Using XDC files in Designer

From Designer, you can select from media types (paper types) from the Paper Type field. Designer obtains the values for this field from the Designer.xdc file.

1. In Designer, open a form (XDP file).

2. Select Window > Hierarchy to show the Hierarchy panel.

3. Select Windows > Object to display the Object panel.

4. In the Object panel, click the Master Page tab.

5. From the Paper Type list, select the media types that you require. Designer takes each of the values in the Paper Type field from the Designer.xdc file.

From Designer you can select from the fonts in the Font menu. Designer obtains the values for this menu from the Designer.xdc file.

1. In Designer, open a form (XDP file).

2. Select text in the form.

3. Select Windows > Font to show the Font palette.

4. From the Font list, select the font names, sizes, and styles that you require. This list is populated by the list of fonts specified in the Designer.xdc file.

The XDC file that Designer uses (Designer.xdc) defines a set of paper types that can be used for most cases. If you have any of the situations occur, modify the Designer.xdc file to add additional paper types. You also modify the XDC file for the target printer to map the additional paper types to input trays.

• Uses more than four types of any one of the standard paper sizes: letter, A4, or B4 JIS

• Uses more than two types of any one of the other paper sizes defined in the Designer.xdc file

• Uses paper sizes that are not yet defined in the Designer.xdc file

Otherwise, the only requirement is that the correct paper types be installed in the input trays that are associated with the paper type, as defined in the XDC file for the printer.

If you choose to customize paper names that form authors can select, modify the Designer.xdc file and the XDC file for the target printers. Such changes may be preferable to ensure that consistent naming conventions are used within an organization.

See Considerations for printing a form using the installed XDC files and Adding new paper types to the Designer.xdc file.

Using the installed XDC files, printers can select the paper trays from which they pull basic paper types, such as letter and legal.

Single paper type for a paper size

If the printer has one paper tray with plain letter-sized paper and the form’s master pages use letter-sized paper, the printer automatically prints on the letter-sized paper. This practice is also true for legal and other sizes that are installed on the printer.

Four or fewer paper types for a paper size

The Designer.xdc file defines a set of special paper types that can be used for most cases before it is necessary to add new paper types. For letter size, these types are the defined paper types:

• Letter Plain

• Letter Letterhead

• Letter Color

• Letter Special

An equivalent set of paper types is also available for the A4 and B4 JIS paper sizes.

For example, an application can use letter-sized paper from four or fewer input trays (for example, one for plain paper, one for preprinted letterhead, and one for pink paper) without modifying the Designer.xdc file. The assumption is that the correct paper types are placed in the input trays that are associated with each paper type, as defined in the XDC file for the printer.

Another example is of a complex job that you can print using the XDC files provided with your installation, without modification. Consider an insurance document package that uses four different letter-sized paper types:

• First page uses letterhead

• Second page through third-to-last pages use plain white

• Second-to-last page uses blue paper with some kind of notice/information

• Final page uses preprinted and prescored insurance cards at the bottom

As before, the assumption is that the correct paper types are installed in the input trays that are associated with each paper type, as defined in the XDC file for the printer.

To add new paper types to the Designer.xdc file, use a line editor or XML-capable editor to directly modify the contents of the file. That is, you cannot use XDC Editor for this task.

1. Locate the version of the Designer.xdc file that is installed with Designer.

   If Designer is installed separately from Workbench, the Designer.xdc file is in this location: [installation folder] \Designer\

   If Designer is installed with Workbench, the Designer.xdc file is in this location: [installation folder]\ Workbench\Designer\

2. Make a backup copy of the Designer.xdc file (good practice).

3. Open Designer.xdc by using a line editor or XML-capable editor.

4. In the deviceInfo element under the Medium heading, add a medium element for each of your custom medium (paper type).

5. Save the file as Designer.xdc in the same location as the original file.

6. Verify your addition to the Designer.xdc file by restarting Designer and then applying the new paper type (media type) to a form’s master page.

7. Using XDC Editor, add the paper type to the XDC file for the target printer and associate the paper type to an input paper tray. (See Specifying media and trays.)

   Note: Reinstalling or upgrading Designer overwrites your revised Designer.xdc file with the original version of the file. Store a backup copy of your revised file separate from the Designer installation.