This tutorial covers additional capabilities of the AccurioPro VDP software. The sample document consists of a two-page postcard that has several variable elements, including text and pictures. You will use AccurioPro Rules to change the styling of variable text and to change the color of frames while merging. This tutorial also introduces you to using a AccurioPro Rule to show layers while merging. Additionally, you will learn how to apply the AccurioPro CopyFit feature to fit variable text within a text frame automatically while merging.

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS TUTORIAL

• Introducing this tutorial
• Viewing the document's DDF
• Placing variable text links with rules for styling
• Placing a variable text link on a path
• Assigning a variable picture link
• Using a frame rule to change colors
• Previewing data merged into the document
• Applying CopyFit to fit text in a frame
• Applying a drop cap to a variable text link
• Assigning a frame rule to multiple frames
• Using a page rule to show layers while merging
• Testing rules during a data preview
• Creating output for a printer

INTRODUCING THIS TUTORIAL

This tutorial will merge variable data records from a comma-separated data file into a two-page document.

Sample Document

The name of the sample document for this tutorial is Postcard.indd and it exists in the 2) Postcard Tutorial folder. The document is a two-page layout for direct mail postcards.

The front of the postcard, shown below, requires variable text links and one variable picture link.

The back of the postcard, shown below, has variable links for a mailing address, requires a variable link for a First Name, and also displays an empty space for content from one of the hidden layers in the document.

Sample Data File

The sample data file for this tutorial is a comma-separated text file named Postcard-Data.csv in the 2) Postcard Tutorial folder. This data file contains eight records that each contain 16 fields of data. Below is a picture of this data in a table format:

VIEWING THE DDF

The DDF for this document has already been set up. Whenever you open a document that already contains variable links, then the document's DDF has already been set up. Do not run Setup on this tutorial's document. Running Setup would reset all of the DDF's settings, including its definitions of variable links and rules. If the document already contains variable links, resetting the document’s DDF could cause the document to encounter errors when merging.

View the DDF's Settings

You can view which settings have been applied to a document's DDF at any time. For example, to view this tutorial's settings, follow the steps below:

1. From the AccurioPro menu, select Setup > Data Source Definitions.
   This opens the Data Source Definitions (DDF) dialog, as shown below:
   
2. To select a Data File, click the Select button.
   AccurioPro VDPmpts you to select the data file for this DDF. For this tutorial, select the Postcard-Data.csv file in the 2) Postcard Tutorial folder, and then click the Open button to complete the selection and return to the Data Source Definitions (DDF) dialog, as shown below:
   
3. Next, click the Edit button.
   This opens the Edit Data Source Definition dialog, which describes a comma-separated data file that is using a double-quote text qualifier, as shown below:
   
4. Click the Fields button to view the list of fields.
   The DDF describes 16 fields of data, as shown below:
   
   When ready, click Cancel to return to the Edit Data Source Definition dialog.
5. Click Variable Links to view the list of variable links.
   A variable link has been set up for each field in the data file. Appropriate settings have already been selected for each of these variable links.
   
   When ready, click Cancel to return to the Edit Data Source Definition dialog.
6. Return to the document.
   We have finished viewing these DDF settings. To return to the document, click Cancel to close the Edit Data Source Definition dialog and then click Cancel to close the Data Source Definitions (DDF) dialog.

PLACING VARIABLE TEXT LINKS WITH RULES FOR STYLING

The first AccurioPro VDP tutorial introduced you to placing variable text links in a document and also introduced you to setting up and applying a link rule to add a prefix to one text link and a second link rule to set the data for another text link. In this tutorial, you will see how to place a text link that uses a link rule to change the style of the text when it is merged.

Preview the Statements in a Link Rule

A link rule named Set Text Color has already been set up in this document's DDF. This rule will change the color that is applied to variable text by applying one of the character styles that have been set up in this document. Follow the steps below to view and test this link rule:

1. Open the Rules dialog.
   From the AccurioPro menu, select Setup > Rules.
2. In the list of rules on the left, select the Set Text Color link rule.
   This will display the Set Text Color link rule's statements on the right side of the Rules dialog, as shown below:
   
3. The Criteria and Actions of the first statement will be displayed automatically.
   This statement has been set up to apply a character style named VDP Blue Char Style when the data for a record's Gender link contains the letter M, as shown below:
   
4. Select each statement one by one to view the full statement in the Preview area.
   For example, select the second statement to see the full statement in the Preview area above the list of statements. This statement has been set up to apply a character style named VDP Pink Char Style when a record's data for the Gender link contains the letter F and the data for the Kids link is less than the number 1.
   
