DesignMerge FAQs
Error Message FAQs
Q. QuarkXPress displays a "File Not Found" message when I try to merge my document.
A. This message often indicates that QuarkXPress is missing an XTensions filter that is required to import an image file or text file. To confirm this, try to import this picture or text file using Get Text or Get Picture from the QuarkXPress File menu. If QuarkXPress displays the "File Not Found" error message, then you are missing a required filter. If this message is not displayed, please contact our tech support team via e-mail at support@meadows.com.
Q. QuarkXPress displays a missing import filter message when merging.
A. Do you see this “Import filter” message when you print using File > Print? Does the document use any images? If so, do you have the necessary XTensions loaded to support these images in QuarkXPress? This message is usually due to a required XTensions module for QuarkXPress not being properly installed.
Q. DesignMerge is displaying an End of File message.
A. DesignMerge will display an EOF (End of File) alert message when a merge session reaches the end of the database file before all of the variable links received data. (These links will display the EOF Error Flag message, “EOF!”) If you prefer not to see this alert, you can uncheck the Display EOF Warning Message preference option.
To avoid merging beyond the end of your database file, confirm that there are enough records in the database file to fill all of your “ups”. The number of records in the database should be evenly divisible by the number of “ups” in your merge template document. If not, then DesignMerge will reach the end of your database file before all of the links are merged.
If the number of records in the database file is evenly divisible, then confirm that you have selected the appropriate File Origin for your Current DDF. For example, if you have selected Macintosh, but the database file is a Unix text file, then DesignMerge will not recognize the end of the file.
Q. A message is displayed that Pages per Job exceeds Temp Doc Size.
A. This message is displayed only if you are sending your PostScript output to a print device (instead of creating PostScript files) and you have specified a number for the Pgs per Job setting that is larger than the number of pages that have been set for the Temp Doc Size. The Temp Doc Size is set to 250 by default. This is a hidden option that can only be displayed by pressing the Command key (Control key on Windows) while clicking the Prefs button in the PostScript window that is displayed when starting a PostScript merge session. The Temp Doc Size setting determines the largest number of pages that will be created in the temporary documents that DesignMerge creates for each pass in a merge session. When sending PostScript output to a print device, DesignMerge sends the output immediately following each pass of a session, so the largest number of pages per job can only be as large as the current Temp Doc Size. The message is displayed so you will know that DesignMerge is automatically changing the pages per job that will be sent to the print device to match the current Temp Doc Size setting.
Q. DesignMerge is generating a "RM: File is not a valid database-definition file" error when I attempt to use the program. What is wrong?
A. This indicates that the file for the active Database-Definition set has become corrupted. This can be easily fixed by deleting the file “Record Definitions” from the folder named for our software that is within the Meadows folder that is within the XTension folder that is within the Quark folder. In Windows, this file is called Recdefs.ddf. Deleting this file will cause it to be remade when the application is launched. Restart QuarkXPress and the problem should be resolved. Within DesignMerge, the DDFs are stored within the documents they are used by, and can be recreated when the document is opened. If no backup of the DDFs exist, then they will have to be re-entered from the setup screens for the XTension.
Q. Acrobat Distiller 6 on Macintosh OS X displays an error when I try to distill DesignMerge PostScript file output.
A. This error may occur if you are using Acrobat Distiller 6 to create a PDF from DesignMerge Optimized PostScript output (Optimized PostScript output is a PostScript file that has cached images; images are cached in DesignMerge PostScript output if you select “Image” or “Image & Form” for the PostScript Driver "Caching" option). However, Acrobat Distiller 6 can distill DesignMerge Optimized PostScript File output if the output includes the name of a temporary folder/path for the caching. To include this information in the output, specify a “Temporary folder name/path for RIP” on the “Preferences” window for the PostScript Driver. (For example, create a new folder named “TempFiles” on your Macintosh HD; then, enter “Macintosh HD:TempFiles” for the PostScript Driver “Temporary folder name/path for RIP” preference.) Once set, this setting will be retained for future PostScript merge sessions. You may change this setting at any time. Below is an outline of basic steps to produce Optimized PostScript files that can be distilled successfully by Acrobat Distiller 6:
1) Set up the document for merging.
2) When
ready, open the “DesignMerge” window to set up a merge session.
- In the “Records” box, select “All” and check
“Skip first record” if appropriate for your database file.
- In the “Merge Results” box, click “Print”
and select “PostScript” for the output.
- Select other options on the “DesignMerge” window as best
suits your job.
- Click “Start Merge” to continue.
3) DesignMerge will prompt you to select the database file.
4) After
you select the database file, the “PostScript Driver” window
will open.
- Specify a “Base job name” for the PostScript file output.
- Enter the number of “Pages per job” for this merge session:
To create one PostScript file that contains merged pages for all of
the records, enter “All”; To chunk the output into multiple
PostScript files, enter the maximum number of pages that you desire
in a file.
- Select “Composite” from the “Output” popup
menu.
- Select “Image & Form” from the “Caching”
popup menu. Selecting this option will instruct DesignMerge to cache
images in the PostScript file (which will create smaller PostScript
files) and will also instruct Acrobat Distiller to cache images for
re-use when distilling a file (which will allow Acrobat Distiller to
process the files more quickly).
5) Click
the “Prefs” button on the “PostScript Driver”
window. This will open the “Preferences” window.
- Specify a “Temporary folder name/path for RIP”. This is
required for Acrobat Distiller 6 to process Optimized PostScript. For
example, create a new folder named “TempFiles” on your Macintosh
HD; then, enter “Macintosh HD:TempFiles” for the PostScript
Driver “Temporary folder name/path for RIP” preference.
- Set the other preferences as best suits your job.
- Click “OK” to save the changes and close the “Preferences”
window. This returns you to the “PostScript Driver” window.
6) On the “PostScript Driver” window, click “Continue”. Select printing options as you normally would to print a document as a PostScript file. Start the printing when ready.
7) When the merge session has finished, you will be able to distill the resulting PostScript files successfully using Acrobat Distiller v6.