Reports and Publishing Perfion Print Publishing Guide
Design each document once and let Perfion fill it: datasheets and price lists from any selection, in the language and format each run needs, and complete catalogues collated chapter by chapter, with page sides, numbering and an index handled for you.
A report in Perfion pairs a report template, which holds the design, with a SuperQuery, which collects the product data. It runs on any selection, with parameters chosen at run time, and exports to PDF, Word, Excel and other formats. A publication runs a report for each chapter of a publishing structure, named by its CatalogTemplate value, and collates them into one file. CatalogPage sets page sides and numbering, and an index lists entries with their pages.
At a glance
- Perfion name
- Reports, report templates, parameters, publications and Export Report Data
- Where
- Reports and publications run from grids, categorizers and channels; designed in the report designerReportsPublicationsExport Report DataGenerated in the background by the Perfion Application Service
- Used by
- Product data, catalogue and marketing teams, and report designersDesigning reports needs the role Can design reports
- Works with
- Table featuresCategorizersLanguages
- Ten export formats
- 10 documented export formats for reportsPPDFDDOCXXXLSXXXLSRRTFHHTMLMMHTCCSVTTextIImage
How Perfion generates documents, from one report to a finished catalogue
A report is defined once and run on whatever needs it. The choices are made at run time, the file is generated in the background, and a publication strings reports together into one catalogue.
Define the report
A report pairs a report template, which holds the design, with a SuperQuery, which collects the data. It stays hidden from other users until it is ready.
Run it on any selection
Selected items in a grid, nodes of a categorizer or a channel node: the same report covers whatever it is run on.
Set the choices
Language, file format, image quality and any parameters the report offers are chosen when it runs.
Generate in the background
The application server generates the file while people keep working, and it is downloaded from Jobs when ready.
Collate a publication
A publication runs chapter reports in order, handles page sides and numbering, builds the index and returns one file.
Manual documents vs Perfion reports: what changes when documents come from the record
Manual documents are copies of the product data, made and revised by hand. Perfion reports and publications are generated from the product record each time they run.
| Task | Documents made by hand | Perfion reports and publications |
|---|---|---|
| Datasheets | Copied from a spreadsheet into a document, product by product. | Generated from the product record for any selection of items. |
| Price lists | Retyped or re-pasted at every revision. | One report run on categories, with choices made when it runs. |
| Languages | A separate file for each language, revised separately. | The output language is chosen each time the report runs. |
| Catalogues | Assembled page by page in a layout tool. | A publication runs a report for each chapter and collates them into one file. |
| Page numbers and index | Redone by hand after every change. | Set by the publication; the index lists the pages where entries appear. |
| Repeat editions | Set up again for every edition. | Run as one-click publications with stored settings. |
| File formats | Converted by hand for each request. | PDF, Word, Excel and seven more formats from the same report. |
| Design agency | Sent spreadsheets and image folders by email. | Export Report Data gives an Excel or XML file, with images in folders. |
See how your own datasheets, price lists and catalogue would be generated from Perfion.
See it for your documents →Perfion Reports and Publishing capabilities: eight ways to turn product data into documents
Each capability shows what it does in Perfion and what it is worth to the business.
Operational Reality (Capabilities)
Perfion Reporting creates reports from the product data stored in Perfion, and the same reports are the base for publications. A report has a name, a report template that defines the design, a SuperQuery that defines how the data is collected, and a visibility setting: until a report is made visible for all users, only users with the roles to design reports can see it, so designers can finish their work first. Reports are kept in the database and arranged in folders, and designing them needs the role Can design reports.
- A template for the design, a SuperQuery for the data
- Hidden from other users until made visible
- Stored in the database, arranged in folders
Executive ROI Value
Datasheets, price lists and simple catalogues come from the same record the business already maintains, not from copies.
