Synergetic Data Systems Inc.

UnForm uses a platform-independent client-server model, so you can put UnForm on any network machine, Windows®, Unix®, or Linux, and submit jobs to it from any other network machine, Windows, Unix, or Linux. When jobs are printed at the server, the client need not wait for job completion, resulting in control returning to the user immediately.

UnForm provides a Perl-based client for use on Unix and Linux, and two Windows clients: one graphical and one console. The Windows client provides graphical status windows and configuration, while the console client has no dependencies and can be run across a network without local installation.

In addition to these powerful, proprietary clients, UnForm supports direct TCP/IP printing, similar to the widely supported HP JetDirect method of network printing. Using TCP/IP printing, network printing to server resources is easy to set up and configure.

Graphical Design Tool

An optional Windows-based graphical design tool is available, providing an efficient, flexible, and powerful way to develop and test UnForm rule files.

Document Management and Archiving

This optional capability enables archiving of both text and PDF versions of documents with minimal changes to the UnForm implementation. Through both client command line arguments and the simple archive rule file command, documents are stored in libraries and are accessible via a Web Browser, an UnForm command line, or to other UnForm jobs.

Image Manager

In addition, external documents and images can be stored as alternate versions of any document in a library. The Image Manager tool is available to scan and import images and other documents into a library. For example, after UnForm has printed and stored a delivery document, the Image Manager can scan a signed copy of the document and store it along with the original in the archive.

Windows Support Server

The Windows Support Server is a free component that adds several capabilities to the UnForm server, even if that server is running on a Unix or Linux system. These capabilities include:

Image scaling and conversion, including rotation, gamma, and ZPL image support
Database access via ODBC data sources
Microsoft Fax support
Advanced barcoding features, including 2D barcodes, rotation, and human readable text

The Support Server is also used in conjunction with UnForm AFO, Application Formatted Output, which enables UnForm to accept pre-formatted documents in PostScript or PDF format.

Email Support

UnForm includes a built in SMTP email client for emailing of PDF job output, confirmation notes, and more. The email functionality includes support for authentication. Combined with UnForm's sub-job support, it is easy to develop print applications that email and print selected documents within a job stream.

Output Formats

PCL5 is the printer control language used by most HP Laserjet series printers, and is emulated on most brands of laser printers available today. With PCL5, UnForm not only can produce high-quality forms, but can also manage the printer environment with tray and bin control, duplexing, and multi-printer routing.

Note that PCL6 is not an upward compatible version of PCL5, but rather a brand new language called PCL/XL which is not supported. However, most PCL6 printers include PCL5 emulation, so check with the manufacturer to confirm PCL5 compatibility.

PostScript is a printer language designed by Adobe and supported by many printers. In addition, PostScript is supported by many third-party software applications, such as Ghostscript and several faxing applications.

PDF is the electronic document format used by the Adobe Acrobat product line. Adobe Acrobat readers are available free for most computer platforms, and are standard plug-ins for current web browers. This format allows forms and reports to displayed by web browsers or Acrobat Readers, or to be emailed. PDF files can be encrypted and protected, and UnForm can produce a bookmark outline to help navigate large documents.

Windows Printing is an extension of the PDF driver, used in conjunction with Ghostscript to print to any Windows printer using page images with tray and duplex control.

HTML is the native language of web browsers. While not suitable for business forms, this format provides an excellent way to update character-based reports to make them more readable and accessible.

Zebra barcode label printers are the most widely used thermal label printers. UnForm can produce ZPLII output for formatted labels for use in heavy barcode label applications on Zebra and compatible printers.

Form Features

Text, such as headings and messages, can be added anywhere on a page, in any font, size, or symbol set available on the device. The text can be a simple literal value, or can be derived from an expression, an environment variable, or read from a substitution file.

Boxes can be drawn anywhere, in any size. The four sides can vary in width, and the center can be white, black or shaded. Grid lines and shaded columns and rows are supported within any box. Box corners can be rounded.

Shade regions can be drawn anywhere on the page, in any shade grade supported by the device.

Circles can be drawn at any location on a page, with any radius. Circles can be filled.

Lines can be drawn between any two points, in any thickness.

Barcodes can be generated in many standard symbologies.

MICR check encoding can be generated for laser-printed checks.

Images can be placed anywhere on a page. Image file names can be fixed, or can be expressions, making it possible to vary the image from page to page. For example, if you want a purchasing agent signature to print on your purchase orders, the agent code can be used to derive the image file name.

Images can also be tiled on appended pages. This feature can be used to attach supporting documents, such as time sheet images or signed delivery documents, to forms.

Attachments and overlays can be added to any copy, so you can use any design tool to generate formats that UnForm can utilize for static format overlays or attachments.

Copies can be managed by UnForm, allowing printing of multiple copies of the same form, with different attributes on each. In addition, each copy can be routed to a different bin or device, or can draw paper from a different tray. It is also possible to selectively skip copies, so print jobs with different page layouts interspersed throughout the run can be controlled by assigning different layouts to different copies, then selectively printing the proper form as needed.

Anchored Enhancements allow UnForm to analyze each page of a print job and apply enhancements anchored to one or more occurrences of text or patterns. Most enhancement features support this capability, which greatly simplifies tasks such as adding font changes or barcodes to variable item detail lines. This also makes it possible to enhance standard reports, such as agings or financial statements.

Programming

UnForm definitions can contain programming code to do advanced manipulation or integration. Many elements of UnForm commands, such as text values, image names, or positional elements, can be entered as expressions that are resolved page by page as the job is processed.

In addition, program code can be placed into any of eight subroutines that are executed at specific times as the printing progresses through each page. These subroutines have full access to the text printed by the application, and can control many control aspects of the printing process.

UnForm programming code can even be used to execute sub-jobs of UnForm within a primary job, making it possible to create and distribute individual documents within a job stream.

No other form product can match UnForm's flexibility due to this integration of a complete programming language in the product.

External Product Integration

Support for the Windows Support Server is built into UnForm. This free product enables advanced image conversion and scaling (including for ZPL images), database access, advanced barcoding, and Microsoft Fax support.

UnForm supports Image Alchemy and Image Magick™ for dynamic image conversion and scaling, so it is not necessary to pre-generate native pcl or pdf images for jobs, nor necessary to develop complex system calls programming to dynamically use Alchemy.

UnForm supports Ghostscript®-based image drivers, so UnForm output can be produced in PostScript®, TIFF, PNG, and many other image formats supported by Ghostscript.

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