   Next, select the last statement, the Default Condition statement, to see the full statement in the Preview area above the list of statements. This statement has been set up to apply a character style named VDP Orange Char Style when none of the rule's previous statements are applied to a record. The Default Condition statement's action will be applied when the first statement is false because a record's data for the Gender link is not "M" and also the second statement is false because a record's data for the Gender link does not contain the letter F and the data for the Kids link is less than the number 1.
   
5. To return to the document, click Cancel to close the Rules dialog.
   In the next set of steps, you will assign text links that use this Set Text Color link rule.

Assign Text Links with a Link Rule to Apply Character Styles

The first page of the document requires variable text links in several locations. Follow the steps below to assign the appropriate variable link and the Set Text Color link rule to each of these:

1. Show the AccurioPro panel.
   To show the panel, open the AccurioPro menu and select View > AccurioPro Panel. The AccurioPro panel is by default grouped with two other AccurioPro panels, the Page & Frame Rules panel and the CopyFit panel. Note the AccurioPro panel will not display a Style menu if the Price Style optional module has not been included in your product order.
   
2. Optionally, set InDesign to show hidden characters.
   This viewing option will allow you to see exactly which characters you are selecting for a new text link. To select this option, open the InDesign Type menu and select Show Hidden Characters.
3. Use the InDesign Type tool to select the "First" text in the coupon.
   This text is located on the right side of the document, as shown below:
   
4. Using the AccurioPro panel, assign the First Link and the Set Text Color Rule.
   
5. You will see two green underscores marking this new variable text link.
   If you do not see any underscores, confirm your InDesign Screen Mode is set to Normal. Two green underscores are displayed to indicate this is a variable text link that is using a link rule, as shown below:
   
6. Next, use the InDesign Type tool to select the "Last" text in the coupon.
   
7. Using the AccurioPro panel, assign the Last Link and the Set Text Color Rule.
   
8. You will now see two green underscores marking this new variable text link.
   Again, two green underscores are displayed to indicate this is a variable text link that is using a link rule, as shown below:
   
9. Use the InDesign Type tool to select the "Tagline" text.
   
10. Assign the Link named Tagline and the Rule named Set Text Color.
    
11. You will now see two green underscores marking this new variable text link.
    

PLACING A VARIABLE TEXT LINK ON A PATH

In addition to placing a variable text link inside a text frame, you can also place a variable text link on a path.

Assign a Variable Link to Text on a Path

Follow the steps below to assign a variable link to text on a path:

1. Use the InDesign Type tool to select the "First" text on a path.
   Take care to keep the "..." characters outside of your selection, as shown below:
   
2. On the AccurioPro panel, select the First Link and select None for the Rule.
   
3. Click Assign on the panel.
   
   
4. You will see one green underscore marking this text link on a path.
   The underscore should appear only under the letters "First" and should not appear under the "..." characters, as shown below:
   
   

ASSIGNING A VARIABLE PICTURE LINK

The first page of this tutorial also requires a variable picture link. The document's DDF has a variable link named Main Graphic and the field for this variable link contains the names of various files (front_female.eps, front_male.eps, and front_family.eps).

Assign a Variable Link for the Main Graphic

To assign the Main Graphic variable link to the picture frame on the first page of the document, follow the steps below:

1. Use the InDesign Selection tool to select the appropriate frame.
   Select the frame for the main graphic on the left side of the first page of the document, as shown below:
   
2. Use the AccurioPro panel to tag this picture frame with the Main Graphic variable link.
   On the AccurioPro panel, select Main Graphic from the Link menu, select None from the Rule menu, and click Tag Pic.
   
3. The AccurioPro panel now displays green bars.
   If the variable link was successfully assigned, then the panel should now display a set of green bars above and below its row of buttons. Additionally, when InDesign is showing frame edges (View > Extras > Show Frame Edges), a small non-printing green icon will be displayed to indicate the picture frame has a variable link assigned to it, as shown below:
   

USING A FRAME RULE TO CHANGE COLORS

As introduced in the first AccurioPro VDP tutorial, you can also set up and apply frame rules to change the appearance of a frame. In this tutorial, you will assign a frame rule named Set Frame Color to change the color of frames.