- One source
- No copies
Operational Reality (Capabilities)
Report designs are built in the report designer from DevExpress, which Perfion launches for the report being designed and saves straight back to it. A report template holds the master report design, styles for rich text in the report, and styles for tables from the Table Designer; when the table styles are empty, the global table style is used. The designer uses TrueType and OpenType fonts installed on the machine, and fonts are embedded when a report is exported to PDF. It generates most barcode types itself, such as EAN-13, UPC-A, EAN-8, EAN-128, Code 128 and Code 39. Watermarks can be set for each report.
- Master design, rich text styles, table styles
- Fonts embedded in PDF output
- Built-in barcodes, such as EAN-13 and UPC-A
Executive ROI Value
Documents carry the brand’s own layout and fonts, and barcodes are drawn from the product data instead of pasted in as images.
- Brand layouts
- Scannable barcodes
Operational Reality (Capabilities)
In the web client, a report runs on items selected in a data grid, on nodes of a categorizer or on a channel node, from the Channels section or Publish work mode; a categorizer or channel report typically covers all the items related to the selected nodes. The user picks the report, a file name, an output language from the languages in their profile, a file format and an image quality of Low, Medium or High. The application server generates the file in the background, and it is downloaded from Jobs. Reports can be exported as PDF, HTML, MHT, RTF, DOCX, XLS, XLSX, CSV, text or image.
- Grid selection, categorizer or channel node
- Language, format and image quality per run
- Generated in the background; download from Jobs
Executive ROI Value
Sales, product and marketing staff generate the document they need themselves, while they keep working.
- Self-service
- No waiting
Operational Reality (Capabilities)
Parameters let end users customise reports and other outputs. They are defined in the report’s SuperQuery or as publication settings, and the user sets them in the report dialog. A parameter can be a date, a number, text, a value picked from a selectable feature, languages, a yes-or-no choice, an image resolution or a choice from a list, with one value or several, and it can be hidden with a default value. Parameters can filter the items a report reads, decide which features it includes, choose the variants of a remote feature, change how the report looks, such as printing “Draft” in a corner, and filter the items in a table from the Table Designer.
- Defined in the SuperQuery or the publication
- One value or several; hidden with a default
- Filter items, pick features, change the look
Executive ROI Value
One report serves several audiences, such as dealer and retail versions, instead of a near-copy for each.
- Fewer reports
- Choices at run time
Operational Reality (Capabilities)
Publishing orchestrates the generation of reports and compiles them into a single result. It suits outputs with many pages that break into chapters, such as complete catalogues with a front page, separator pages, index, various layouts and tables of contents. A publishing structure mirrors the printed output, and on each of its items a CatalogTemplate value names the report to run; items without a value are left out. Each chapter’s report always starts on a new page. Bookmarks from the chapter reports are merged, and watermarks set on each report are kept in the final publication.
- Publishing structure mirrors the printed output
- A report named for each chapter
- Bookmarks merged, watermarks kept
Executive ROI Value
A complete catalogue is generated from the product record in one run, instead of being assembled page by page.
- Whole catalogue
- One run
Operational Reality (Capabilities)
The optional CatalogPage feature tells a publication how to handle a chapter’s pages: continue numbering from a set page number, start on a left or a right page, or mark a single-page report as an optional insert page. Where a chapter must start on a given side, the publication inserts a blank page, or the optional page if one is marked. Booklet layout guarantees the output collates into a booklet, filling the end with blank or optional pages. An index is a special report that receives the data of the whole publication, with the pages where entries appear.
- Page number resets; left or right starts
- Blank or chosen insert pages
- Booklet layout and indexes with page numbers
Executive ROI Value
Printed catalogues open on the right pages and their indexes point to the right numbers, without a manual check of every page.
