• Australia Post integrated rate look ups
• Canada Post integrated rate look ups
• Product duplicator.  This will easily duplicate a product within a store, or from one store to another.  Look for this at the bottom of the product admin page.
• Beta release of a new order management page.  You can preview this by clicking the link at the top of the standard order management page.  New features include better searching, better sorting, tabs to show production status, and a horizontal bar to indicate overall status.
• Favicons for each of your sites.  Easily update a favicon in the setting settings area.  Learn more about favicons here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Favicon
• Set default bill to address.  You can now set the bill to address for an entire site and even prevent the buyer from overriding this address.  This will generally be used by b2b stores that invoice all orders to one location.
• View deleted workflows and re-activate as needed.
• When defining approval plan rules, we’ve added the option to select all users belonging to a certain location as a criteria for inclusion in the rule.
• Pressero has a very powerful engine for user group permissions.  But it can be a bit tricky to configure.  To help with this we rewrote the user group admin area.  The hierarchy of rules are now shown, and colors are used to show what is allowed (green) and not allowed (red).
• Beta release of a new pricing engine that runs entirely from an Excel file.  This amazing new feature means that you will be able to quickly and easily convert excel files into pricing calculators that run on your sites.  More info on this to come…

January 12, 2012 at 1:00 CST – Putting it All Together: Marketing Integration to Entice the Tech-Savvy Consumer

• Align your brand image with your audience through strategic web marketing

• Drive and monitor traffic from print to the web with cutting-edge technology

• Propel lead generation and conversions through cross-channel integration

• Enhance consumer awareness, engagement and loyalty with social media

• Capitalize on Pressero web-to-print services to enhance integrated marketing campaigns

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THIS WEBINAR

January 26, 2012 at 1:00 CST – Keyword is King: The What, Why and How of Search Engine Optimization

• Get your printing site found by successfully aligning web content with the keyword search

• Capitalize on search engine data to drive SEO strategy and continually improve your rankings

• Attain elusive first page rankings and stay on top with off-site optimization techniques

• Gain greater visibility faster by blending SEO with pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns

• Utilizing Pressero web-to-print services to bring added value to on-going SEO efforts

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THIS WEBINAR

Reserve your place at these complementary one-hour webinars and take the opportunity to participate in the post-webinar Q&A. Download the slides even if you cannot attend.

Hosted by Pressero http://www.pressero.com in partnership with OneIMS – integrated marketing solutions www.oneims.com for more information.

We recently added a MailChimp integration to Pressero.  This integration will allow you to push users in any of your Pressero sites into any of the mailing lists you have created in MailChimp.  This article will guide you through the steps of importing users into MailChimp, as well as using the user date fields (account creation, last login, and last order dates) to segment your email marketing campaigns.

Step 1) Go to MailChimp.com and create an account.

Step 2) MailChimp has lots of great resources to help you better understand the ins and outs of email marketing.  It’s imperative you understand what is legitimate email marketing and what is spam.  Please invest the time to read through MailChimp’s resources.

Step 3) Once logged in, create a subscriber list by clicking on the “Create a Subscriber List” button.  Fill out the required information and click the “Save” button.

Step 4) This step is optional, however, it is highly recommended.  Go to the settings for the list and choose the “fields and merge tags” option.  Click on “add a field” and choose the “date” type.  Do this three times to create three fields, and name them “account creation date”, “last login date”, and “last order date”.  (You don’t need to use these exact names, just something along these lines)  Be sure to click “Save” when finished.

Create Fields in MailChimp

Step 5) Now you need to get an API key.  This will be used to authorize Pressero to push users into your mailing lists.  Go to Account –> API Keys & Authorized Apps.  If you don’t have any API Keys already created, click the “Add a Key” button.  Copy and paste the long alphanumeric API key that it creates.

Step 6) Login to your Pressero administrative account.  Navigate to the site you want to export users from and choose the Site Users option.  On the user admin page, expand the panel at the bottom that says “MailChimp Integration”.

Step 7) Enter your API key and click the “Connect to MailChimp” button.

Step 8) Select the list from the drop down box that will appear.

Step 9) Map the three date fields, assuming you created them (step 4).

Step 10) Click the “Export Users to MailChimp” button.  You’ll receive a message stating the export was successful.

Step 11) Now you are ready to send mailings to these users.  Consult the MailChimp help resources for more information on how to do this.

Step 12) We recommend you use the date fields to segment your mailings.  This will allow you to send more targeted messages to certain types of people.  For example:

• Customers who logged in recently but did not place an order.
• Customers that recently placed an order
• Customers that haven’t logged in quite some time

When you begin a campaign, choose the option to “Send to Segment”

Step 13) Add the conditions and then click the “use segment” button.