View a Rule

A frame rule named Set Frame Color has already been set up in this document's DDF. To view its statements, follow the steps below:

1. Open the Rules dialog.
   From the AccurioPro menu, select Setup > Rules.
2. In the list of rules on the left, select the Set Frame Color frame rule.
   
3. Click the View button on the bottom right area of the Rules dialog.
   
4. Review the information provided in the View Rule dialog.
   The View Rule dialog displays the statements that have been set up in the selected rule. Each statement will apply one of the document's color swatches based on a record's Gender and Kids data, as shown below:
   
5. When ready, click OK to return to the Rules dialog.
6. Click Cancel to return to the document.
   Since we are not making any changes to this document's rules, click Cancel to close the Rules dialog. In the next set of steps, you will assign the Set Frame Color frame rule to frames in the document.

Assign a Frame Rule

Follow the steps below to assign the Set Frame Color frame rule to a frame on the first page of the document:

1. Use the InDesign Selection tool to select the blue frame beneath the coupon.
   This frame is on the right side of the first page of the document, as shown below:
   
2. Show the AccurioPro Page & Frame Rules panel.
   If the panel is not showing, open the AccurioPro menu and choose View > Rules Panel. The Frame & Page Rules panel provides options to tag a frame or a page with a rule, as shown below:
   
3. Choose Set Frame Color from the Rule menu on the panel.
   
   
4. Click Tag Frame to assign this rule to the selected frame in the document.
   If the frame rule was successfully assigned, the panel will display blue lines above and below the buttons on the panel, as shown below:
   
5. Show frame edges to see a frame rule indicator on this frame.
   Additionally, you can choose to have the document show frame edges (View > Extras > Show Frame Edges) to see an indicator near the top right edge of the frame to indicate this frame has been tagged with a frame rule, as shown below:
   
   Note there is content layered on top of this blue frame that is hiding a portion of this indicator. If you temporarily move the content, then you can view the indicator in its entirety, as shown below (remember to move the content back before continuing):
   

PREVIEWING DATA MERGED INTO THE DOCUMENT

Now that you have assigned variable links and rules to content on the first page of this tutorial's document, you may prefer to preview merging data into the document to confirm these new variable link and rule assignments are being applied satisfactorily.

Preview Data

Save the document with the changes you have made and then follow the steps below:

1. Select Merge from the AccurioPro menu (or click Merge on the AccurioPro panel).
   This opens the AccurioPro dialog, as shown below:
   
2. For the Records settings: Select All, Skip Header Row, and Step by: 1.
3. For the Action, select Data Preview.
4. For the Options, use the same settings as in the previous tutorial.
   Select Off for CopyFit, and select Standard Mode for Rules.
5. Click Start and, if prompted for the data file, select Postcard-Data.csv.
6. Review the Data Preview results.
   AccurioPro merges the first record into the document, as shown below:
   
7. Click the Step Forward button on the Data Preview panel.
   AccurioPro merges the second record into the document, as shown below:
   
8. Optionally, set the InDesign Screen Mode to Preview.
   To display a print preview of the merged document, open the InDesign View menu and select Screen Mode > Preview, or open the flyout menu on the AccurioPro panel and select Preview Screen Mode.
   
9. Continue previewing records.
   You can continue to scroll through the other records in the data file. Note the combination of the First and Last variable text links from Record #4 on the right side of page 1 will cause an overset condition, as shown below (this will be resolved in the next set of steps):
   
10. When ready, close the Data Preview panel.
    This will return the document to its original state.

APPLYING COPYFIT TO FIT TEXT IN A FRAME

Before creating merged output in a printable format, it can be helpful to confirm variable data will not cause text to overset a text frame in your document. You can do this by running a Longest Line Test merge session. If a Longest Line Test reveals that variable text may overset a frame, then you can either adjust the layout to fit the longest lines or you can apply CopyFit to fit text automatically while merging.

Run a Longest Line Test

A Longest Line Test calculates the longest line (widest string of text) in each field of the data file and then uses that data to populate the corresponding variable links in your document. Note the calculation is based on the actual width of the text, not on the number of characters. Follow the steps below to perform a Longest Line Test on the sample document.

