I'm new at this. I want to create a document with a static pdf image on it, and merge the address data from a file into it. I have been successful in doing so, but the printing is extremely slow. How do I send the document to the printer 1 time and call the document with each new record of data to print. If I understand it correctly, this will reduce the amount of information sent to the printer and increase the pages per minute output. Any help would be appreciated.

I know this might sound lame, but there are so many reasons why a form might be running extremely slow that you might want to open an issue and have the tech support help you optimize your form.

Darrell,

To send a document on the printer one time and never process it again, a.k.a caching, you need a RIP that is capable of doing this, as most printers don't do it natively. RIPs such as Fiery or Creo can do that. With such a RIP, you can store the static data on the RIP once, and after that only send the variable data.

But if you don't have a RIP capable of doing this, then you'll need to optimize the form, because caching will not be possible. Most of the time, images are the cause of the slowdown. Here's a couple of things to look for:
- If there are unused images in the Image Ressources of your form, delete them. They will be processed even if you don't call them, thus making the job slower.
- Try regenerating the images into smaller files. Try saving your pdf as a lower version so that it's smaller, and if it doesn't help, try to convert it to a jpeg, which is the smallest raster image format.
- Pay attention to the color depth of your images. Even if it seems black and white, it might have been saved as a color image, which will be slower to process. Make sure you don't use a color depth higher than what you need.

These would be good things to start with. You might want to try this before opening a support case, because this is what we're going to have you test first anyway. Let us know if any of this makes any difference!

Regards,
Rapha

I have been told we have a Fiery RIP on a different printer than what I have been trying to print to. What are the steps to send the form to the Fiery cache and then send the data and have the merge complete ? In addition, I am converting the PDF to jpeg to see if that also gives me relief. Thanks for the information.

Hi Darell,

To create a Master Document, select Format-->Document. In the conversion options, select the freeform caching method. Make sure to check the box: This document is a master. Enter a number for your master in Document Number. Save your document. Then go to File-->Print. UNCHECK optimized postscript and print to file. Make sure you make only 1 copy. Print to your printer with Fiery RIP.

To use that master, setup your PlanetPress document the exact same way, but UNCHECK:"This Document is a Master". Print to Fiery.

Please open a support call if you need assistance in doing this. Thanks.

Regards,

Olivier