SantaSentMeALetter.com has delivered the magic of Christmas to children (and Adults too) throughout the United States, Canada and beyond for 5 seasons. Its letters from Santa are among the highest quality available; complete with a personal message from Santa, custom north pole postmark, and Santa’s own wax seal.

SantaSentMeALetter.com runs on Pressero and uses a standard site skin.

1. Updated translations for Catalan, Chinese, and Turkish
2. You can now import locations for a b2b site in the admin.  Grab the excel template from the locations admin page, populate, and upload.
3. We’ve added a tax ID field at the site and user level.  This will typically be used for capturing a VAT id, but is flexible enough to be used for other purposes.  You can rename this field in site settings in the admin.
4. The language a site displays in has been driven by your customer’s browser settings.  This is still the default, however, you can now “force” the site to appear in a single language by enabling the culture lock option in site settings.
5. User import is now enabled for b2c sites.
6. Google site analytics has always been supported in Pressero v4.  This latest release adds support for Google Ecommerce Tracking.
7. We now have integration with MailChimp.  From the user admin area in a site, you can easily push users from Pressero into MailChimp.  You can optionally include date of account creation, last login, and last order… this has some very cool implications for targeted email marketing.   We’ll do a full blog post on this in the near future.

New bi-directional integration to provide true end-to-end print workflow automation solution

AGOURA, Calif., November 14, 2011 – Datatech SmartSoft Inc, developer of the end-to-end print workflow solution PressWise (www.presswise.com), today announced an integration partnership with Aleyant Systems, provider of advanced web-based platforms for the Graphic Arts industry, including the web-to-print solution Pressero (www.pressero.com).

A new API will enable Pressero web-to-print customers to connect their storefronts directly to the PressWise automated workflow system, creating a true end-to-end solution that uses a bi-directional flow of data between the two systems to minimize the number of touches required to process each order, lowering production costs and maximizing efficiency.

Order data will flow from Pressero storefronts directly into PressWise without the need for rekeying data. PressWise in return will send key order data, such as job production and shipping status, back to Pressero as the job moves through the production and fulfillment cycle.

“Streamlined workflows are the key to profitability in this very competitive print environment” said Eric Wold, Vice President of Datatech SmartSoft. “PressWise delivers a low-touch automated print MIS and workflow solution to our customers, but we believe that our customers should be able to choose the web storefront that works best for them and their clients, which is why we created this simple API for them .

“This joint integration project with Pressero shows how two companies with a shared goal – the success of their customers – can come together and make great things happen. We look forward to promoting the Pressero integration to new and existing PressWise customers looking for an affordable, cloud-based, web-to-print application.”

“Many of our customers are interested in capturing efficiency gains from all their operations to reduce costs. A key requirement is the ability of customer facing web-to-print storefronts, as well as back-end automated workflow systems, to talk to each other” said Greg Salzman, President of Aleyant Systems. “Like SmartSoft, we believe our customers should be able to mix and match to combine best of breed products from vendors. A Pressero and PressWise integration provides our joint customers with a true end-to-end solution.”

About Datatech SmartSoft

Datatech SmartSoft provides workflow software solutions for print automation, data hygiene and postal discounts. Their products include the AccuMail® postal address correction software, the all-in-one address quality and postal presorting solution, SmartAddresser 5™, real-time address validation and keystroke savings software for data entry, AccuMail Verify, and the end-to-end print workflow automation solution, PressWise.

PressWise was designed as an alternative to purchasing independent modules (or custom development) of Print Production Workflow Management, Print-Specific MIS, and Mail Preparation Software. Now a single, end-to-end system is available with the comprehensive tools needed to streamline print workflow. PressWise also provides simple integration tools for third-party applications, including back-end accounting, print MIS and third-party web storefronts.

Implementation is fast and easy. The system is accessed through a browser and can be used in just a few hours of setup and online training. PressWise is available cloud-hosted or self-hosted, on a SaaS business model with no long-term contracts. For more information, visit www.presswise.com or www.smartsoftusa.com.

About Pressero and Aleyant Systems

Pressero is delivered through a hosted model and used by businesses of all sizes to generate and manage private-branded corporate (B2B) and retail (B2C) storefronts. Whether catalog- or item-based, storefronts include custom or stock ordering, interactive pricing, estimating, file transfer, proofing, inventory tracking, shipping, payment, and order approval, among other advanced workflow capabilities. To schedule an online demonstration or for more information, call 800-571-2138 or visit www.Pressero.com.

Founded in 2005, Aleyant Systems is an innovative leader, providing robust web-to-print software services at value-driven prices. Aleyant develops highly functional and flexible applications, delivering the most advanced web-based solutions on the market. Its flagship product, Pressero, is one of the most complete web-to-print systems within its price class. Pressero includes eDocBuilder, a web-based variable data publishing (VDP) system that is also sold separately for integration into other systems. For more information, visit www.aleyant.com.

