Page 197 - Graphic Design and Print Production Fundamentals

6.7 Variable Data Printing

Roberto Medeiros

Variable data printing, or VDP, refers to a special form of digital printing where document content is
determined by entries in a record or data set and can be highly personalized. Varied text, graphics, and
images are typical content elements, but layout, element positioning, and even document choice are just
some of the other variables. Because the content on the printed page is constantly changing, it would
not be feasible to produce this type of print product with traditional offset lithography or with any other
process that requires a fixed image plate. Electrophotographic and ink jet printing are ideally suited for
this type of printing as each page is imaged individually.

VDP can take many forms. Transactional documents like invoices and statements are probably the oldest
form of VDP, but these have evolved to include marketing or informational content. This is known as
trans-promo or trans-promotional. A mail merge is a simple form of VDP where a static document has
data elements added directly to it. Each record in the data set produces one document. Another VDP
form is when you enter the record manually or upload a simple text-based data table, which then fills
the content of a template. This method is typically found in web2print solutions and produces items
such as business cards, where the layout, fonts, and required elements can be predetermined and the
content based on the data entered. More advanced VDP solutions may include campaign management
tools, workflow management, two-dimensional barcode generation, image-based font technology, and
integration into external systems such as databases, email, web2print solutions, data cleansing, or postal
optimization solutions.

One of the core purposes of VDP is to increase response rate and, ultimately, conversions to the desired
outcome. In order to accomplish this, it is critical that the content presented is relevant and has value
for the intended audience. Today, there are massive amounts of data available on customers and their
behaviour. Analyzing and understanding customer data is essential to maintaining a high degree of
relevancy and engagement with the customer.

VDP can be broken down into six key components: data, content, business rules, layout, software,
and output method. Each component can vary in complexity and capability and may require advanced
software solutions to implement. However, even the most basic tools can produce highly effective
communications.

Data

Data used for VDP can be simply thought of as a table or data set. Each row in the table is considered
a single record. The columns are the fields used to describe the contents of the record. Some examples
of columns or fields would be first name, last name, address, city, and so on. The simplest and most
common form of representing this table is by using a delimited plain text format like comma separated
value (CSV) or tab delimited. The delimiter separates the columns from one another and a new line
represents a new row or record in the table. Here is an example of CSV data:

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