-order from another shop doing insertion(envelope scenarios), re-print a bad section from a run, etc...

When you look at mailers, normally you do see the Endorsement Line followed by other numbers. This is for us only, the print shop, to ensure the production goes smoothly. If it takes longer for you, pressmen or bindery to put something together because they(Powers that be) want it done a different way, it's an address block, not artwork.

 

How we have the address block setup on most mailers:

Endorsement Line *Sort Position*Bundle Number*Tray Number

Full Name

Title

Business

Address 1

Address 2

City State Zip

Barcode

 

How I have the address block setup on 6"x4" postcards. Barcode setup for the bottom OCR and the *Sort Position*Bundle Number*Tray Number is down at the very bottom right-hand corner. No endorsement line added.

Full Name

Title

Business

Address 1

Address 2

City State Zip

Barcode(bottom OCR) *Sort Position*Bundle Number*Tray Number

That is definitely ideal.

 

I'll work it through our next meeting.

 

I don't suppose you know a solution to the fusion pro question in the original post? I have a feeling if they concede to using an endorsement line, they will still want it in separate PDFs.

 

Thanks for the suggestion by the way.

I don't suppose you know a solution to the fusion pro question in the original post? I have a feeling if they concede to using an endorsement line, they will still want it in separate PDFs.

.

 

The only thing I could think of is if someone can write a script that will break your batches or output to multiple files based on the tray count number. So all the 1 trays print in one batch, export out as your print ready file, and then all the 2's print out and so forth. If someone can write a script to do that, I think it would solve your headache.

 

Or.... I wonder if a third page(slipsheet/blank) could be used for your production staff to come on based on change tray numbers? So during the run the same deal would go on but the third blank page would produce instead once the number changes and only comes on once. They would have to go through each batch to find the blank record though to see where the tray breaks are.

 

Good luck and I would have them try a couple of runs to get the production down on doing the Endorsement Line *Sort Position*Bundle Number*Tray Number.

 

Let me know if you need more info on the paperwork provided by Satori and the Tray tags.

I think this has been asked before, and the current software does not support output of multiple, multi-page files from one input file based on a field in that data.

 

Alternatively, I believe there is an option (if you have FusionPro Server) to batch process several data files against a common template resulting in a unique output file for each "tray" without the added manual labor on your part. I would have to look around in the forums a bit to find the reference if it would help you.

If you're not using Imposition, you could always add a dummy body page to the job, set it to be unused, and then activate it as needed (with FusionPro.Composition.SetBodyPageUsage in your OnRecordStart rule), to work as a slip sheet between various "chunks" of the output.

Thanks for the helpful info guys.

 

Hopefully a future version will have that capability to do multiple pdfs from fields.

Thanks for the helpful info guys.

 

Hopefully a future version will have that capability to do multiple pdfs from fields.

 

Yes, this would be nice.