Pimcore Pim + PDFreactor

A revolution in creating print catalogs!

Pimcore provides extended support for Cross-Media-Publishing and Web-to-Print initiatives. Pimcore stringently follows a single-source-publishing approach. The PIM module is the central data hub, which supplies enriched data to multiple output channels, such as websites, newsletters, online shop, and print catalogs. It provides highly structured master data including all corresponding multimedia assets to desktop publishing products like Adobe® Indesign® and Quark® Xpress®.

But Pimcore is not just an open-source PIM: It integrates customer experience management for the creation of full-featured product catalogs and price lists without using any desktop publishing software. Ready-to-print PDFs can be created in a user-friendly interface in Pimcore based on up-to-date product data, prices and high-quality images. They can even be created fully automated, based on a predefined layout.

The most efficient and flexible way to create ready-to-print documents like catalogues and price lists is to use Pimcore in combination with RealObjects PDFreactor. Together they build a solid stack for automated database publishing and Web-to-Print.

Flagship projects

PDFreactor + Pimcore PIM facilitate making of high-quality 680+ page product catalog within B2B shop

Product Catalogue

Headquartered in Austria, the Walter Bösch GmbH & Co KG (about 650 employees and 100M EUR revenue p.a.) is a specialist manufacturer for heating, ventilation and air conditioning technology. A high-quality print catalog is an essential tool for hundreds of contractors and distributors selling the Bösch technology across various countries.

Initial situation
Several Bösch employees used to work months on the creation of the catalog, as product data had to be collected, verified and updated. An integral filling system for the thousands of product pictures did not exist and the overall process depended on normal desktop publishing programs.

Solution
The PIM system is the central data hub for all kind of product information (text, technical data, pictures, videos, links etc.) and delivers up-to-date data to various output channels. Updates of the product information have to be done only in the PIM system.

Realisation
The Bösch ERP system provides the basic product data and pricing information, which is automatically captured by the Pimcore PIM system using an ERP-PIM interface. The catalog editor enriches the product data in the Pimcore PIM system through additional information such as, text, pictures, links etc. The Bösch B2B shop as well as the catalog production uses this data.

For more info about the Bösch B2B shop and catalog see also the Pimcore case study.

The catalog is directly created in the Pimcore PIM system using a plugin. The catalog editor creates single chapters and adds content pages, which are directly filled with data from the PIM system. The Pimcore PIM plugin allows the PDF creation any time. Additional settings, e.g. the integration of printer marks, can be done optionally.

Bösch uses a printer‐friendly PDF (DIN A-4, 32MB) for downloads and electronic distribution. Within the PDF each product is directly linked to the Bösch B2B shop.

A print compliant PDF (extract, 12 MB) with a size of about 170 MB – including printer marks, high-resolution images and CMYK color space compatibility – went to a print shop for the production of hardcovers.

The 680+ page Bösch product catalog has become an Elements flagship project, deeply showing the strategic value of PDFreactor for the Web-to-Print process within the Pimcore PIM solution. The highlights of the PDFreactor implementation include:

  • Cross-reference
  • Table of contents
  • Multi-column layout
  • CSS transforms
  • Tables & floats
  • Printer marks
  • CMYK colors

PDFreactor Pricing and Deployment

The PDFreactor pricing tiers and Software License Agreements are applicable.

The PDFreactor Webservice and Docker-Image enables the smooth integration of a PDFreactor CPU License into the PIM module in order to streamline your web-based print processes. To receive a quotation directly from RealObjects or to securely purchase a PDFreactor license from our online reseller cleverbridge using a major credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, JCB, Diners Club), wire transfer or Paypal, please contact support@realobjects.com

Integration and Usage

Documentation on how to create print-ready PDFs in general can be found on the Pimcore documentation web site in the chapter Print Documents. If you are looking how to directly create and return a PDF instead of HTML from your controller, please have a look at the Pimcore documentation web site, chapter Rendering PDFs. A fully working demo application can be found at https://pimcore.com/en/try

PDFreactor advantages compared to open source HTML-to-PDF solutions

Printer marks Out-of-the-box feature to add printer marks (incl. trim, bleed, registration, color bars) to the PDF, see also official Pimcore online demo.

Advanced PDF layouts Different page sizes/orientations in one document, repeating page structures, footnotes, complex headers/footers using CSS Paged Media.

Powerful output, perfect typography PDF/A (long-term archiving of electronic documents), PDF/X (facilitate graphics exchange), CMYK, baseline grids and spot colors, tagged PDFs (automatically) according to common accessibility guidelines, PDF annotations.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

For availability, documentation, technical support etc. please contact info@pimcore.com. RealObjects does not provide any support related to the integration of the PDFreactor into the Pimcore platform.

Strategic Partnership

Pimcore ScreenshotPimcore is an award-winning digital experience platform. It provides modules for Master Data Management (MDM), Product Information Management (PIM), Digital Asset Management (DAM), Digital Experience Management (CMS/WCM) and eCommerce.

The software is licensed open-source and available free of charge. The company specializes in business consulting, solution consulting, integration & implementation, professional services & support.

Automating business processes becomes easy with Pimcore’s APIs for connectivity to any external software or cloud infrastructure. Pimcore has been recognized as ‘Cool Vendor’ by IT analyst Gartner and is used worldwide with over 82,000 installations in 56 countries.

Pimcore partners with RealObjects, enabling its clients to utilize best-of-breed automated database publishing, variable data printing (VDP) and web-to-print functionality based on RealObjects PDFreactor.

Contact

For more information about Pimcore PIM + PDFreactor please contact:

pimcore GmbH
Gusswerk Halle 6
Söllheimerstraße 16
5020 Salzburg
Austria

Telephone: +43 662 876 60 62 30
Facsimile: +43 662 876606 – 99
E-Mail: info@pimcore.com

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