TFORMer Designer - Variable Data Printing

Create Layouts

TFORMer Designer is a stand-alone application for creating document layouts with variable data printing (VDP).

Normally, a TFORMer document layout contains static contents (like your letter head) and dynamic contents (like the invoice recipient). Dynamic data is provided by your application and applied using data fields (also called place holders) in the document layout.

This concept completely separates the layout from its background data source, which increases reusability and simplifies drafting, embedding and distribution.

Just three steps to complete your document

1. Step: Create the layout with the layout editor or use templates.
2. Step: Fill the layout with your data.
3. Step: Select the output format and print immediately.

You also can export your document as PDF, PostScript, HTML, image.

Print or Export

A layout can be directly printed or exported from TFORMer Designer. You also have the possibility to test or manually print document layouts completely independent from third-party software. The output data can be generated automatically on request. Manual user input or external data source import is also possible.

Drafting and report testing takes place expeditiously: TFORMer Designer automatically saves the recently used data for the output. There is no need to program a test application, the typing of identical data repeatedly can be avoided as well. Preview with actual data is supported too.

Available Output Options

TFORMer supports the following output and export formats:

• Direct Printing (Microsoft Windows) or Preview
• PDF
• PostScript^®
• HTML
• Raster images (TIFF, GIF, JPG, PNG and more)
• ASCII
• ZPL-II^® (for ZEBRA^® thermo label printers)

Distribute the Layouts

Because all document layouts are saved as simple XML files, distribution is confined to the allocation of these files (and eventually from external graphic files - like logos - which are used in layouts). TFORMer SDK can then print these layouts as part of your application.

Distribution can take place in various forms: as a simple file, as ZIP file (including all graphics), as http-URL or as BASE64 data stream. This will also be discussed in greater detail in TFORMer SDK.

Two Different Document Layout Modes:

• Stand-alone document layouts are available for simple applications. One document layout conforms to one single XML file without further dependencies. The applied data fields are saved for each layout. The advantage is availability, however, software developers have only limited options when specifying a data base for the user.
• Repository based layouts are provided for more comprehensive applications, for example, when a certain amount of data fields is used in several document layouts. A repository describes the available data fields of layouts and organizes the form layouts in a hierarchic structure. The end user applies this data base and can use the defined data fields for his reports, tables, forms and labels.