CarbonPDF
The CarbonPDF plug-in for Helium is a powerful tool for creation of variable data PDFs. It allows users to create products that are customised to their personal and business requirements.
CarbonPDF is a powerful mark-up language that uses custom built templates to generate both the user forms and the output PDF. The plug-in not only supports the functions of business card creation, it is also used for creation of other customised documents such as:
- With compliments slips
- Water-marked PDF documents
- Personalised PDF documents
- Cover pages
Without a doubt, the most common collateral material in business is the business card.
Automated Data Capture and PDF Creation
CarbonPDF automates the business card creation and proofing process. It integrates with Helium's workflows to streamline the approval, purchasing, and production processes.
The entire business card creation, proofing, and authorisation process can be executed without any interaction with the print centre, leading to faster turnarounds, improved quality, and less errors.
CarbonPDF can also be integrated with existing personnel databases and financial systems to improve the accuracy of the finished goods, reduce the chance of fraud, and apply internal business rules and process.
Complex Layout Rules
Traditional template based systems simply draw what they've been given. CarbonPDF's page description language supports complex rules that define a document's appearance, and how to handle those exceptional cases where the standard rules don't work.
- How do I layout a really long surname?
- If there is no phone number, should I leave a blank line?
- For management staff, use a different card base and a different layout
CarbonPDF can be loaded with your business rules. It can make decisions based on any number of flexible parameters, such as what to do if someone's name is too long, or what if they don't have a fax number? CarbonPDF can evaluate the available data and change how it processes the PDF, it can insert lines, move text, or even use a different layout all together.
Integrated Form Creation, Data Capture and Page Generation
A CarbonPDF template not only defines the output, but the data we require to create it. This means there are no developers creating web-forms with fields that have to exactly match those in the template.
CarbonPDF passes a list of required and optional fields to Helium. These questions are then analysed and turned in to a web form. This means the user is only entering the minimum amount of information necessary and the system has a higher level of integration.
In addition to improved accuracy, integrated forms allow us to capture the data that went to print for other purposes. The system can analyse the user's details and send authorisation requests to the appropriate managers, or use the data to return invoices and billing details to the correct cost centre. By keeping the system tightly integrated, CarbonPDF provides greater support for other business functions and errors are reduced.
Custom-Built Workflows
As the CarbonPDF plug-in is fully integrated with the Helium online ordering system, Helium workflows can manage all of the processes required by your business rules, for example:
- All cards need their content approved by a manager
- Users can't enter their title — this should be extracted from the personnel database
- Users ordering more than 1 box of cards per month require purchasing department approval
- Area managers can order up to 3 boxes a month
CarbonPDF also extend Helium's existing workflows, and includes flows for production and templates for imposition. This ensures the data is accurate, and the chain from the user to the imposition is unbroken. By maintaining an exceptionally high level of data integrity throughout the entire process, turnaround times, error rate, and job rejections are greatly decreased.
Style Guides and Layout Control
For many Pirion clients, maintaining control over their corporate identity is essential. CarbonPDF allows clients to restrict access to certain layout options based on complex business rules.
CarbonPDF's design rules can restrict the use of images based report type, limit staff to certain business card layouts, or ensure all reports are watermarked with the owner's details. These rules give you the power and flexibility to control your identity.
Native PDF Creation
Unlike many PDF creation tools, CarbonPDF creates the entire PDF from scratch, internally. The system writes the PDF 'natively', which means it doesn't rely on any external distillers or PDF conversion tools. Native PDF creation results in a higher quality PDF document.
Native PDF creation also gives CarbonPDF's templates and rulesets access to more complex functions such as control over custom device colourspaces and text kerning.
While the quality of some PDF generation tools can be hit-and-miss, CarbonPDF creates press-quality PDF documents. In fact, CarbonPDF PDF documents are of such a high quality that Pirion's own production staff use CarbonPDF to generate impositions that are sent directly to the RIP.
High quality PDF documents means smaller files, greater colour accuracy, and improved font and embedded image performance.
The CarbonPDF plug-in is a powerful PDF creation platform for variable data. The system extends the functionality of any Helium site and allows for the creation of customised documents that fulfil each user's specific personal and business requirements.