1. Before continuing, save the document.
   Save the changes that have been made to the document up to this point in the tutorial. This will allow you to revert the document, if you should wish to do so, once you have finished running a Longest Line Test.
2. Select Merge from the AccurioPro menu (or click Merge on the AccurioPro panel).
3. For the Records settings: Select All, Skip Header Row, and Step by: 1.
4. For the Action, select Longest Line Test.
   The AccurioPro dialog will now appear as shown below:
   
5. For the Options, use the same settings as before.
   Select Off for CopyFit, and select Standard Mode for Rules, as shown below:
   
6. Click Start and, if prompted for the data file, select Postcard-Data.csv.
7. Review the Longest Line results.
   AccurioPro merges the longest line of text for each variable text link. Examine each merged variable text link, and you will see there is a frame that now contains overset text, as shown below:
   

Note a Longest Line Test is designed to reveal oversets that may be caused by variable text links, which are the most common. This test does not reveal oversets that may be caused by variable article links.

Run an Overset Text Report

AccurioPro can also display a report on overset text. To see this, run an Overset Text Report merge session on the document while it is displaying Longest Lines by following the steps below: 

1. Select Merge from the AccurioPro menu (or click Merge on the AccurioPro panel).
2. For the Records settings: Select All, Skip Header Row, and Step by: 1.
3. For the Action, select Overset Text Report.
   The AccurioPro dialog will now appear as shown below:
   
4. For the Options, use the same settings as before.
   Select Off for CopyFit, and select Standard Mode for Rules.
5. Click Start.
6. Review the Overset Text Report results.
   Running an Overset Text Report on this document while it is displaying data from a Longest Line Test will indicate there is one and only one overset text frame. This frame, which contains the text Frederick Meadows, is located on the first page of the document (Page: 1), contains variable links (Variable: Yes), and does not have any CopyFit settings assigned to it (CopyFit: No), as shown below:
   

Choose a Method to Resolve Overset Text

If the Longest Line Test causes an overset, you can fix the problem at this point in one of two ways:

Adjust the Layout Before Merging

You can adjust the layout to fit the longest lines (adjust the size of the text frames; reduce the point size or leading; use CopyFit to fit text to the frame; etc.) before you create merged output. If you do this, then you can be confident that the data being merged will not cause an overset. However, changes to the design will be in effect for all of the records to be merged. 

Apply CopyFit While Merging

Sometimes you cannot easily adjust your layout, or you simply do not wish to do so just to accommodate the few records that have longer lines in your database. If that is the case, then you can apply CopyFit while merging to adjust text only when necessary. This is the approach that this tutorial will demonstrate.

About CopyFit

CopyFit can be used to “tighten up” text within an overset text frame automatically by applying a set of selected parameters. CopyFit, which can be used as a stand-alone product with any document, has also been tightly integrated with AccurioPro for the express purpose of preventing oversets in merged output.

To apply or assign CopyFit settings to text frames in a document, use the CopyFit panel (AccurioPro > View > CopyFit Panel). The CopyFit panel, shown below, provides several parameters to indicate how you wish CopyFit to fit text.

To use CopyFit on a frame in a document, regardless whether the document contains variable links, simply select the frame, choose your preferred CopyFit parameters, and click the Fit Frame button. For further details about the features provided on the CopyFit panel, see CopyFit documentation.

Apply CopyFit while Merging

You can use CopyFit with AccurioPro in two different ways to fit text automatically while merging:

Method 1 - Apply Same CopyFit Parameters to All Text Frames

With this method, you apply the same set of CopyFit parameters to any variable text frame that has an overflow condition in your merged output. To do this, select one of your CopyFit Sets for the CopyFit option on the AccurioPro dialog.

Method 2 - Apply Different CopyFit Parameters to Individual Text Frames

With this method, you tag individual variable text frames with customized CopyFit parameters. This allows you to assign different CopyFit parameters to each frame in the document. For example, you may want CopyFit to reduce the text size in one variable text frame if it oversets, while in another variable text frame, you may want CopyFit to reduce the tracking instead. You will use this second method in this tutorial.

