25 Different Versions

I have a newsletter that has 25 different versions (by counties).

1 mailing list that has a field that identifies each name by a county code.

The list is presorted and now I want to print and address the newsletters as one print run in presort order.

 

How do I create a rule that will tell me to print the right newsletter to the right name and address from the mailing list?

For example:

 

Bob Smith Version 1 Newsletter

123 Main St

Your City, St Zip Code

Version Code = 1

 

John Smith Version 11 Newsletter

555 1st St

Your City, St Zip Code

Version Code = 11

 

Jane Doe Version 3 Newsletter

555 Avenue St

Your City, St Zip Code

Version Code = 3

You'd start with one FP template containing all 25 versions, use the Page Management dialog to name all pages (probably in a "version-page" format), and set each to "unused". In an OnRecordStart rule, you would check which version each record required, and use the FusionPro.Composition.SetBodyPageUsage function to tell FP which pages to use per record. A text field on the mailing panel of each version (copied & pasted between versions) would provide the mailing details provide in your OP's example. Search the forum for "SetBodyPageUsage" to see how to set this up -- no need to regurgitate here.

 

For printing purposes, if the newsletters are 4-pagers (letter-size), I would set them up in printer spreads before setting them up in FP in order to more easily impose them with FP Imposer. If they are several pages, you might still be able to go the printer spread route, or output them as separate PDFs in numerical sequence to be imposed in a 3rd party app. Bon appetit!

Ok I'm a really new FP user and I'll be honest...I'm lost. You lost me at OnRecordStart rule. Maybe I didn't explain it very well in the beginning...

I'm printing the variable data from a presorted mailing list and when I go to print the the newsletters (25 different ones), for example, the first tray will have 500 pieces. (different names and addresses that will receive the same county newsletter).County 1 will have 150, , then 100 of County 22, then 150 of County 3, etc. The last tray is a misc tray of 2 of County 4, 1 of County 22, 30 of County 23.

I want 1 run of all 25 newsletters in presort order, each county has vaious amount. Otherwise I would just print 1 run of County 1, 1 run of County 2 etc. but we want to have 1 mailing so save the customer money on postage.

Your help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Select

What is the size of the newsletter flat and finished? Might be able to figure out the impositioning easier.

 

What is the name of the column header in your data that you do the callout from for COUNTY to switch the artwork?

The flat size is 8.5 x 14, finished size is 8.5 x 3.5. It's 2 sided.

The field is called County Code.

OK, so you have twenty-five, 8.5x14, 2-page newsletters all set up in one PDF template (50 pages total) for FP. If you go to the FP menu you can go into the Manage Pages dialog and set all the pages to unused. Further, you should name each version in this dialog box to match the contents of the field "CountyCode", appending "-front" and "-back" to appropriate pages.

 

Next you would add code to a "Callback" rule -- specifically an "OnRecordStart" rule which you will see as one of several callback rule choices in the Rules dialog. The only code you will need (*if the naming of your pages exactly matches the naming in the associated field*) is:

//replace "CountyCode" with the name of your county code field
FusionPro.Composition.SetBodyPageUsage(Field("CountyCode") + "-front",true);
FusionPro.Composition.SetBodyPageUsage(Field("CountyCode") + "-back",true);

Save the OnRecordStart rule and set the rest of your job up as usual including mailing panel data, etc. You can copy & paste your mailing data on to each of the other 24 versions once you have the first version set up as you like.

 

Since your newsletter is legal size, I'm guessing you will not need to impose for digital output since it likely only fits 1-up on a sheet. At this point you can either preview your files, (which should show mailing data on the specific version associated with each record while variable frames on all other pages are blank), or compose to create a single output file with all your records sorted in order to match your data.

 

Once you get this job out the door, you should spend some time going through the FP documentation which does a fair job of explaining all this with visual examples and tutorials. Good luck!

Select,

 

Do you have InDesign and does the piece bleed?

If all of your variable text blocks are in the same position for all 25 versions just make a 2 page PDF with the entire background a variable graphic box.

 

Add all 25 PDF versions as resources.

 

Then make a graphic switch rule for the front When county1 use the county1 front pdf.

 

Then continue on for all the fronts within this switch rule and do the same thing for the back page.

 

Assign the front rule to the front variable graphic box and the back rule to the back variable box.

 

Hope this makes sense

So many ways to skin the proverbial cat. thanks for adding that option tsghost -- I can think of a few scenarios where that would be more efficient for me!

That worked great! Thanks to you for the great assistance! Looking forward to going Pro! Thanks again, Select