Impact on: AFP Production

Maximizing efficiency in high-volume AFP production environments with superior technology from Exstream Software For businesses that require high-volume, personalized printing of transaction statements and other complex customer communications, Advanced Function Presentation (AFP) is often the platform of choice. As a standard in the print industry for high-speed, variable print, AFP stands out for its performance and stability. Exstream Software by HP’s AFP Studio is a suite of best-in-class software solutions that allows companies to enhance the content, management, and delivery of their AFP documents by easily integrating with their operational systems and processes.

AFP Compare, PDF Compare and PostScript Compare A multitude of productivity solutions for managing AFP print streams: • View AFP documents on screen exactly as they appear in print • Make reprints on the fly for cost savings and increased productivity • Sort, bundle, and consolidate AFP files for postal savings • Convert AFP files for online delivery and archiving to meet multi-channel needs • Automate document application testing

A high-speed comparison utility for viewing two AFP, PDF or PostScript print streams side by side to verify output before production.

AFP Batch Compare, PDF Batch Compare and PostScript Batch Compare A high-speed comparison utility for larger AFP, PDF or PostScript print streams to verify output before production. Results may be viewed using AFP Compare.

AFP Transforms Format conversion software for transforming AFP documents into industry-standard PDF, TIFF, PCL, and BMP formats.

AFP Jazz!

TM

Next-generation print stream optimization software for adding and deleting content and merging, sorting, and consolidating AFP files—all through a visual interface.

AFP Viewer Displays AFP output with printer fidelity, allowing you to easily modify and index AFP files.

Check bill after regulatory change Situation: A document specialist has been asked to make a terminology change to a regulatory message that appears on every customer bill produced in AFP. He makes the change but needs to verify that nothing else has changed.

AFP Compare, PDF Compare and PostScript Compare Features

Benefits

• Visually compare two AFP, PDF or

• Save time—Test document applications

PostScript files side by side on screen using a special “differences” page to highlight the differences • Set color-coded change markers to quickly

delineate differences between “before” and “after” pages • Mask areas from comparison or an

entire page to check for margin shift • Lock one file to a particular page while

Solution: Using AFP Compare, he views the before and after version of the bill side by side to verify that the regulatory message has changed but that no other inadvertent changes have occurred.

scanning the other file to find differences more quickly • Zoom in and out to effectively view

documents • Easily display resource names by simply

placing cursor over text in question • Generate detailed comparison reports

that describe document changes

in a fraction of the time it takes with manual testing • Reduce printing and production costs—

check visual output electronically for quality assurance before running expensive production or print factory processes • Improve accuracy—Comparison precision

down to a single PEL pinpoints exact changes between print streams

Competitive Differentiators • Combines test compare and proofing

functions into a single software • Unique locate differences feature allows

you to find changes more quickly

Technical Requirements Windows 2000/XP/2003

• Control comparison tolerance by

adjusting the PEL sensitivity • Produce simple report showing added

or removed pages • Compensate for Dialogue software

version differences

Verify output after software upgrade Situation: An organization upgrades to a new Generally Available version of their composition software. A quality assurance worker must verify that the integrity of all documents created has not been compromised.

Solution: Using AFP Batch Compare, he runs automated comparisons of AFP files generated prior to the upgrade versus AFP files generated after the upgrade. He is able to quickly determine the documents produced after the upgrade have not changed and the new software passes regression testing.

AFP Batch Compare, PDF Batch Compare and PostScript Batch Compare Features

Benefits

• Ideal for comparison of larger AFP, PDF

• Save Time—Verify differences between

and PostScript files • Batch program runs in background;

no need for a visual page-by-page comparison if user simply needs to verify that two output files are identical • A quick mechanism for regression and

software upgrade testing • Compares the bitmap of any two rendered

AFP documents • Since it compares the results of the

rasterization, the difference of one printer element (PEL) can be detected • The results of the comparison are revealed

in a comparison report • This report may be imported into the AFP

Compare module to view differences

two fully composed print files that would take an individual days to compare manually • Upgrade with Confidence—Determine

impact of software upgrades or infrastructure updates (such as an operating system upgrade) on existing applications. • Reduce errors—Allows you to test larger

volumes of output and capture more formatting scenarios in testing.

Competitive Differentiators • Compares fully composed, production-

ready AFP files for more accurate comparison of large print files. • Provides a mechanism for quickly testing

the impact of software or system upgrades on production applications.

Technical Requirements Windows 2000/XP/2003

AFP Transforms Features

Competitive Differentiators

• Convert AFP files to PDF, TIFF, PCL,

• Only AFP format converters available

or BMP • Create ASCII text or PDF documents • Support double byte character set (DBCS) • Password protect, insert thumbnails,

and create index bookmarks • Rapidly extract AFP documents or pages

from an AFP file and convert them to PDF or TIFF • Segment an AFP file into several PDF

or TIFF files based on documents, pages, or groups of pages

Benefits • Architecture independence—leverage

legacy IBM AFP print architecture with the latest output devices • Meet demand for online delivery—

provide a bridge between legacy applications and electronic delivery devices • Maximize printer assets—route AFP

documents to available production printers and Internet output formats • Simplify indexing and archiving—

index according to AFP page content and integrate into COLD and content management systems

that are integrated with a viewer • Visual indexing provides more robust

bookmarks for PDF • Unique ability to selectively produce individ-

ual or groups of PDF and TIFF documents • Best DBCS support

Technical Requirements AFP-PDF: Windows, Solaris, AIX, HP-UX, MVS Open Edition, Linux (Intel) AFP-TIFF: Windows, AIX AFP-BMP: Windows only AFP-PCL: Windows, HP-UX

Send statement pages by email Situation: A wireless telecommunications provider offers to send its customers electronic notification when they have reached their minute limit by sending them a snapshot of the minutes used section of their statement.