Tag Frames with CopyFit Parameters

Before continuing, you may prefer to revert the document to the version of the document that preceded the Longest Line Test. To do this, open the InDesign File menu and choose Revert. Or, if you did not save the document before running the Longest Line Test, then open the Edit menu and choose Undo Longest Line. Next, to assign CopyFit parameters to the frame that may overset while merging, follow the steps below:

1. Click on the “First Last” frame in the sample document to select it.
   You can use the Type tool, the Selection tool, or the Direct Selection tool to select this frame, shown below:
   
2. Show the CopyFit panel.
   If the CopyFit panel is not visible, select CopyFit Panel from the AccurioPro > View menu.
3. Select parameters on the CopyFit panel.
   To load a saved set of parameters into the panel, select one from the Set menu on the CopyFit panel. You can then modify the displayed parameters to meet your preferences for the selected frame in the document. For this tutorial, select Set 1, and then open the Method menu on the CopyFit panel and select No Break: Fit. This method will apply the No Break character format when shrinking text that oversets to ensure the text remains on a single line in the frame. The CopyFit panel should now look like this:
   
4. Click Tag Frame on the CopyFit panel.
   
5. Show Frame Edges to see a CopyFit icon on the text frame.
   If the CopyFit parameters were successfully assigned and if InDesign is showing frame edges (View > Extras > Show Frame Edges), a small non-printing yellow icon will be displayed to indicate the frame has CopyFit parameters assigned to it, as shown below:
   

Note that you have assigned the parameters that are displayed on the CopyFit panel; you have not assigned a reference to Set 1. If you later change the parameters for Set 1, this will not affect the parameters that you just assigned to this text frame.

Run Data Preview with CopyFit

Now that CopyFit settings have been assigned to the one text frame that may encounter an overset text condition when merged, let's run a Data Preview to see the results when AccurioPro applies CopyFit while merging. To do this, first save the document with the changes you have made and then follow the steps below:

1. Select Merge from the AccurioPro menu (or click Merge on the AccurioPro panel).
2. For the Records settings: Select All, Skip Header Row, and Step by: 1.
3. For the Action, select Data Preview.
   Confirm the AccurioPro dialog appears as shown below:
   
4. For the Options, set CopyFit to Tagged Frames Only and keep Rules set to Standard Mode.
   The CopyFit option provides the ability for a merge session to apply a CopyFit Set or to apply CopyFit settings that have been assigned to text frames. Choose a CopyFit Set to apply the same set of CopyFit parameters to any text frame in the document that contains variable text links. Choose Tagged Frames Only to fit only text frames that have been tagged with customized CopyFit settings. This allows for customized copyfitting while also enabling faster performance since CopyFit will be able to ignore frames that have not been tagged by CopyFit. Before continuing, confirm the Options appear as shown below:
   
5. Click Start and, if prompted for the data file, select Postcard-Data.csv.
6. Review the Data Preview results.
   AccurioPro merges the first record into the document, as shown below:
   
7. Continue previewing records.
   Note the combination of the First and Last variable text links from Record #4 no longer causes an overset text condition, as shown below:
   
8. When ready, close the Data Preview panel.
   This returns you to the document. We have finished setting up the first page of the sample document and are ready to finish setting up the second page. As described earlier, the back of the postcard has variable links for a mailing address, requires a variable link for a First Name, and also displays an empty space for content from one of the hidden layers in the document.

APPLYING A DROP CAP TO A VARIABLE TEXT LINK

You can apply any character or paragraph format that you prefer to text that is assigned to a variable link. When a variable text link is merged, the character and paragraph formatting that was originally applied will be applied to the merged text link. For example, the top left corner of the second page of the document contains text that has two drop cap paragraph attributes applied to it, as shown below:

Assign a variable link to text that has a drop cap

You can assign a variable link to text and then apply a drop cap to that variable text link, or you can assign a variable link to text that already has a drop cap applied, as demonstrated in the following steps. Additionally, since drop cap attributes are paragraph settings, you can apply the character style you prefer to the text. In this example, you will assign a link rule to apply an appropriate character style while merging.

