Preprinted Forms Replacement

The Preprinted Forms Replacement feature lets you print jobs on plain paper that previously required preprinted forms. You update the definition of each media object for the media requested by these jobs to include the electronic equivalent of the preprinted form data. The application that submits the print files to RICOH ProcessDirector can continue to specify the media for the jobs in the same way.

For each of your preprinted forms, you associate a PDF page representing the electronic equivalent of the preprinted data with each side of a media object. The incoming job requests the media for the job or for selected pages in the job by name. A step in the workflow combines the PDF page data with the job data to create a print file that you can print on plain paper.

The electronic form properties of media objects are used only when jobs go through the step that combines the electronic forms with the job data. You can use the same media objects to print jobs on preprinted forms when jobs do not go through that step.

You can process jobs that are ready to use electronic forms and jobs that are not ready in one workflow by sending them through two branches:

  • The jobs that are ready to use electronic forms go through a branch with the step that combines electronic forms with job data.
  • The jobs that are not ready go through a branch without the step.

The branches check a job property, such as Custom 1. You assign the property one value for jobs that are ready to use electronic forms and another value for jobs that are not ready.

Using branches in your workflow, you can use electronic forms to reduce or eliminate your inventory of preprinted forms at your own pace. For example, you can select the preprinted form that you are about to reorder or the most expensive preprinted form to move to electronic forms first.

Prerequisites

The Preprinted Forms Replacement feature requires the PDF Document Support or the AFP Support feature. If you install the AFP Support feature, the Preprinted Forms Replacement feature also lets you insert PDF forms into AFP jobs.

Step templates

Preprinted Forms Replacement provides the CombinePDFWithForm and CombineAFPWithForm step templates. Steps based on these step templates combine electronic forms with data in PDF or AFP files respectively.

    Note:
  • The CombineAFPWithForm step template is available when the Preprinted Forms Replacement and AFP Support features are installed.

Electronic Form properties for media objects

To define electronic forms for a media object, you use the Electronic Form section of the media properties notebook.

The Front of form and Back of form properties let you create an electronic form from a page in a PDF file. You can create an electronic form for the front side of the media, the back side, or both. When the CombinePDFWithForm or CombineAFPWithForm step processes jobs or pages that request media with values for these properties, the step combines the forms with the data.

The Media name for printing property tells RICOH ProcessDirector the media name to use to schedule the job and to print the job or pages that request the media. The property values give you these choices:

  • Replace the name of the media requested for the job with a new name.
  • Keep the original name.
  • Remove the name so that the printer default media is used.

The Media name for printing property values let you implement Preprinted Forms Replacement in your printing operation without retraining your operators or changing the data exchanged with other applications. For example:

  • The Form1240 media object was created for a preprinted form on white paper. After you attach electronic forms to the media object, you want the CombinePDFWithForm or CombineAFPWithForm step to remove the media name Form1240 when jobs or pages request Form1240 media. You set the value of the Media name for printing property to None. RICOH ProcessDirector prints the jobs or pages on the paper that is set as the default media on the printer.
  • The Form1400 media object was created for a preprinted form on blue paper. After you attach electronic forms to the media object, you want the step to replace the media name Form1400 with Letter Blue when jobs or pages request Form1400 media. You set the value of the Media name for printing property to Selected and then select Letter Blue. RICOH ProcessDirector prints the jobs or pages on Letter Blue paper.
  • The Form 2010 media object was created for a preprinted form on high-quality bond paper. After you attach electronic forms to the media object, you want the step to keep Form 2010 as the media name when jobs or pages request Form 2010 media.

    You set the value of the Media name for printing property to Current name. Form 2010 remains a media name in the printer catalog. Operators load high-quality bond paper (without preprinted data) for jobs that request Form 2010 media.

When you choose a value for the Media name for printing property, take your Management Information System (MIS) reporting needs into account. Consider how you want to track and charge for the media.

In this section:

  1. Usage scenario for printing jobs on plain paper instead of preprinted paper
    In this scenario, a printing company wants to replace their preprinted paper with electronic forms that print on plain paper. They want to make the replacements on a client-by-client basis, and they start by replacing the preprinted paper for Client A. They continue to print the jobs for all their other clients on preprinted paper.

Related information:

Running the sample workflow that uses electronic forms to print jobs
Running the sample workflow that uses electronic forms to print jobs with documents
CombineAFPWithForm
CombinePDFWithForm
ElectronicFormJobSample
ElectronicFormDocSample
ElectronicFormJobFolder
ElectronicFormDocFolder
Setting up to use electronic forms
Parent topic: Document processing features