Faq

Here you have the answers for the most asked questions

FAQ

Code page support

Does InterForm support Unicode and DBCS (e.g. Chinese)?

Of course InterForm has full UNICODE and DBCS support. Input can be in most EBCDIC single-byte character sets (e.g. Arabic, Cyrillic, Greek, Hebrew), DBCS (Double Byte Character Sets e.g. Chinese, Japanese, Korean) code pages, and also Unicode (13488).

Read more about our language support here.

Is the Unicode/DBCS output from InterForm larger than normal output?

No. The Unicode output of InterForm only contains the minimum of data required so a description/layout of the actual characters is only included for the characters used in the specific document, form, or report. This means, that the Unicode output from InterForm often is smaller compared to a non-Unicode document, form, or report.

Can I combine multiple Code pages in one document?

Yes. You can create an output containing multiple languages as InterForm comes with full UNICODE and DBCS support.

Read more about language support here.

 

Designing

Can I use my own True Type Fonts (TTF) for my designs?

Yes. InterForm400 is shipped with some fonts, but it is possible to install any TTF of your choice. You might be able to find the required TTF on a Windows PC inside C:\Windows\Fonts, but please notice any copyrights that such a font may have.

Can I create a conditional design, which depends on the actual contents?

Yes. A conditional design can be done on many levels. The usual way is to search for a ‘trigger text’ in the input document, and then include a section of design elements, when or if this condition is true. Conditions can be set up as an XPath expression in either conditioned sections or with the more advanced Select..When..Otherwise element.

Will I need an external consultant to change my designs?

No not at all. You can create and edit your designs, using our easy to use WYSIWYG drag and drop designer, and do normal maintenance/configuration of InterForm. With the design editor, you can also preview all output before email distribution, printing, etc.

We have a large number of tutorials that you can study and we also provide training programs so you can handle all your output in-house.

What kind of barcodes can InterForm generate?

Generating any type of 1D (linear) and 2D barcodes for any type of output is done with a few clicks. InterForm400 can generate these barcodes and special fonts (apart from normal fonts):

  • Code 128
  • Code 39
  • Data Matrix Bar Code – ECC200
  • EAN8/EAN13/UPC-A
  • GS1 / RSS-14
  • Interleaved 2 of 5
  • MICR E-13B
  • OCR-A
  • OCR-B
  • PDF417
  • Pharmacode
  • QR Bar Code – Model 2
  • QR CH version
  • UPCS Intelligent Mail Barcode
  • Aztec
  • Many more

Read more

What is the best tip to reduce the maintenance for template design?

The best tip is to reuse designs i.e. create templates with design elements, that are used for multiple documents, forms, and reports. You should e.g. consider creating one common header and footer, and making all your designs refer to these common templates. If you then need to change the company logo, address, bank account, or contact information in the future, then you just need to do the changes once.

The software is packaged with several standard headers, footers, and body templates that make your designing very easy.

Emailing

Can InterForm send html emails ?

Yes. You can make any email design you want in HTML and of course as simple text and send them with or without attachments.

Many customers use InterForm to send email notifications as part of a process. E.g. instead of sending an invoice attached as PDF, you include the invoice content in the HTML email body.

You read more about emailing with InterForm here

How can I test InterForm email functionality without actually sending out any email?

You can test the connection to the email server by sending a test email to an email address of your choice.
Instead of sending the email, you can also choose to save the email as a .eml file. For that, you can use the workflow component, ‘Create EML with PDF’ followed by the component, ‘To Filesystem’.

How can I send an email with InterForm?

The easiest way is to use one of the many email components in the workflow. The most simple to use is the component, ‘Create PDF email’. Here you refer to an email server, which you of course also need to setup.

How can I choose to email documents for a subset of our customers and print the rest?

You can condition the process in the workflow to decide what to do e.g. email or print depending on attributes or contents of the input files, that are processed.

Generic

What is output management?

An Output Management Solution is designed to help you create, manage, and distribute all company output across any platform and any application.
An intelligent output management solution is a hub where all output logic, designs, routines, and workflow processes are stored and managed in a single software designed for this purpose.

Originally the task of creating output in an organization was relatively simple. Companies had one application and printing was the only output option.
Today companies have a multi-application and -platform environment and output created and shared in 10+ different output channels. E.g. PDF, Email, Labels, RFID, XML, Messages, Webservices…

With a higher focus on output consistency, the look and feel and requirements for output management are necessary for most companies.