1. Use the InDesign Type tool to select the "First" text that has a drop cap.
   Take care to keep the hidden paragraph return character outside of your selection, as shown below:
   
2. On the AccurioPro panel, select the First Link and select the Set Text Color Rule.
   
3. Click Assign on the panel.
   
4. You will see two green underscores marking this text link.
   The double underscores should appear as shown below:
   
5. Run a Data Preview to see the results.
   Open the AccurioPro dialog (AccurioPro > Merge) and apply the same settings that you selected for the previous Data Preview merge session, as follows:
   - For the Records: All, Skip Header Row, and Step by: 1.
   - For the Action: Data Preview.
   - For the Options: CopyFit: Tagged Frames Only and Rules: Standard Mode.
   Below are screenshots showing the results merging this new variable link for record 1 and then for record 2:
   
   

Each variable text link in a document can be styled independently of any other variable text link in the document. When merging a variable text link, AccurioPro will apply the same styling to all characters that are merged into that one variable text link. In other words, the formatting that is applied to the first character of a variable text link is the format that will be applied to all characters that are merged into that variable text link. To style some characters differently than others, either separate the data into multiple fields in order to use more than one variable text link so that each one can be styled individually, or add styling instructions in a tagged text format to the data in the data file and then set up the variable link to apply the appropriate filter. 

ASSIGNING A FRAME RULE TO MULTIPLE FRAMES

A blue color swatch is currently applied to two frames on the second page of the sample document. As reviewed earlier in this tutorial, the document's DDF has a frame rule that will apply a color swatch based on a record's Gender and Kids data. In the next set of steps, you will assign this Set Frame Color frame rule to both of these frames.

Use Page & Frame Rules Panel to Assign a Rule to Multiple Frames

You can assign a frame rule to more than one frame at a time. To do this, follow the steps below:

1. Use the InDesign Selection tool to select both blue frames on the second page.
   Click the Selection tool once on the top frame, then shift-click on the second frame.
   
2. Show the AccurioPro Page & Frame Rules panel.
   If the panel is not showing, open the AccurioPro menu and select View > Rules Panel.
3. Select the Set Frame Color rule and click Tag Frame.
   
   
4. Confirm the frame rule was assigned.
   If the frame rule was successfully assigned, the panel will display blue lines above and below the buttons on the panel when either of these two frames are selected in the document, as shown below:
   
   Additionally, when InDesign is showing frame edges, you will see an indicator near the top right edge of each frame to indicate that frame has been tagged with a frame rule.
   
5. Save the document with this change.
   You can now run Data Preview to preview the results of assigning this frame rule to these two frames, or continue to the next set of steps to apply a page rule to show layers while merging and then run a Data Preview merge session.

USING A PAGE RULE TO SHOW LAYERS WHILE MERGING

An InDesign document can contain multiple layers and each of these layers can be shown or hidden as you prefer. When you have a variable data job where you would like a different version of content to be displayed depending upon which record is being merged, you can place the content for each version on a separate layer in the document, hide these layers, and then apply a page rule to show the appropriate layer when merging.

For example, the sample document for this tutorial contains three hidden layers: Trainer Sylvia Ashanti, Trainer Marty Cohen, and Trainer Latisha Smith. Each of these layers contains a different version of content for page two in the document, as shown below: 

Layer: Trainer Sylvia Ashanti

Layer: Trainer Marty Cohen

Layer: Trainer Sylvia Ashanti
 

Test a Rule

AccurioPro provides a feature that allows you to test a rule before you assign the rule and without merging data into the document. In the following steps, you will see how to test a rule that has already been set up in the DDF for this sample document to show a specified layer while merging:

1. Show the Rules dialog.
   To show the Rules dialog, open the AccurioPro menu and select Setup > Rules.
2. Select a rule and click Test.
   A page rule named Show Trainer Layer has already been set up to show the appropriate trainer layer when merging. To test this page rule, select it in the list on the left and then click the Test button, as shown below:
   
3. Choose the data file.
   AccurioPro will prompt you to choose the data file containing the data for testing this rule. For this tutorial, select the Postcard-Data.csv data file in the 2) Postcard Tutorial folder.
4. Review the results for the first record.
   The Test Rule dialog shows the result for each statement in the rule when evaluating data from the first record. Below the list of statements, the dialog lists the actions this rule will take when merging the first record, as shown below:
   
5. To see the data that is being evaluated, click Show Data.
   The Show Trainer Layer page rule is evaluating the data that a record is providing for the Trainer Name variable link and then based on the result, showing a layer in the document. To see which data a record is providing to the variable links that are being evaluated, click the Show Data option, as shown below:
   
6. Continue stepping through the records.
   Click the >> button to test the rule on the next record. Continue scrolling through the records, and then click Done when you have finished to return to the Rules dialog.
7. Click OK to close the Rules dialog.
   In the next set of steps, you will assign this rule to the second page in the sample document.