- Print-ready
- Correct index
Operational Reality (Capabilities)
With one-click publications, every input of a publication is stored in the database: what to do when it runs, show options, view or export, plus languages, output format, image resolution, TemplateChoice, booklet pages and whether to skip reports whose data is empty. When a TemplateChoice is supplied, the publication looks for a variant of each chapter report, named with the choice added, and uses it where it exists; otherwise it uses the original report. Parameters set on a publication pass to all its reports and take precedence over a report’s own value of the same name.
- All inputs stored; no questions at run time
- Variant reports used where they exist
- Publication parameters take precedence
Executive ROI Value
Each edition of a catalogue is produced the same way every time, and a variant needs only the chapters that differ.
- Repeatable
- Variants without copies
Operational Reality (Capabilities)
Export Report Data exports the data behind a report for use in an external design tool, typically InDesign with EasyCatalog as the bridge between the two systems. It is available from main grids, categorizers and channels to users with the role Can export via reports. The data file is Excel, with feature captions as names or set up for re-import, or XML, with or without a schema and with feature metadata standard or compacted. Images can be left as paths only, or exported in separate folders, one for each image feature, in a zip file with the data. Where a layout tool cannot use the built-in barcodes, barcode fonts and a conversion expression draw them instead.
- Excel or XML, for tools such as InDesign
- Images as paths, or in folders by feature
- Barcode fonts where tools need them
Executive ROI Value
A design agency works from the same product data and images as Perfion’s own reports, instead of spreadsheets sent by email.
- One source
- Agency-ready
5 Core Concepts of Reports and Publishing in Perfion
The first is about reuse and the second about choices at run time. The third turns a catalogue into a series of reports, the fourth hands the pages to the publication, and the last makes every edition repeatable.
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Concept 01 · One report, any selection
Design a Report Once, Run It on Any Selection
The product data problem it solves
Every product has a datasheet in Word, made by copying values from a spreadsheet. A flow rate changes on forty faucets, and the team spends a week opening forty files. Three of them still go to a builder with the old figure.
The concept explained
A report is a definition, not a document. Its report template holds the layout and its SuperQuery collects the data, so the same report produces a datasheet for one product, for the products selected in a grid, or for every product related to a category or a channel node. The language, file format and image quality are chosen each time it runs. A value corrected in Perfion is in the next file generated, because there is no separate copy to correct.
Everyday analogy
A letter template with mail merge. The letter is written once, and every copy is printed with the details of the person it is going to.
In Perfion
Reports are stored in the database and arranged in folders. A report stays visible only to report designers until it is made visible for all users. In the web client, reports are generated in the background by the application server and downloaded from Jobs.
Related:BPAS method · toolDeploy EnterpriseDesign before configurationThe data model is designed and signed off before anything is configured: the Design phase of toolDeploy Enterprise.One report, three runs: three selected products, a whole category, and a channel node, each in the language chosen. -
Concept 02 · Parameters set in the report dialog
Let the Person Running the Report Make the Choices
The product data problem it solves
The price list exists as four files: dealer and retail, each in English and Hindi. Someone edits the layout of one and forgets the others, and dealers receive a price list in last year’s design.
The concept explained
Parameters are defined in a report’s SuperQuery and set by the user in the report dialog. They can filter which items a report reads, decide which features it includes, choose the variants of a remote feature, and change how the report looks, such as printing “Draft” in a corner. A parameter can offer a list of allowed values, take one value or several, or be hidden with a default value. One report then does the work of several near-copies.
Everyday analogy
A tailor’s order form. The suit pattern is the same; the customer ticks the cloth, the cut and the size.
In Perfion
Languages, image resolution, variant naming and binaries on demand are system defined parameters that affect every kind of output. Parameters set on a publication pass to all its reports; where a report defines a parameter with the same name, the publication’s value takes precedence, while the report run on its own uses its own default.
One report with three parameters gives a dealer list in English and a draft retail list in Hindi. -
Concept 03 · Chapters run in order, then collated
Think of a Catalogue as a Series of Reports
The product data problem it solves
The annual catalogue is laid out page by page in a design tool. A new shower range arrives in week six, and every page after it has to be moved, renumbered and checked again.
