Variable data printing (VDP)
variable data: endless possibilities
With variable data digital printing, each piece produced has the potential to be unique, or "personalized". This is achieved by marrying a layout with specific information in a database associated with the recipient.
An example is a salutation such as Dear [firstname], which uses a simple substitution variable to insert each recipient's first name. Each variable that will be substituted must have its own unique placeholder. Our software links the placeholder value, in this case [firstname], with the corresponding field, which in this case is the first name field of your data.
Substitution variables are not limited to the standard name-and-address fields of a typical contact record. There is no limitation on the placeholders you can insert in your layouts; of course, each placeholder must have a field associated with it in your data base.
Calculations, colors, images and layouts can also be substitution variables.
variable image printing
Another method of variable data or personalization is to merge your database with specialized software to create a "Variable Image Motif" that reflects the personalization in an image. The name is pulled from the database and imported into the image software to produce a motif of your choice and the corresponding name and address are printed in the address area of the mail piece. All of the variables outlined above can be combined for the most impact.
Over 100 motif examples can be seen at our website as well as articles that describe variable data in greater detail.