What about the specifics? What is different about this NEW HTML5 Interactive Designer? Well, let me walk you through some of the best part of our new designer…

Easy Element Manipulation

With the new html5 interface adjusting text and image elements is a snap.

With the new html5 interface its super simple to drag a corner and re-size a text or image area. Need to move a layer to any place on the page? Just click and drag like you would with any desktop program and we have helpful cursor indications to let the user know what action is available as they hover over the element.

Rotation is even easier now! The green handle will allow you to rotate your element to any degree! You will be hard pressed to find any Interactive Designer online that allows for this extreme in rotation manipulation.

The Layer Browser

A multitude of options to edit layers any way you want.

The layer browser is the list of all the elements that are part of the template for that particular page. Each element, whether it is text or image, has its own set of options for manipulation.

As you can see here this is a text element and its options for editing. You can edit everything that makes up that text element from its font name to more advanced possibilities such as Leading and Tracking.

Many standard fonts are available by default but the Interactive Designer doesn’t limit you to just those. The template creator can upload any fonts needed to be used in the template.

And the best part about it, when you edit the text it updates on the template INSTANTLY!

Zooming, lets get closer!

Need to make a very detailed edit, just ZOOM!

A simple and quick drop down option from the control bar at the top of the template allows for zooming of the template. Which allows the user to get in very close and edit the template elements very exactly.

From 100% to “Fit Width” we have just about every option you will need to pull the template closer and make that brochure or business card exactly the way you want it.

Page Transitions

How about a little eye candy? Just switch a page and watch them slide!

A simple click on one of the page indicators causes the page the user is viewing to slide out of the way while the page they requested slides into view. Not only is the transition smooth and beautiful but its also very cool!

And with the page hover indicators the user doesn’t even need to click on the page to see what it looks like. Just hover over the page indicator and you will get a nice preview of the page you about to request. This is great for multiple page templates where finding the right page quickly is essential.

Text Options

As shown previously we have a multitude of text options to allow for complete customization of text areas. Here is a list of all the options that our users can take advantage of with the new html5 interactive interface.

• Font Name – Tons of fonts to choose from, or upload your own.
• Font Size – from 0 to 999 we’re ready for anything, and the template designer can limit these numbers.
• Leading – Control the vertical line space
• Tracking – Control the horizontal letter spacing
• Alignment – From “Top Left” to “Bottom Right”, we know how to align.
• Font Color – Pick your favorite color
• Font Styles – Bold, Italic, Underline of course
• Arrangement – You can stack font layers any way you want.
• Text Editing – Type and it updates INSTANTLY!

Text Picker, even more options for text manipulation!

Need just a specific selection of text options TEXT PICKER!

As a template creator / printer do you need to limit the text options for your users? We have the right thing for you, its called a “Text Picker”.

The user simply clicks on the text element and the layer options open, but instead of a text area to enter in their text they get a drop down with several options. There can be any number of options here.

Just click the text you want and the element on the template updates instantly. Wow that is cool! Oh and did I mention that we support ANY font? Yes that is correct you are seeing an Asian font set in the image here. Not only that but the HTML5 Interactive Designer is totally localized, so not only can you have all the fonts in the world but all the controls to edit the template will be in the language set by the browser.  Allons-y!

Image Options

When a user uploads an image they can manipulate it in many different ways. They can drag it across the template to any position. Rotate it by any degree. Re-size the image any way they see fit. They could also arrange the images in any stacking order or put the images behind the background if they so choose. Image manipulation made simple!

Image Picker

Image picker popup makes selecting specific images simple and fast.

Yes we have a picker for images also. As a template designer do you need to limit your users to just a few select images? Or do you want to make choices simple and easy for that company business card that needs to look the same for each employee?

We have an “Image Picker” to solve these needs. The user just clicks on the image that is part of the template and the listing of possible images pops up for an easy choice. Select your image and see it appear on the template then begin to edit like you would any other image. Simple and awesome!

Adding Images

The html5 Interactive Designer users can add images with a simple click of a button. Within seconds they will be navigating their hard drives or Facebook accounts looking for that perfect image to add to the template. Then its just a matter of cropping the image to size and then they have a new image that is part of the template and ready to be manipulated just like any image element.

We even allow template designers to limit this functionality. If you want to keep your template to specific possibilities then its easy to turn off adding images.

Adding Text

Adding text is just as easy… no, its even easier then adding images! The user just needs to click the “Add Text” button and BAM! their editing a new text area. Its just that quick!