The concept explained
A publication runs a series of reports in order and collates the results into one output. Its task list is a publishing structure that mirrors the printed book: on each item, a CatalogTemplate value names the report to run, such as a front page, an index, a range chapter or the terms. Items without a value are left out. Each chapter’s report starts on a new page, so content that should flow together belongs in the same report. A new range is a new item in the structure, not a re-layout of the book.
Everyday analogy
A wedding programme run by a master of ceremonies: a running order, and each item handed to the right person in turn.
In Perfion
Publications are generated from a catalogue node, recognised by the book icon, and include all the child nodes below it and their related items. Where a CatalogTemplate value is inherited by child items, the report runs only where the value is defined, not again for each child.
Six chapters in the publishing structure; Spares has no CatalogTemplate value, so it is left out of the catalogue. -
Concept 04 · Page sides, numbers and indexes
Let the Publication Handle the Pages
The product data problem it solves
A chapter has to open on a right-hand page. After every change, someone counts pages, adds a blank page here and removes one there, then renumbers the index by hand. The printer still finds two chapters opening on the left.
The concept explained
The CatalogPage feature tells a publication how each chapter’s pages behave. It can make a chapter start on a left or a right page, inserting a blank page, or a chosen optional page, where needed. It can restart the page numbering at a set number, for example to leave room for printed inserts. Booklet layout fills the end of the output so it collates as a booklet. An index receives the data of the whole publication with the pages on which each entry appears, so it can list products with their page numbers.
Everyday analogy
A printer’s imposition sheet: it knows which pages face each other, and where a blank page must go so the book folds right.
In Perfion
Left and right are counted from the front page, which is always a right page; the page numbers set through CatalogPage do not change the sides. Reports used in a publication show page numbers through a label the publication fills in. An index needs the publication to have run once before it can be previewed correctly.
Faucets must start on a right page, so a blank page is inserted at page 4; numbering continues and the index points to page 5. -
Concept 05 · Stored settings, variant chapters
Produce Every Edition the Same Way
The product data problem it solves
The English and Hindi catalogues are produced months apart by different people. One edition is exported at low image quality and the other skips a chapter, and nobody can say which settings were used last year.
The concept explained
One-click publications store every input of a publication in the database: languages, output format, image resolution, booklet pages, whether to skip empty reports, and what to do when it runs. The user picks the publication and it proceeds without questions. A TemplateChoice supplied with it makes the publication use a variant of a chapter report where one exists, such as a dealer version, and the original everywhere else. Each edition comes out the same way, every time.
Everyday analogy
A saved print setting at a photo lab: the same paper, size and finish every time you reorder, with nothing to set again.
In Perfion
One-click publications are named so that users can tell what each one produces, such as one for each language. No dialog is shown for each report in a publication: apart from parameters set on the publication itself, reports use the default values in their own SuperQuery, including those for remote values and variants.
Related:From BPAS · prodRecord newsletterprodRecordKeeping the record straight.One product data practice every month, written in plain English for product data teams.Two one-click publications with stored settings; TemplateChoice Dealer picks the dealer version of a chapter where it exists.
10 Best Practices for Reports and Publishing in Perfion
Each practice says what well-run reports and publications look like and what it costs to ignore it. Designing them for your documents is what BPAS consultants do.
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01Design one report for each kind of document, not one for each product
The rule
Each report serves a kind of document, such as a datasheet or a price list, and is run on whatever items need it.
Risk if ignored
Hundreds of near-identical documents, each corrected separately when a value or the layout changes.
Get it right with BPAS
Not sure this is in place for your documents? Talk to a BPAS consultant.
Talk to BPAS -
03Check that every report reads exactly the data it needs
The rule
Each report’s SuperQuery is checked to collect the items, features and languages the document needs, no more and no less.