Assign a Page Rule to Show a Layer While Merging

You can assign a page rule to any page in the document that is not a parent page. For example, the sample document contains two document pages and in the following steps, you will assign the Show Trainer Layer page rule to the second page in this document:

1. Show the second page of the document.
   Confirm InDesign is indicating that the current page that is displayed is page 2, as shown below:
   
2. Show the Page & Frame Rules panel.
   If the panel is not showing, open the AccurioPro menu and select View > Rules Panel.
3. Select the Show Trainer Layer rule and click Tag Page.
   Note the Tag Page button on the Page & Frame Rules panel is displaying the number of the page that is about to be tagged, as shown below:
   
4. Confirm the page rule was successfully assigned.
   The panel will display blue lines above and below the buttons on the panel when this page is being displayed in the document window and no document content is selected, as shown below:
   
5. Show page rule and frame rule assignments.
   To see which frame rules and page rules have been assigned in this document, click Show Report. This opens a dialog that lists each page rule and frame rule assignment, as shown below:
   
6. Save this change to the document.
   When ready, click OK to close the Page & Frame Rules Report dialog. Then, save the changes that you have made to this document. In the next section, you will run Data Preview to preview the results of the changes you have made to this page in the sample document.

TESTING RULES DURING A DATA PREVIEW

Now that a frame rule and page rule have been assigned to content on the second page of this document, let's run a Data Preview to see the results. Additionally, let's test the assigned rules while previewing data being merged into the document. To do this, first save the document with the changes you have made and then follow the steps below:

1. Select Merge from the AccurioPro menu (or click Merge on the AccurioPro panel).
2. For the Records settings: Select All, Skip Header Row, and Step by: 1.
3. For the Action, select Data Preview.
   Confirm the AccurioPro dialog appears as shown below:
   
4. For the Options, set Rules to Interactive Mode and keep CopyFit set to Tagged Frames Only.
   The Rules option provides three settings. Selecting Off will prevent any assigned rules from being processed (this setting is rarely applied and is recommended only for special cases). Selecting Standard Mode (the default setting) will allow assigned rules to be processed normally without any user interaction. Selecting Interactive Mode will display a Test Rule window each time a rule is being evaluated, which can be very useful for testing and verifying your rules. Before continuing, confirm the Options appear as shown below:
   
5. Click Start and, if prompted for the data file, select Postcard-Data.csv.
6. Review the Test Rule results.
   AccurioPro displays the Test Rule (Interactive Mode) dialog for the first rule that is encountered while merging the first record into the document, as shown below:
   
7. Click Execute to apply the rule and continue merging the first record.
   AccurioPro displays another Test Rule (Interactive Mode) dialog for the next rule that is encountered while merging the first record into the document, as shown below:
   
8. Click Execute to apply this rule and continue merging the first record.
   AccurioPro will continue to display a Test Rule (Interactive Mode) dialog for each rule that is encountered while merging the first record into the document. When the first record has been processed, the second page of the document will look like the picture shown below:
   
9. Continue previewing records with rules set to Interactive Mode.
   Note clicking Cancel on the Test Rule (Interactive Mode) dialog will cancel applying the current rule and continue merging the record, while clicking Cancel Session will return you to the document. If you would prefer to continue previewing records but without seeing the Test Rule (Interactive Mode) dialog, deselect the Interactive Mode option and then click Execute. When the second record has been processed, the second page of the document will look like the picture shown below:
   
10. When ready, close the Data Preview panel.
    This returns you to the document. We have finished setting up both pages in the sample document and are ready to create PDF/VT output.

CREATING OUTPUT FOR A PRINTER

Now that you have finished verifying that everything is set up correctly, you can feel confident to proceed in creating merged output in a printable format. AccurioPro provides several variable data print drivers that offer optimization and efficiencies when printing merged output for a large number of records, as described in the previous tutorial.

