We have started generating QC pieces for the postcards we print. Our data has a tray break marker “###” in the data in field 15 that we key on to output another sheets with the background image and details about the record, eliminating personal/mailing information. When we mail sort these after trimming, these records get pulled out and stored for 90 days as QC proof of what was printed and mailed. All is good there.
We’d like to do the same for single and multi-page letters that we produce. The problem is that PlanetPress sees the additional page(s) as part of the original letter. If my QC record was a 3 page letter, it now gets output as a 6p letter (and inserted into a single envelope!). I need it to output the original 3p letter, then output my QC copy of a 3p letter. Any thoughts on how to generate that QC record? Is there a way for me to spot that “###” value in the datamapper, duplicate the record and possibly add a value in another field that I can use in designer to trigger the de-personalized version of the output instead of the addressed version?
It feels like inserting a conditional step then a repeat step should probably get me where I want to go with this. I could use some pointers on how to troubleshoot data mapping. I’ve added a condition based on column 15 containing the value ###. On true, I’m repeating my data extraction steps, wiping out the personalized address data and replacing it with the bits and pieces of QC information I’d like to know about the record. However, I’m not getting the expected additional record.
I’d be happy to simply write the new data out to a file for manual examination. Any tips on how to write the results of the data-mapping process out to a file or better ways to see what the data-mapper thinks of what I’m asking it to do?
Why not just have a condition which creates a field called “qcCopy” in the data model which in your template you use a Control Script to throw a secondary section with the QC copy on?
I’ll take a look at that, but wouldn’t that still just give me additional pages in the same letter? Or replaces the original record? I have a record that looks like:
“IMB”,“OEL”,Jim Dornbos",“address, etc”,“seq001”,“field14”,“###”
I need to print that record once as a regular letter that gets mailed out, then ideally the record gets duplicated and printed a second time as a separate letter looking like:
“redactedIMB”,“OEL”,QC Copy",“backgroundID:12345”,“seq001”,“field14”,“###”
@jmdornbos: I’m not sure I completely understand what you mean to achieve, but perhaps this post would be helpful. It explains how to duplicate a record in the DataMapper and set different information on each copy of that initial record.