Risk if ignored
Reports that are slow to generate, carry internal fields onto customer documents, or miss new products.
Get it right with BPAS
Not sure this is in place for your documents? Talk to a BPAS consultant.
Talk to BPASRelated:Vocabulary: SuperQueryConcept 01
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04Offer choices as parameters, with sensible defaults
The rule
Choices that differ between runs, such as language, price list or image resolution, are parameters with defaults that suit most runs; choices users should not change are hidden.
Risk if ignored
A copy of the report for every audience, each drifting from the others.
Get it right with BPAS
Not sure this is in place for your documents? Talk to a BPAS consultant.
Talk to BPASRelated:Concept 02Capability: Parameters
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05Make the publishing structure follow the printed book
The rule
The publishing structure follows the order of the printed output, and content that must flow together sits in one chapter report.
Risk if ignored
Chapters in the wrong order, and sections that break onto a new page where they should run on.
Get it right with BPAS
Not sure this is in place for your documents? Talk to a BPAS consultant.
Talk to BPAS -
06Let the publication number the pages and build the index
The rule
Reports used in publications take their page numbers from the publication and feed its index, so numbering and the index stay correct after every change.
Risk if ignored
Page numbers that ignore inserts and resets, and an index that points to the wrong pages.
Get it right with BPAS
Not sure this is in place for your documents? Talk to a BPAS consultant.
Talk to BPASRelated:Concept 04Vocabulary: Index
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07Run every regular edition as a one-click publication
The rule
Catalogues and price books produced more than once have their settings stored as one-click publications, named for what they produce.
Risk if ignored
Each edition produced with different settings, and nobody sure which ones were used last time.
Get it right with BPAS
Not sure this is in place for your documents? Talk to a BPAS consultant.
Talk to BPASRelated:Concept 05Capability: One-click publications and template choice
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08Install brand fonts properly and clear barcode font licences
The rule
Fonts used in report designs are installed as individual TrueType or OpenType files, and the licence of any barcode font is cleared before use.
Risk if ignored
Documents that fall back to another font, or a barcode font used without the right to use it.
Get it right with BPAS
Not sure this is in place for your documents? Talk to a BPAS consultant.
Talk to BPAS -
09Give report design and report data export to named people
The rule
Only trained report designers can design reports, and the right to export report data is given deliberately.
Risk if ignored
Reports changed by whoever has time, and product data and images leaving the business unnoticed.
Get it right with BPAS
Not sure this is in place for your documents? Talk to a BPAS consultant.
Talk to BPASRelated:Capability: Export Report Data for design toolsGuide 09: Roles
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10Proof each publication as a whole before it goes to print
The rule
Each new or changed publication is checked end to end: page sides, inserts, bookmarks, index and background colours.
Risk if ignored
A catalogue printed with chapters opening on the wrong side, or background colours lost where chapters were merged.
Get it right with BPAS
Not sure this is in place for your documents? Talk to a BPAS consultant.
Talk to BPASRelated:Concept 04FAQ 05
Reports and publishing self-audit: how many are in place today?
Tick each of the ten practices above that your business already follows. Your score updates as you go.
Tick the practices that are in place.
Nothing you tick is stored or sent.
Illustrative scenario: an Indian bath fittings maker, with every document made by hand
A maker of faucets, showers, sanitaryware and accessories sells about 2,600 products through 900 dealers, project sales to builders and a printed annual catalogue in English and Hindi. Orders, stock and invoicing are in the ERP. Datasheets, price lists and the catalogue are all made outside it.
The Operational Challenge
Datasheets are Word files, copied from a product spreadsheet. Dealer and retail price lists are spreadsheets retyped every quarter, and the Hindi versions follow a revision later. A design agency lays out the catalogue each year from spreadsheets and image folders sent by email.
Every late change moves pages, so chapters are renumbered and the index is redone by hand. A catalogue edition takes about ten weeks, and the printer still finds chapters opening on the wrong side.