Create PDF Output

To create PDF/VT or PDF output for this tutorial, follow the steps below:

1. Select Merge from the AccurioPro menu (or click Merge on the AccurioPro panel).
2. For the Records: Select All, Skip Header Row, and Step by: 1.
3. For the Action, select Create PDF/VT.
   
   
4. For the Options, set Rules to Standard Mode and keep CopyFit set to Tagged Frames Only.
   Change the Rules option to Standard Mode to allow assigned rules to be processed normally without any user interaction. Before continuing, confirm the Options appear as shown below:
   
5. Click Start and, if prompted for the data file, select Postcard-Data.csv.
   This opens the PDF Driver dialog, as shown below:
6. Enter a Base Job Name.
   By default, the Base Job Name is the name of the document. The PDF Driver will automatically append a separator followed by the record range in this output file. For example, keeping the default Postcard_Tutorial and merging Records 1 to 8, the file name will be Postcard_Tutorial_1-8.pdf. For information about output file naming preferences, see AccurioPro Preferences.
7. Select All for the Page Sets per Job.
   Selecting All will create one file that contains all of the merged pages. If you are running a merge session that will create a lot of pages, then you may prefer to “chunk” your output into multiple files to create jobs of a more manageable size.
8. Select Best Performance from the Presets menu.
   This preset works best for most digital printers and PDF applications. Selecting a preset applies selections to all of settings on the PDF Driver dialog, regardless whether a tab's settings are visible or hidden at the time the preset is selected. Also, note the PDF Format menu in the Output settings on the Options tab. This menu allows you to choose between creating output in the PDF/VT format or in a standard PDF format.
9. Click the Continue button.
10. Choose to update Preflight data.
    Since Preflight has not yet been run on this document, you will be prompted to update the Preflight data. Updating this data will allow the PDF session to run more efficiently. Click Yes to update the Preflight data, as shown below:
    
11. Review the Preflight Report and then click Continue if no errors are presented.
    If the report lists any errors, you can instead choose to Cancel the session and then resolve the errors before producing PDF output. Optionally, click Verify if you would like to verify the listed files can be merged into the document successfully before continuing.
    
12. Select Export Adobe PDF options.
    After clicking Continue, the Export Adobe PDF dialog prompts you to select additional options for the PDF output. Select options as you normally would to produce a PDF or PDF/VT output file of this document. Then, click the Export button.
13. Select a destination for the output and then click Save.
    This launches the merge session, which then displays a progress bar dialog.

Review the Summary Report for PDF Output

When the merge session is finished, the original document returns and AccurioPro opens a dialog to display a summary report, which details all of the files that were created. The summary report will be similar to the one shown below:

For more information about selecting PDF Driver settings, see Performance settings for AccurioPro PDF/VT Output. For detailed information on all of the features of the PDF Driver, see AccurioPro PDF Driver.

CONCLUSION

You have concluded the second tutorial. This tutorial has introduced you to the following topics:

• Viewing the document's DDF
• Placing variable text links with rules for styling
• Placing a variable text link on a path
• Assigning a variable picture link
• Using a frame rule to change colors
• Previewing data merged into the document
• Applying CopyFit to fit text in a frame
• Applying a drop cap to a variable text link
• Assigning a frame rule to multiple frames
• Using a page rule to show layers while merging
• Testing rules during a data preview
• Creating PDF/VT output

Next Tutorial

The next tutorial covers the Multi-Up Imposition feature of the AccurioPro VDP software. This standard built-in feature allows you to instantly create multi-up layouts that can be processed using AccurioPro VDP. Applying this feature is especially helpful for those using a digital printing device that does not provide imposition capabilities. Also, when using the AccurioPro multi-up imposition feature, you will be able to preview your imposed content, allowing you to confirm the imposed content is exactly where you want it. You can even modify the imposed layout if you wish before you use it. This tutorial will also show you how to use AccurioPro to merge a multi-up document in a consecutive record order or in a cut & stack record order. Additionally, you can use the imposition feature to create imposition templates to produce customized multi-up variable data jobs quickly and easily.

• Creating a multi-up document
• Merging a multi-up document in a consecutive order
• Merging a multi-up document in a cut & stack order
• Creating an imposition template
• Populating an imposition template
• Selecting Multi-Up Imposition preferences