With InterForm Intelligent Output management you:

  • Can design, edit and change your own output
  • Increase your output quality and consistency
  • Can handle and manage output across multiple applications and Platforms
  • Centralize all your output business logic in one software designed for just that
  • Reduce your costs significantly for handling output
What kind of output can InterForm do?

With InterForm you can do a wide variety of output.

  • Label printing – including 2D barcode
  • RFID printing
  • Laser printing – Business documents, Checks
  • Emailing – HTML, Text layout, automatic or manual distribution
  • PDF
    • PDF/A
    • Form fields
    • Merge
    • Embed
    • Password
    • Encryption
    • Signature
    • Bookmarks
  • XML
    • Simply and advanced XML
    • ZUGFeRD, Peppol, Xrechnung, FacturaPA
  • Digital signing – Create documents for electronic signing via a browser
  • Webservice
  • Messages
  • More
We have a very custom need. Can we use InterForm?

Yes of course you can. Just challenge us – our experts have seen a lot of requirements through more than 30 years. Reach out to us and our keep is excited to guide you in the right direction.

Try our software – in less than 10 minutes you are ready to create your first design or print one of our premade templates.

 

Which ERP systems does InterForm work with?

InterForm is designed to work with any ERP or application.

See a long list of ERPs using InterForm.

How does implementation work?

After downloading the product you just need to run the software and follow the installer instructions.
In just a few minutes you are up and running and can start to use the product. We have prepared a package with content so you have everything you need to test the product.

Download the product from here

Along with the download, we include instructions as well as videos for how to get started with the product.

We offer both remote and on-premise implementation. However, the software is designed so you are able to do that on your own.

Can we designs output templates ourselves?

Yes, this is fundamental in the InterForm software that you of course should be able to design and maintain any of your template designs.

Designing is done in our graphical designer (Drag n Drop and WYSIWYG) where you in a very intuitive can create any template design. Best of all designing is done without any programming required.

The product has a wide selection of header, body, footer templates you freely can use.
We also have a wide selection of 500+ industry standard templates.

Read more about the designer here

Pricing

InterForm software is offered in two license plans.

Traditional plan
License and annual maintenance

Subscription plan
Annual subscription

Reach out to us to find the best plan for your company. CONTACT US

Where is InterForm installed?

InterForm is platform-independent and runs natively on the platform you install it. It can run natively on IBM i / AS400, Windows, Linux etc.

You have the freedom to install InterForm on-premise or in the Cloud. The software is the flexible choice that is designed to work across your whole infrastructure.

READ MORE 

IBM i / AS400

Can InterForm dynamically pick up images from the IFS or even from another server?

Yes, you can refer to any reachable image by stating a dynamic URL or path for the image. The path or URL be dynamic and e.g. include dynamic data, that is retrieved from the input file. It is also very easy to add a URL for the image, to make it clickable in PDF outputs.

How can I setup InterForm to do automatic merges?

Merges between an input spooled file and a design (template) is usually done via the InterForm workflow.

It is possible also to call InterForm commands from your own programs if you want to decide when this merge should be done. Most customers are using the workflow to do the merges.

In the workflow, you are able to monitor an output queue, folder, webservice, MQ, DB etc. For each e.g. output queue you can set up rules for what to do (e.g. print, email, or create PDF files) depending on a lot of spooled file attributes.

Can InterForm split up an input spooled file for each document?

Sure. The built-in split definition makes it possible to only process a part of a spooled file and to split up the spooled file into individual documents. If you want to send out emails, or want to create multiple PDF files from one input spooled file, then InterForm can split up the spooled file as a part of this processing, so in such cases, you would not need to split up the spooled file first.

Can InterForm alter the input spooled files and add information from a database?

Yes, you can use SQL in the workflow to add extra information into input spooled files during processing.

How can I test InterForm email functionality without actually sending out any email?

You can test the connection to the email server by sending a test email to an email address of your choice.
Instead of sending the email, you can also choose to save the email as a .eml file. For that, you can use the workflow component, ‘Create EML with PDF’ followed by the component, ‘To Filesystem’.

How can I send an email with InterForm?

The easiest way is to use one of the many email components in the workflow. The most simple to use is the component, ‘Create PDF email’. Here you refer to an email server, which you of course also need to setup.

