Variable Data Printing/Exporting

Hello Fellow Talk Graphics Users!

First of all I'd like to say that I am a newbie here on Talk Graphics and on Xara Designer software, however I'm liking very much the software as it meets my graphics needs, and I'm looking forward to upgrade to the Pro version, because I have a small printing business and the CMYK exporting is hugely appreciated :D ! Anyway, nuff said (too much maybe, sorry :D) I would like to make a question regarding this software, that had trouble to find some answers...

Is it possible to print (or export via some plug-in or whatever) variable data or to make a "variable data capable" layout on Xara Designer? I mean, something like/similar to "Merge Printing" on Corel Draw?

Thanks in advance,

Tiago Lisboa

Hello Tiago,

Short answer: No. Not directly.

Depending on what you are merging, you can use XDP in conjunction with other software. For instance, you can design the Xara document to have space where the variable data will occur, and then create a PDF, load it into PagePlus or InDesign and create the placeholders where the variable data is, then do a merge with the variable data (usually a CSV file containing the variable data). In general, I would use XDP to design the graphical elements and do the remainder of the design in either of the two above applications though.

Take care, Mike

Thanks Mike!

Your answer is really helpful! I intend to use this "feature" to print some tickets and some "receipt books" that must have numbering, and I couldn't find any way to this on XDP.
I will follow your advice. Just another question, following your answer, I found a plug-in or script, for Inkscape that does merging with the variable data ( a CSV file), and my question is if could in some way use this plug-in/script on XDP?

Thanks again for your time Mike!

Tiago Lisboa

Scripting: Unfortunately no, not in XDP.

Take care, Mike

Ok, so I'll stay with your "above-mentioned" solution to my issue. ;)

Thanks again Mike!

Tiago Lisboa

The information given by Mike is correct and it is the best way to do it. However you can do it in Xara if you have some sort of number generator or have a look at this site as I have used this quite a lot in a previous job: http://www.raffleprinter.com/Printing.aspx (use explorer 7 for this site). The way to do it Design Pro 7 and above is to set up a page size for you printed ticket or use multiples if your are doing your own printing and use "Live Copies" with a blank linked text box for the numbering to create your template then with your numbers which are generated in Excel or something like that paste in your data. The text box size must be the right size to fit your font size and I would do the numbering from 001,002,003........

This method is still only a work around but for a small number of tickets works fine. I still do a small amount of tickets for the local community shows and like Mike I use PagePlus using PDF files made in Design Pro and it works so easily.

Thanks for your advice Albacore! I will be giving it a try too... I'm currently trying the method that Mike pointed out and really seams to be working fine, like you I do all the page layout on Xara and then export to PDF to use it... I think this method can be done too using Scribus, with Scribus Generator, instead of PagePlus, however I haven't tested it yet.

Once again, thanks for the time taken Albacore!

Tiago Lisboa