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socker_dad
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Joined: 05 Dec 2006
Posts: 177
Location: Seattle, WA
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I'd read the manual - if I had one.
I've been tasked with preparing this year's W2 and 1099-MISC mailings which involves using overlays and forms. I've never done this.
The original document is a Word document, converted via Elixer into a mainframe object, which is somehow used by a program to create the tax forms. It's actually pretty slick - but I don't know how it works. And of course, the guy who did it last year was a contractor who is no longer speaking to us. Oh, and he took all his documentation with him.
Does anyone have a link to a manual that would help me understand what is going on and how to make the required changes?
Thanks! |
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dneufarth
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Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 420
Location: Inside the SPEW (Southwest Ohio, USA)
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socker_dad
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Location: Seattle, WA
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| Yes, the Elixir software is from Xerox and it worked beautifully. I'm having severe problems with the mainframe side. |
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dneufarth
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Location: Inside the SPEW (Southwest Ohio, USA)
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| What is the target printer? |
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socker_dad
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Location: Seattle, WA
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| According to Operations, the destination printer is irrelevant. |
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dneufarth
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Location: Inside the SPEW (Southwest Ohio, USA)
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It's been 25+ years since I was a laser printing analyst using Xerox products like FDL, PDL, XICS and Image Sciences DocuMerge (Oracle has it now). Not even sure if these are still around or on near end of life.
The target printer seems important as it must be able to handle IPDS (metacode Xerox), AFP (IBM), PDF (Adobe) and HP. Somehow overlays and forms must be developed with placeholder tags which get filled with variable data items and then sent to printers that understand the stream or a program that translates the stream to PDF and/or thru a driver that addresses the specific needs of the printer.
I'm afraid I can"t be of any further assistance. Been out of that world for decades. Searching Google did turn up firms that do convert DocuMerge to other products that may be of help or lead to a solution to your problem.
Best of luck. |
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dneufarth
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Location: Inside the SPEW (Southwest Ohio, USA)
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There was a way to design a form (billing stmt, 1099, w2 etc) and use it as an overlay for each physical page. The simple line printer data was printed like a std report with data aligned so it fit in the ares of the forms just like you used to do with preprinted forms and impact printers. They were designed using forms design languages or WYSIWYG like Elixir. You did have to know the target printers (IBM, Xerox) to create this forms which were stored on the printer or in a dataset on the mainframe.
I think MS Word and appropriate drivers were able to be used for forms design. I recall some product called Print Commander.
Sorry, a bit fuzzy on the specifics. |
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socker_dad
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Posts: 177
Location: Seattle, WA
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I'm sorry Dave - it's an AFP printer.
I get the form in a Word document and the Elixir software is great. Only one problem: The mainframe wants FORMDEF's, PAGEDEF's, & Overlays.
I developed the Overlay (looks really sweet), but the rest is just a mystery to me. The Elixir documentation is like reading stereo instructions. If you already know what you are doing, it works fine. If bit, you are screwed! |
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