- Datasheets copied into Word
- Price lists retyped every quarter
- Index and page numbers redone by hand
- Hindi edition a revision behind
The Financial Transformation
In Perfion, one report produces datasheets for any selection of products, and one price list report serves dealers and retail through a parameter chosen when it runs, in English or Hindi. The catalogue is a publication: a CatalogTemplate value names the report for each range, and CatalogPage handles right-hand chapter starts and numbering.
An index lists products with their pages, and the English and Hindi editions are one-click publications with stored settings. The agency receives Export Report Data with images for its brand pieces. A value changed in Perfion is in the next document generated.
- Datasheets generated from the record
- One price list report, chosen at run time
- Catalogue chapters in order, with index
- English and Hindi editions in one click
| Cost line | Before (per month) | After (per month) | Difference (per year) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catalogue layout, proofs and index | ₹ 1,80,000 | ₹ 60,000 | ₹ 14,40,000 |
| Datasheets and price lists | ₹ 1,40,000 | ₹ 30,000 | ₹ 13,20,000 |
| Corrections and reprints | ₹ 50,000 | ₹ 10,000 | ₹ 4,80,000 |
| Total | ₹ 3,70,000 | ₹ 1,00,000 | ₹ 32,40,000 |
See how your own datasheets, price lists and catalogue would come from Perfion.
Book a publishing review →prodRecord Live
Enterprise product data insights from BPAS
Keeping the record straight, live every month
prodRecord Live is a monthly webinar series on product information management, held on the second Wednesday of every month from January 2027. Each session takes one product data topic and works through it in plain English with time for your questions.
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Who benefits from documents generated from product data: one record, three answers
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Promoter & CXOs
Can our catalogue and price lists keep pace with the range?
Documents are generated from the product record each time they run, so a new product or a corrected value reaches the next datasheet, price list and catalogue without a separate revision.
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Product Data Manager
Will every document show exactly what we hold?
Each report reads the product data through its SuperQuery, and parameters decide the language, version and image quality of each run.
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Catalogue & Marketing Manager
Will the catalogue print right, edition after edition?
A publication runs the chapters in order, handles page sides, numbering and the index, and one-click publications repeat every edition the same way.
Reports and Publishing Vocabulary and Definitions
From reports and SuperQueries to CatalogTemplate, CatalogPage and one-click publications. Each term shows what it means, why it matters, and a household comparison.
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Report
Reports · basicsTemplate, SuperQuery, visibility
Operational definition
A named definition in Perfion that pairs a report template with a SuperQuery, and sets whether all users can see it.
Why it matters in Perfion
The same report produces documents for any selection of items, from current data.
Everyday analogy
A letter template set up for mail merge.
See it in action:Reports built on product data under Capabilities →
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Report template
Reports · designMaster design and styles
Operational definition
Holds the master report design file, the styles for rich text in the report and the styles for tables from the Table Designer.
Why it matters in Perfion
Several reports can share one design and one set of styles.
Everyday analogy
A company letterhead, ready for any letter.
See it in action:The report designer and templates under Capabilities →
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SuperQuery
Reports · dataData and parameters
Operational definition
The definition of how the data for a report is collected, along with the parameters the user can set.
Why it matters in Perfion
It decides which items, features and languages a report reads.
Everyday analogy
The shopping list a cook works from.
See it in action:Concept 01 under Core Concepts →
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Parameter
Reports · choicesSet at run time
Operational definition
A choice made in the report dialog when a report or publication runs, such as languages, image resolution or a value from a list. It can be hidden with a default value.
Why it matters in Perfion
One report serves several audiences without a copy for each.
Everyday analogy
The boxes ticked on a tailor’s order form.
See it in action:Concept 02 under Core Concepts →
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Publication
Publishing · basicsReports run in order
Operational definition
A run of several reports in a set order, collated into one output, such as a catalogue with a front page, chapters and an index.
