Variable data printing is mainly used for direct marketing, customer relationship management, advertising, invoicing and applying addressing[2] on selfmailers, brochures or postcard campaigns.
While the static elements appear exactly the same on each piece, the variable fields are filled in with text or images as dictated by a set of application and style rules and the information contained in the database.
A shortcoming of this methodology is that running many very large print files can overwhelm the RIP's mad processing capability.
In Canada, Canada Post now offers a 'Machineable'[8] personalized mail category which does not require addresses to be sorted into any specific order before mailing; therefore reducing the need for specialized sorting software to obtain optimal postage rates.
Software to manage data quality (e.g. for duplicate removal or handling of bad records) and uniformity may also be needed.
[9] In lieu of purchasing software, various companies provide an assortment of VDP-related print file, mailing and data services.
Conversely, an example of an ineffective VDP piece would entail mailing a postcard to the same customer with an image of a soccer player.
A company that produces good-quality products or provides useful services will retain the loyal customers that it has created.
Because personalization more effectively catches the attention of the consumer, the response rate of a mail campaign increases.
Personalization also decreases the response time, because the mailed piece generally has a more profound and more meaningful effect on the consumer.
This effect, in turn, induces the consumer to respond more quickly, especially if the mailed piece contains a call to action such as a time-limited offer with a clearly enunciated deadline.
Mr. Romano does not explicitly take credit for coining the term[11] but points to his use of it as early as 1969 and its appearance in the 1999 book, “Personalized and Database Printing”, that he authored with David Broudy.
[11] The concept of merging static document elements and variable document elements predates the term and has seen various implementations ranging from simple desktop mail merge, to complex mainframe applications in the financial and banking industry.
However, in recent years the application of this technology has spread to web pages, emails, and mobile messaging.