Solution: Using the AFP data file of the statement, the phone company can extract the relevant pages by customer, convert those pages from AFP to PDF, and send them in an email to the customer.

AFP Jazz! Features

Benefits

• Includes the AFP Studio Viewer

• Easy to use—software requires no

• See document changes as you define

them through a visual interface • Quickly locate and extract individual

documents within one or several files • Order and merge multiple AFP files • Integrate with industry mailing software

to maximize postal savings and ensure address integrity • Consolidate multiple AFP files from multiple

sources for householding purposes • Control the number of sheets to be

included in each envelope • Remove selected pages • Generate cover sheets, address sheets,

or banner pages • Add BCOCA barcodes to your output • Erase text, OMR marks, images, or

barcodes to hide content • Add or replace text, OMR marks,

or barcodes to satisfy changing operational requirements • Include OMR marks or barcodes automatically

based on duplex pages or inserts, and optionally place them on the back of a duplexed document

Replace barcodes

AFP training or programming • Save on postage costs—control pages

per envelope, reduce number of envelopes used, and segregate mailings to optimize postal operations • Maintain legacy applications—when legacy

source code is not available or impractical to modify, AFP output can be easily enhanced to meet changing business objectives • Adopt new technology—easy to evolve

to Dialogue with software that merges legacy AFP print streams with your Dialogue AFP output • Reduce maintenance—intelligent processing

dramatically reduces ongoing maintenance

Situation: A service provider has an opportunity to bid on a project to replace a 3 of 9 barcode with a 2-D datamatrix barcode. Additional information needs to be added to the barcode as well.

Solution: With two simple commands, the 3 of 9 barcode can be erased, and the 2-D datamatrix barcode can be added with additional fields as defined by the customer.

Competitive Differentiators • Unique visual development environment

allows you to easily access and manipulate data, such as barcodes, overlays, segments, and text within existing AFP print files • No AFP programming skills needed—

alternative products require knowledge of AFP structures • More easily extract specific customer

documents or pages

• Split AFP files on a specified number of pages

or documents to efficiently drive printers • Dynamically create an AFP index with

any content from the file itself or an external system • Re-index an AFP file with additional fields

from the file’s content or an external system

Technical Requirements Windows, Solaris, AIX, HP-UX, z/0S, MVS, Linux (Intel) some functionality only available on Windows

• Selectively duplicate document pages to

provide multiple copies • Generate reports for audit or billing purposes • Create reports to be used for automated

document factory (ADF) systems • Force certain pages to move to the front

of a sheet

Defining new content is as easy as drag-and-drop.

AFP Viewer Display on CSR’s desktop Situation: When taking a customer call, a bank’s customer service representative needs to view the customer’s statement and then send a copy as an email attachment after the call.

Features

Benefits

• View AFP documents with inline or external

• Boost productivity—quickly identify

resources (fonts, images, and indexes) • Dynamically remap Windows fonts and

instantly see results • Support double byte character set (DBCS)

language viewing • View full color, including FS45 • View overlays and page segments • Embed the viewer in other applications

if desired

Solution: AFP Viewer can display the statement on the CSR’s desktop and with a single command convert it to PDF to create the email attachment.

• Support BCOCA barcodes, including

2-D datamatrix • Zoom in or out as needed for viewing

requirements • Simulate preprint by dynamically inserting

an overlay behind pages • Extract one or more pages or entire docu-

ments to print or convert to another format • Seamlessly integrate with Exstream AFP

Studio transforms • Map fonts for use in viewing or in

PDF transform

• Reduce processing time and paper usage—

avoid unnecessary print runs and reprint only the documents you need • Improve efficiency—easily navigate client

information on the fly through enhanced indexing capability

Competitive Differentiators • No other AFP viewer supports the ability

to visually create an index • Truest WYSIWYG viewing with inline resources • Better graphic support of barcodes

and images • Only viewer that supports Adobe Type 1,

TrueType, and OpenType fonts in Microsoft Unicode format • Offers most current AFP capabilities, including

support of FS45 IBM full color images and DBCS language

• Print to any Windows printer or fax device

Technical Requirements

• Use existing AFP indexes or visually create

Windows 2000/XP/2003

new ones • Dynamically sort the AFP index in ascending

or descending order • Search across documents based on

document content or index values • Optionally search overlays for text strings • Easily determine which AFP resources are

used in a document to include copy groups, fonts, and images

Supports double byte character set language viewing.

application errors, make reprints, and search archived documents

[email protected] www.exstream.com :: +1 (859) 296.0600

© Copyright 2008 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. 4AA1-8887ENW afp.ss.0808_490