Why it matters in Perfion
Long, multi-chapter documents are generated in one run from the product record.
Everyday analogy
A wedding programme run by a master of ceremonies.
See it in action:Concept 03 under Core Concepts →
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CatalogTemplate
Publishing · structureNames the report
Operational definition
The feature whose value on each item of a publishing structure names the report to run for it. Items without a value are left out.
Why it matters in Perfion
The chapter order and the report for each chapter are kept as data, not set by hand.
Everyday analogy
The running order taped to the back of a stage.
See it in action:Concept 03 under Core Concepts →
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CatalogPage
Publishing · pagesNumber, Left, Right, Optional
Operational definition
An optional feature that sets the page number to continue from, makes a chapter start on a left or right page, or marks an optional insert page.
Why it matters in Perfion
Chapters open on the right side and numbering allows for printed inserts.
Everyday analogy
A printer’s note: “start this section on a right-hand page”.
See it in action:Concept 04 under Core Concepts →
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Publication index
Publishing · pagesEntries with page numbers
Operational definition
A special report that receives the data of the whole publication, including the pages on which each entry appears.
Why it matters in Perfion
Readers find a product by its code or name and go straight to the right page.
Everyday analogy
The index at the back of a textbook.
See it in action:Pages, booklets and indexes under Capabilities →
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One-click publication
Publishing · repeatStored settings
Operational definition
A publication whose inputs, such as languages, output format, image resolution and template choice, are stored in the database, so it runs without questions.
Why it matters in Perfion
Every edition is produced the same way, by whoever runs it.
Everyday analogy
A saved print order at a photo lab.
See it in action:Concept 05 under Core Concepts →
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Export Report Data
Output · design toolsExcel or XML, with images
Operational definition
An export of a report’s data as an Excel or XML file, with images as paths or in separate folders, for external design tools.
Why it matters in Perfion
Design agencies work from the same data and images as Perfion’s own reports.
Everyday analogy
Handing the typesetter the final manuscript and the photographs together.
See it in action:Export Report Data for design tools under Capabilities →
Reports and Publishing: questions catalogue and marketing teams ask
Short answers, each with a link to the part of this guide that explains it.
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A report produces documents such as datasheets, price lists and simple catalogues for the items it is run on. A publication runs several reports in order, one for each chapter, and collates them into one output with page handling, bookmarks and an index. Publications suit long documents that break into chapters.
More on Concept 03 -
PDF, HTML, MHT, RTF, DOCX, XLS, XLSX, CSV, text and image. In the web client, PDF is the suggested default and users can switch to Word or XLS; an XLS output is a visual Excel file, not a data file. Fonts are embedded when a report is exported to PDF.
More on Run from grids, categories and channels -
Yes. Export Report Data gives the data behind a report as an Excel or XML file, with images as paths or in separate folders, for tools such as InDesign with EasyCatalog as the bridge. Users need the role Can export via reports.
More on Export Report Data for design tools -
Yes. The output language is chosen from the languages in the user’s profile when a report runs, and languages can be a parameter that takes several values. One-click publications store the languages with their other settings.
More on Guide 07: Languages and Translation -
Not automatically. A Perfion report can have only one background colour, and when chapters with different colours are merged, the publication’s background is white. The documented workaround is a watermark image that fills the page in the colour needed, set for each report.
More on Publications -
Yes. The report designer generates most barcode types itself, such as EAN-13, UPC-A, EAN-8, EAN-128, Code 128 and Code 39. For tools that cannot use these, such as InDesign or the Table Designer, a conversion expression and a barcode font draw EAN-13 and UPC-A codes; the font’s licence is for the business to clear.
More on The report designer and templates -
Yes. Reports and publications are generated from data held in Perfion itself, so this guide applies whichever ERP your other data comes from. What changes from one ERP to another is the integration that brings ERP data into Perfion.
More on ERP integration
Still have a question?
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