Hamilton--Bits and Bytes vs. Dots and Spots

Being Flexible Enough
While the database gets to define the playing field and the rules, a data-centric workflow requires that existing tools be flexible enough to support a just-in-time approach to prepress. While the most sophisticated tools for this run into hundreds of thousands of dollars, there are cheaper alternatives. Among these is the Datamerge QuarkXTension, from Meadows Software, which ties in with virtually any database. This application enables users to build Quark pages with boxes for all of the elements, but without having to insert the contents until the last minute. While the immediate application is variable-data printing, it can be leveraged by any commercial printer or prepress operation that faces tight deadlines.