Splitting printing into more than one file

By default, when Connect saves the print output spool file to a directory, it creates one spool file that contains all the generated documents (one document per data record). It is, however, possible to output one spool file per document, or to create groups of documents and store those in separate spool files. It is also possible to split documents that are longer than a certain number of pages into multiple output files. This topic explains how to do that.

Splitting one document into multiple files

If a document - the output of one record - can have too many pages so that it cannot fit into one envelope, it can be split automatically into equal parts using the Repeat sheet configuration option in the Sheet Configuration dialog. For instructions see Applying a Master Page to a page in a Print section and Sheet Configuration dialog.

Grouping documents

Documents in a print job can be grouped on three levels: Job, Job Segment, and Document Set, via a Job Preset (see Job Presets).
For instance, in a mailing destined for recipients in both Canada and the United States, you might want to group the documents by country (Job level) in order to separate the US and CA recipients. You could further sort the mail pieces by state/province (Job Segment level) and then by individual postal codes (Document Set level).

Creating separate output files

To make each document or groups of documents go into a separate file, a print job needs to be 'separated'. Separation is one of the options to set in an Output Preset (see Output Presets). An Output Preset also determines where the output will go.

For example, if a mailing has two groups on the Job level: one of recipients in Canada and one of recipients in the United States, separating the output on the Job level and printing to PDF would result in two PDF files.
If the same documents were also grouped by state/province on the Job Segment level, then splitting the job at the Job Segment level would result in one file per state/province.

Naming output files

When output is split into multiple files, each file probably needs to get a name that identifies the document or group of documents inside it.
For example, if documents are grouped by state or province on the Job Segment level, and the job is split at the Job Segment level, the output files probably need to be named after a state or province.

Here's how to do that with the Advanced Print Wizard.

  1. To open the Advanced Print Wizard: select File > Print, and in the Print dialog, click the Advanced button at the bottom.
  2. Select Directory in the output options.

  3. Check the options Include meta data and Separation. Click Next.

  4. Define meta data at the intended separation level. (See Meta Data options.)

  5. Click Next to make the separation settings on a following page.

  6. Go back to the first page of the wizard and use those meta data in the Job Output Mask (see Output options).

If you are working with a Job Preset and Output Preset:

  1. First, define meta data at the intended separation level. This is done in the Job Preset (see Include meta data and Meta Data options).

  2. In the Output Preset, make the separation settings, and use the meta data in the Job Output Mask (see Output options).

To use meta data in the file name, click the button next to the Job Output Mask field. The Job Output Mask dialog appears. Select a meta data field and click the icon with the plus sign to insert it in the Job Output Mask (see Output options).

Meta data fields are inserted into the file name as variables. For example: ${segment.metadata.State} refers to a meta data tag State defined on the job segment level.
For the complete list of output variables, see Print output variables.

Note: Only meta data defined on the actual separation level are accessible to the Job Output Mask.

Tip: For an example see this how-to: Configure personalized output file names.