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Print Workflow and Processes: Preparing Data Part 1

Print Workflow and Processes: Preparing Data Part 1

Preparing Data – Part 1 – Episode Summary

In this foundational episode of The Print University, Ryan McAbee and Pat McGrew unpack what data actually is and why it’s essential to every aspect of the print production process. Whether you’re building printing industry training programs for new employees, preparing for variable data printing, or deploying prepress automation training (Kodak Prinergy, Esko), this episode lays the groundwork for working with both public and private data.

The episode begins with a clear explanation of data types: nominal, ordinal, discrete, continuous, and how they manifest in print. From customer names and ZIP codes to page counts and revenue numbers, data fuels pricing, estimating, mailing, and personalization. Pat and Ryan then categorize data into four operational buckets: customer, operational, financial, and marketing data—all essential to running a modern print shop.

The discussion focuses on data sourcing and classification—public data (e.g., census or property records) vs. private data (e.g., health, financial, and personal details). Using real-world examples, they explain how public datasets can drive effective marketing campaigns, while private data must be securely handled and permission-based.

Designers working with variable data must plan for worst-case scenarios: long names, special characters, and multilingual content. Print programmers play a critical role in preparing data formats, enabling conditional logic, and triggering content changes in rules-based workflows. Proofing, testing, and code page compatibility are also addressed, reinforcing that successful personalization starts with clean, planned data.

You Will Learn:

  • What data is and how it’s categorized for print production

  • The four operational data types: customer, operational, financial, and marketing

  • Differences between public and private data, and how each can be used

  • Why print design must anticipate data variability (names, addresses, special characters)

  • How rules-based automation triggers creative and production decisions using data

Who This Course Is For:

Prepress teams, print programmers, designers, data specialists, and production managers preparing for variable data workflows, printing technician certification online, or implementing MIS software training for print production

Time to Watch:

Approx. 28 minutes