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Antialiasing
The term aliasing describes a step effect that appears on the edges of bitmapped characters, particularly in case of monochrome images and coarse resolution. To diminish this effect, antialiasing applies a weighted color value to adjacent pixels, thus making the edges appear softer.

Background
DirecType distinguishes between background, motif and image. The background (e.g. jpg, tif, png) is the not yet personalized photo that is to be personalized and has been loaded into DirecType Suite or DirecType Designer for that purpose.

Command Line (CL)
The command line of Producer CL allows the control of DirecType by command line and thus the integration in a complex production workflow.

Designer
The Designer is the centerpiece of all DirecType applications, and enables you to develop and edit personalized motifs. The Designer is included as an independent module in DirecType Online and as a Suite component in all other DirecType products.

Deutsch Technologies
The developers of DirecType. We are among the worldwide leading suppliers of image personalization for digital printing, web and mobile communication applications. More info.

DirecType Crossmedia
DirecType Crossmedia is the high-end integration solution for print and online applications. It enables you to develop your own motifs, produce personalized images for digital printing and use live image generation to integrate personalized images into web applications. Demanding web-to-print applications can also be set up using DirecType Crossmedia. The package consists of the Suite, Producer CL and WebProducer modules.

DirecType Suite
DirecType Suite is the entry-level solution for image personalization at all digital print shops and agencies: it can be used to create and edit image-personalized motifs and automatically generate images for printing.

DirecType Online
DirecType Online enables you to develop motifs and use live image generation to integrate personalized images into web applications such as e-mails or personalized websites. DirecType Online consists of the Designer and WebProducer modules.

DirecType Print
DirecType Print enables you to develop motifs and produce personalized images, e.g. for mass mailings or personalized calendars. The package consists of the Suite and Producer CL modules.

dtm-file
File format of motifs in DirecType.

Fill Randomly
The personalization style "Fill Randomly" is used when the objective is to write a name using seemingly random elements from the motif. For instance, characters can be filled with confetti or small pebbles. If the personalization is intended to be lettered lightly or filled only sporadically, it is recommended to use the style Nodes and Paths.

Foreground
The foreground is a layer that lies on top and thus above the personalization, as well. The foreground consists of certain parts of the background, such as a blade of grass, a street lamp or a person passing by, that are intended to cover part of the personalization. This allows realistic 3D effects in image personalization.

Image
DirecType distinguishes between background, motif and image. The image (e.g. jpg, eps, tif) is the individual exported personalized photo, i.e. the "result" of image personalization.

Image Characters
Whether lettered Easter eggs, alphabet soup or Russian bread – Image Characters are the essence of personalization. In all cases when a realistic image personalization cannot be achieved to modifying TrueType fonts, painted characters – so-called Image Characters – are the solution. Here you find a tutorial for the simple creation of image characters.

Image personalization
Image personalization is a process of digital image editing, in which, with the aid of special software such as DirecType, random texts can be photo-realistically integrated in images.

Layer
Image elements are superimposed like transparent films in order to obtain particularly realistic images. The background is always the lowest layer, the personalization is arranged as the next layer above. Parts of the background, such as, for example, a blade of grass, a street lamp or a person passing by, are arranged as additional levels in the foreground and thus partially cover the personalization. This allows realistic 3D effects in image personalization.

Masking image
In the personalization style "masking text", the personalization is punched out from the masking image. It is a modified background image (e.g. lightened or tinted), that allows a realistic representation of background effects, such as the slats of Venetian blinds.

Masking text
The background must be edited (e.g. extremely lightened or tinted) for the masking text function and then imported as a masking image to the DirecType motif. The personalization is punched out from this masking image, so that background effects (e.g. the slats of Venetian blinds) are preserved in the personalization.

Motif
DirecType distinguishes between background, motif and image. The motif (dtm file) corresponds to the DirecType file after image personalization, but before export as an image.

Multiple personalization
If several elements in the background are to be personalized differently, multiple personalization is required. For instance, a car can be personalized with a desired license plate and the home town of the addressee is shown on the signpost. Moreover multiple personalization gives the opportunity to very complex personalizations with effects that cannot be implemented by a single personalization.

Nodes and Paths
The personalization style "Nodes and Paths" is used when the personalization is to be filled along certain lines with elements, for example, with stones or balloons. In contrast to the style "Fill Randomly" the personalization does not act quite as randomly, but frequently assures a clear lettering result, for example, when distinguishing between O and Q.

Personalization
The individual lettering, which has been realistically adapted to the background in the DirecType motif, is referred to as the personalization.

Producer CL
The Producer CL enables you to produce personalized images quickly, reliably and at high volumes. It is controlled using a command line interface, and is therefore ideally suited to integration into existing workflows and can be communicated with automatically from the VDP. The Producer CL is included as a module in DirecType Print and DirecType Crossmedia.

Render engine
The part of the DirecType software that processes the personalized image.

Slice
The slice designates the variable cutout of the DirecType motif, i.e. the area in which the personalization is located. In order to accelerate production, Producer CL and WebProducer save only the variable cutout for each image with the slice setting — this saves storage space and production time.

Spline
A spline is a curve along the lines of which the personalization is distorted so that it aligns with the object to be personalized in the background. This function plays an important role primarily in the personalization of a round object, such as a ball or Easter egg.

Texture
Personalization style “Texture” is different to other personalization styles. It integrates a variable image rather than a specific personalization text into the background image.

Tiles
The personalization style "Tiles" can be used to personalize backgrounds that consist of a large number of rectangles. Examples of this are skyscrapers with many windows or the stands of a football stadium. The text grid is superimposed on the background in such a way that it lines up with the respective rectangle of the background. The masking image is then punched out along the text grid.

WebProducer
The WebProducer facilitates the live generation of images for internet applications. This makes it possible to integrate personalized images into e-mails or as e-cards on a website, for example. The module is included in both DirecType Online and DirecType Crossmedia.

Workflow
A workflow enables the fully automated production of highly personalized direct marketing brochures, e.g. personalized mailings, in high volume print runs. DirecType applications are modular in structure and can be integrated smoothly and efficiently into existing workflows.