Most of us have used the MAIL MERGE feature in word processors. It enables us to merge two documents.
1. One document is a STATIC file like a letter being sent to many individuals.
2. The second document is a VARIABLE file comprising names and addresses of the individuals to whom the letter is being sent.
This is the principle of VARIABLE IMAGING – two documents, one static, the other variable.
Mail merge, widely used in most offices, is one instance of variable imaging. Another example is your utility bills. Huge amounts of data are input and collated to print the numbers on the bill(s) you receive regularly. Again, however, this is limited to text on pre-printed stock.
Variable imaging can use text and pictures. The images below illustrate the use of this principle taken to another level.
Now names, pictures, colours are all variables. The entire page is variable. Each page has the following variables -
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· Names in the bottom right-hand corner are members of the College Copy Shop team. They appear in alphabetical order
· Downtown or Southside are the two locations of College Copy Shop in Edmonton
· Each location has an arbitrary colour
· Each person has an arbitrary background picture.
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The static file was built in Adobe InDesign. The variables were stored in MS Excel. This contains names of people, locations and pictures. The pictures are all kept in a folder together with the variable file.
Think of what you can do with variable imaging in your field...
And please do come and talk to us if you would like to know more at 780.423.1458
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Once again, think of what you can do with variable imaging...
And please do come and talk to us! We'll do it together.
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