Data Printing Ace - FileMakerPro

The mention of digital printing will inevitably involve data printing at the same time. It can be said that without data printing, digital printing is no different from high-speed photo printing.

Only the contents of each print are different, and the unique advantages of digital printing are formed. Therefore, to make full use of digital printing, printers must master the technology of data printing.

Data printing consists of two major parts: data processing and printing. The printing section focuses on high-speed digital printers and print drivers, both of which are related to the size of the investment. The data processing part needs more consideration because this part includes items such as images, layouts, and printing logic in addition to the components of the database.

Data processing software in the general market, such as Access, FoxPro, SQLServer, etc., are mainly based on processing data. The main market of these softwares is professional-level data processing. The focus is on the simultaneous operation of multiple users or quick access to data. The cooperation with printing is relatively inadequate. For example, most databases do not support Postscript printing, do not support the Mac platform, do not support "retreat" images, and so on. However, one of the databases called FileMaker is very suitable for data printing companies. In addition to importing multiple image formats, support for Postscript, support for image retreat, and more, FileMaker is a database that can operate on the most platforms (MacOS7/8/9/X, Win98/NT/2000/Me/ XP, Palm, Linux, plus powerful word processing and workgroup Workgroup capabilities make FileMaker the leading software for data printing.

Originally developed on the Mac platform, FileMaker inherited the advantages of easy-to-learn and easy-to-use Mac software. At the beginning of software development, the need for data sharing among work teams has been targeted. Therefore, the option of importing multiple data formats has long been available. Starting with version 5.0, Excel files can be opened directly, making it easier to print Excel data. FileMaker is a general salesperson for general computer users who want to complete their work in a simple and convenient way. Therefore, FileMaker takes care of the interactive features of the interface, for example, the user can perform on-screen printing before the data is printed. Pre-inspect the actual effect of each printed page and do Whatyouseeiswhatyouprint to reduce the chance of errors during the printing process.

In general, companies that provide data printing also have the opportunity to provide data collection and updating services. The most popular thing now is to collect data through the Internet. In response to this need, FileMaker has built-in Web site features since version 4.0. As long as the user starts Internet options on the settings, the entire FileMaker will immediately become a Web site, taking into account that most users are not familiar with the site's various settings, FileMaker The technical details of all CGIs and web site connections are all completed within the software. The printer can instantly provide online database update services as long as the internet provider has the option of starting the internet.

Sometimes, the data to be printed comes from the company's central database. FileMaker also provides support for ODBC and SQL commands. With the built-in automatic report generation component, it can quickly produce important reports that the company needs. This feature is very helpful for printers to undertake enterprise-level digital printing business.

FileMaker is also very good at handling scraps. At an exhibition recently held by Fuji Xerox, it was demonstrated how to use FileMaker with DocuColor 1250 to create an instant business card printing system. Just enter the name and photo of the person being printed, and the system will immediately print out 50 personal cards. The personal printing including bookmarks, admission badges, and identification cards was calculated on a single computer and the printing of hundreds of business cards was completed within a day, which was a lot more efficient than the traditional drafting method. The main reason was that The system adopts a mechanism for inputting once and outputting multiple funds. This is precisely the essence of data printing. After watching the demonstrations, some of the visitors proposed to use the system as an application for employee filming and record printing, report printing of the provident fund and printing of fund investment letters.

Other features of FileMaker include support for XML, support for JDBC, support for Java, and support for AppleEvent, and so on. We won't go into detail here. If digital printers do not want to stay in the high-speed photocopying category, they must start developing data printing capabilities. FileMaker is the cornerstone software in this field and it is worth studying.