Yes, we even allow the template designer to limit this functionality. If you don’t want extra text beyond what is part of the master template just simply turn of that option.

Undo / Redo, a life saver!

I don’t know about you but I think my life would be much worse without the invention of “undo”. We can’t have the undo button in real life but in cyber space we go beyond the reality and into infinite possibilities! Did you just make a change that really looks bad? One click and your back to where you were. Or mash that button a ton of times and watch the template change before your eyes going back in time to a place that you loved even more.

And don’t worry if you hit the undo button too many times, that is why we have “redo”! Yep, its just as simple.

Cropping

As a programmer this was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. It has taken us a ton of man hours to get this just perfect. It is so simple to just choose an image area that is part of a template, browse your hard drive, select an image and enter in to this wonderful space that is cropping.

On the left we have a selection box that is super simple to move around and re-size, and on the right you can see your selection by itself instantly. There is no question on how your image is going to look after you hit the “Add Image” button. You can see everything you need here. Even if the quality of the image that is being upload is not going to print well the html5 interactive designer will let the user know in simple text and color coding that their image is great or not so good.

With the wealth of information it provides and the easy of use cropping with the interactive designer is one of our most powerful tools.

Need a simple way to only use a part of an image, we can do it.

Facebook Integration

Click the button to login to facebook and choose an image

As you know the HTML5 interactive designer can be used on mobile platforms. But some platforms don’t have the ability to choose images from its hard drive. So this is one reason why we decided to integrate Facebook into the Interactive Designer. Once a user clicks on an image they are brought to a screen to choose their hard drive or to connect to their Facebook account and choose an image.

From there is a simple interface that is shown that allows the user to navigate their Facebook albums and choose the perfect image from their Facebook account.

Its super easy to navigate your facebook albums and pictures.

The Future

I’m not at all scared to tell you that we just released the new HTML5 Interactive Designer. Its brand new, right out of the box and it works great! So imagine if we keep improving it because that is exactly what we are going to do. We constantly listen to all of our users and every piece of feedback is taken into consideration. If the HTML5 Interactive Designer is this great right out of beta then you can consider its future to be very bright indeed.

Raffle Tickets, Parking Permits, Stickers… these are just a few of the many products that need numeric sequencing, and those products are now supported in eDocBuilder.

Using a simple script, you can add sequencing to templates. Specify a start number, end number, increment, and number formatting information to the script. You can “hard code” sequencing information, allow your customer to specify the information and even have the sequencing be determined off the number of items the customer ordered. Sequencing can extend to barcoding as well. You can also apply sequences to VDP documents, and you can have multiple independent sequences on the same template.

Lets take a look at a simple sequencing template on a raffle ticket:

In this example, I will have the customer specify the starting number only. The number of tickets that will be generated will be based on the Quantity they order. We will pull these two fields together using Fields Scripting within eDocBuilder.

Picture 1: Create 3 Form Fields, one for the starting number, one for the stopping number and one for the Field Script area that will display the resulting numbers.

Here are the important settings for each of these three fields in eDoc:

1. Start # (EnterStart): Field Type=User Entry, Data Capture=Text Box, Format=Hide Field.
2. End # (EnterStop): Field Type= User Entry, Data Capture=Text Box and Profile Field Type will
   be set to “Sequence Count” which is a new Profile Field Type added to eDoc for this feature. This profile will look at the number ordered in the Q1 field of their pricing engine, Format=Hide Field.
3. Numbering Field (sequencingGroup): Field Type=Static Text or Field Scripting, Field Scripting=using VB Script as seen in Picture 2 (below).

Picture 2: For this example, we are not having the customer specify the increment pattern, or the formatting… we will hard code that in the script. Follow the scripting like you see here: sequence(EnterStart, EnterStop, “1”, “#,###”) This means the start number will come from the number the customer enters in the Start prompt, the stop number will come from the sequence profile field which will look at the number of tickets ordered in the pricing engine, it will go in increments of 1, and it will be formatted like 5,000.

The last step is to assign this template to a product and test it out!

Picture 3: You can see here that I am using a Pricing Calculator Engine that asks the customer how many ticket they want to order in the Q1 field. That number will be used as the stopping number in the template.

Picture 4: You can see here that in the eDocBuilder customization area, I request the starting number for the tickets. The stopping number prompt is hidden from the customer because it is being generated by the number ordered. In this example, where I ordered 3000 tickets, and started on 1,500. After choosing my starting number, and Updating Preview, I see 1,500 on my template. It is using the formatting #,### that I set in my VB Script.

Picture 5: Going to Page 2 in the template, I see how my next increment is 1,501 because I set my increment of “1” in my VB Script.

There are many ways to use this new feature. For more examples please refer to the eDocBuilder User Documentation Manual.