Variable Data Printing
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Also known as One-to-One Marketing, (Digital) Print on Demand, and Personalized Printing. Variable data printing, or
VDP is a type of printing in which documents are created from a combination of variable text & images that are taken
from records in a database.
Why Variable Data Printing?
The look and content of your printed materials can be honed to communicate one-to-one with each intended recipient.
Variable data printing is a great tool for conducting targeted marketing campaigns and tailoring your literature to
appeal to individuals and small, well-focused niches.
The Levels of Personalization
From the "least relevant" way to communicate with a customer through the "most relevant", here are the different
levels of how content can be customized within a document:
Static
This is a "one size fits all" marketing message. Your marketing message is "mass-produced" using conventional
offset lithography and every customer will receive the same message, regardless of their relationship or profitability
to your company.
Personalized
Each customer's name and address will appear on each document to attract attention but the marketing message is
static and exactly the same for each and every customer, regardless of their relationship or profitability to your
company.
Versioned
Segmented versions of a document are created to meet the needs of different groups. Your customer base is segmented '
according to demographic or other attributes, perhaps by a previously expressed interest. For example, investors could
be segmented by age or long-term goals, or car owners segmented by the model they own, or geography could determine the
version. Customized content is then delivered that best addresses the needs of each particular segment.
Fully Customized
The ultimate application of direct marketing, each document's content is fully customized to be highly relevant
and custom-tailored to a specific individual. A full color document is dynamically composed and everything in the
document can be varied- the layout, text and images can all be swapped depending on the customer.
Preparing a VDP Job
A variable data job is designed just like other print projects by using a standard graphic software package such as
Quark Xpress. Wherever a variable element is needed, simply place one example of the possible text or graphic in the spot.
When finished, print a hard copy of your file and circle all variable elements, marking each with a descriptive name.
All variable elements (pieces of text or links to a graphic file) are placed within a database (or spreadsheet).
Each column represents a different variable field in the document. The first row should be used to title the columns
using the same names you marked on the hard copy of your piece. Each row after the title row represents a unique finished
document. The document file, hard copy, database, images and fonts are then sent to Maverick Print. Our prepress professionals
will link your document to the database and network both files to our digital press. Pages will be assembled on the
fly as variable elements from each row are placed within the document file and printed.
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