B4Print.com

Not sure how many HP SmartStream users there are here. I just got back to using it at the new job and I have a letter where the text is variable, as is the signature at the bottom of the letter. I need a way to make the signature move with the text as lines are added or removed based on the data.

I thought I figured it out fairly easily - I made a variable image channel and copied/pasted it into the variable text box. It worked like a charm on the preview, but when I went to actually create the final job SmartStream gave an error that it would ignore the signature box and the result was no signatures on the letters.

This is fairly simple to do with FusionPro - you make a text rule that calls the graphic, then place that rule in the text stream wherever you want the sig to appear. Hopefully there is a way to accomplish this with SS as well. Didn't see anything in the manual about it.

It's been forever since I've touched SS at this point, but I thought you'd go through InDesign's menus Object –> Anchored Object –> Insert and then assign the variable attributes through SmartStream to that Object.

Or not. Do you guys belong to DScoop? Their forums used to be pretty well populated & helpful.

I'll give that a try, Slapinator.

I don't think we belong to DScoop.

OK, just tried the Anchored Object technique, but it is really the same thing I was already trying.

Emailed HP and it will be a feature in an update down the road.

Huh, kind of surprised nobody else as brought this to HP's attention. Seems like a necessary function at this stage of VDP.

I agree - not exactly a big new idea.