How can I choose to email documents for a subset of our customers and print the rest?

You can condition the process in the workflow to decide what to do e.g. email or print depending on attributes or contents of the input files, that are processed.

Do I need to setup Host Print Transform to use InterForm?

The printers defined on the operating system should be set up to use Host Print Transform, but the actual configuration has no effect on InterForm as the merged spooled files are fully done when they arrive on the output queue.
InterForm is not involved in the actual printing process, so it is not important how the printers are attached. You can also choose to print directly to the printer instead of using the OS400 spool system.

Installation and prerequisites

Where is InterForm installed?

InterForm is platform-independent and runs natively on the platform you install it. It can run natively on IBM i / AS400, Windows, Linux etc.

You have the freedom to install InterForm on-premise or in the Cloud. The software is the flexible choice that is designed to work across your whole infrastructure.

READ MORE 

Is any additional software required?

No InterForm is a complete package and does not require any additional software.

PDF

How large are the InterForm PDF output files?

The output size depends of course on the amount of data, that the PDF files should contain, but the size is generally small compared to other solutions even though InterForm is generating PDF/A compatible files.
Only required sections of used fonts are e.g. included.

Can InterForm generate advanced PDF output files?

Yes! Advanced PDF files include (some require an additional module):

  1. Various PDF formats including PDF/A
  2. Merge PDF files together
  3. Insert form fields like dropdowns, tick boxes, signature boxes, and several other field formats to a PDF
  4. Digitally signed PDF files.
  5. Encryption and password protection of PDF files.
  6. Electronic signature support: Include a written signature ‘real-time’ in output PDF files and print/email/archive the result.
  7. Create Unicode/DBCS PDF files.
  8. Create PDF files with embedded files of any file type.
  9. Create bookmarks in the output PDF files for easy navigation.

Read more about PDF here

Printing

Is InterForm able to print in color?

Yes, you can of course create any output in full color. You can use full-color images, and you can even define your own colors with the RGB (Red, Green, Blue) setting of your choice. These color definitions can be used for coloring e.g. fixed texts, table cells/headers, or greyed watermarks for the background of your print out.

What output print formats are supported by InterForm?

InterForm is able to print in PCL5e (black/white print format supported by most laser printers), PCL5c (the color print format supported by most laser printers), ZPLII (Zebra Printer Language), and DP (Direct protocol) for label printing.

You can also choose to print out via normal print drivers, if you run InterForm on the Windows platform.

You can see a full overview here 

Which finishing print features does InterForm support?

InterForm is able to select the paper from a specific input drawer, place the merged output in a specific output bin, and even trigger stapling. A needed PJL sequence can be user-defined.

Apart from this InterForm also supports various OMR (Optical Mark Recognition) and Barcode command sets for inserter machines as well as the MICR-E13 font for cheque printing.

Do I need to setup Host Print Transform to use InterForm?

The printers defined on the operating system should be set up to use Host Print Transform, but the actual configuration has no effect on InterForm as the merged spooled files are fully done when they arrive on the output queue.
InterForm is not involved in the actual printing process, so it is not important how the printers are attached. You can also choose to print directly to the printer instead of using the OS400 spool system.

Is check printing supported?

With InterForm you can also create and print your checks. The product comes with a MICR E-13B support and similar to a business document or label checks are easily created directly in the product.

Workflow / Automation

How can I setup InterForm to do automatic merges?

Merges between an input spooled file and a design (template) is usually done via the InterForm workflow.

It is possible also to call InterForm commands from your own programs if you want to decide when this merge should be done. Most customers are using the workflow to do the merges.

In the workflow, you are able to monitor an output queue, folder, webservice, MQ, DB etc. For each e.g. output queue you can set up rules for what to do (e.g. print, email, or create PDF files) depending on a lot of spooled file attributes.

Can InterForm split up an input spooled file for each document?

Sure. The built-in split definition makes it possible to only process a part of a spooled file and to split up the spooled file into individual documents. If you want to send out emails, or want to create multiple PDF files from one input spooled file, then InterForm can split up the spooled file as a part of this processing, so in such cases, you would not need to split up the spooled file first.

InterForm Support Center

InterForm provides online resources, an extensive multi-tiered support program, and comprehensive Technical Training to assist customers and partners

DOWNLOAD OUR PRODUCT

We have +4.000 customers and +30 years of experience with Output Management