For technical support please send a message with
your request to the following E-Mail address:
Canada
 |
Geldman Computer Systems Inc.
times: 9:00am - 5:00pm EST
920 Alness St. #201
Toronto Ontario Canada M3J 2H7
Tel/Fax: +1 905-760-9835 |
Australia
 |
3000AD Systems Pty Ltd.
times: 6:00pm - 3:00am EST
10 Paul Avenue, ST IVES NSW Sydney, Australia
Tel/Fax +61 2
9983 0367
email support@3000ad.com.au
|
Frequently Asked Questions
Overview
What
is PDF-eXPLODE?
PDF-eXPLODE is a one-click batch e-mail delivery tool that makes it easy and
cost-effective for small businesses to get their customers the information they
expect on time. Through a click of the printer button, PDF-eXPLODE converts a
report or a Word document into batches of individual PDF attachments and securely
and reliably e-mails them to the designated recipients. In addition, users can
pre-schedule routine mailings for hands-free delivery.
What Are the Key Benefits
of PDF-eXPLODE?
PDF-eXPLODE is designed to strengthen your business relationships by getting
the information people need into their hands when they expect it. Whether
sending daily confirmations, monthly statements, or other critical reports or
correspondence, PDF-eXPLODE reduces costs and saves time by eliminating the labor-intensive
process of hand-mailing or e-mailing each document separately. PDF-eXPLODE
helps reduce costs, save time, increase cash flow and enhance customer service.
How
Does It Save Time and Decrease Costs?
PDF-eXPLODE software improves productivity and
costs by eliminating the need to send documents
one-by-one, whether through the mail or by
e-mail. It:
- Eliminates costly and inefficient
paper-based workflows.
- Offers customers, partners and employees
immediate access to the information they
need.
- Pre-schedules routine and tedious
mailings, freeing up staff to focus on
revenue-generating activities.
It also adds value to your existing business
systems. Most organizations already have made
costly investments in software and equipment and
can't afford new technologies that disrupt their
current workflows. Thanks to its standards-based
interface, PDF-eXPLODE software can work with
any existing business application.
- As a printer driver, it easily installs
onto existing Windows computers via the
Printer Control Panel.
- It supports e-mail delivery of documents
using SMTP (Simple Mail Transport Protocol)
standards.
- It works with your existing business
applications, including Crystal Reports, R&R
Report Writer, Microsoft Word ( and Mail
Merge Wizard), Microsoft Visual FoxPro, plus
accounting and other software packages.
- Consider your legacy applications...many
of them do not have the emailing or export
capability. Now you can convert those
reports to PDF and mail them all in the one
action. Now that is smart?
How
Does It Increase Customer Satisfaction and
Retention?
PDF-eXPLODE enables you to create focused,
targeted documents, so you can treat your
customers and partners as individuals, leaving
them both satisfied and loyal. It:
- Customizes documents, such as financial
statements and marketing brochures, for
specific individuals or even departments and
workgroups – sending them only the
information they want and need.
- Allows you to send communications
whenever you want for no additional cost so
you can be responsive to your customers'
needs.
- Combines multiple documents to the same
recipient in a single PDF.
- Ensures that dynamically generated
documents, including business reports and
sales letters, are highly legible and
consistently branded.
- Includes visually rich charts and graphs
tailored to specific documents.
- Enhances your document delivery with
targeted e-mail messages.
Who
Benefits from PDF-eXPLODE?
Everyone you do business with will benefit from
PDF-eXPLODE. Communication is central to the
success of a business, and customers expect –
and demand – regular, consistent communication.
PDF-eXPLODE makes it easy and affordable to get
the right information into the right hands at
the right time. That means customers – as well
as business partners and your employees – will
remain well informed and, subsequently,
confident about and satisfied with how you do
business.
PDF-eXPLODE helps companies communicate
reliably, efficiently and regularly not only
with their customers and outside vendors but
also with and among departments. PDF-eXPLODE
allows departments as well as workgroups –
purchasing, operations and accounting, for
example – to simultaneously receive
business-critical reports, so they can continue
to coordinate to keep the business running
smoothly and efficiently.
What
Are Its Business Applications?
PDF-eXPLODE can be used in virtually any
business and by any department that sends bulk
individualized communications – whether to
customers, employees, vendors or prospects.
Below is a sample of the most popular uses
for PDF-eXPLODE.
Manufacturing/Shipping/Transport/Freight
Forwarding
- Order confirmations
- Shipping memos
Accounting and Finance
- Invoices
- Account statements
- Contracts
- Purchasing orders
- Dunning letters
- Internal budget status reports
Human Resources Departments
- Benefits statements
- Open enrolment forms
- Payslips and Employee alerts
Sales and Marketing
- Targeted sales letters
- Promotional mailings
- Thank you notes
- Re-order solicitations
- Internal lead status reports
- Regional sales reports
Professional Services
- Billing statements
- Appointment confirmations
- Reminders to schedule appointment
Financial Service Providers
- Monthly, quarterly, year-end statements
- Trade confirmations
- Portfolio management and reviews
How
Is PDF-eXPLODE Different from Other Document
Distribution Tools?
PDF-eXPLODE is an all-in-one document delivery
tool that allows you to both create individual
PDFs and e-mail them in batches with a click of
your printer button.
What
Are the Key Features of PDF-eXPLODE?
Easy Use and Set-up
– PDF-eXPLODE can be used with both text
documents and data-driven reports, seamlessly
fitting into business workflows. PDF-eXPLODE
works with most business applications, including
Crystal Reports, R&R Report Writer, Microsoft
Access and Microsoft Word (Mail Merge Wizard),
Microsoft Visual FoxPro, and accounting and
other software packages. As a printer driver, it
installs onto any Windows computer via the
Printer Control Panel.
Automatic and Manual
Process Settings
– PDF-eXPLODE can be set in silent mode
to run without intervention when a document is
printed, whether whether from within an
application by clicking the printer button or
from a task scheduler for true hands-free
processing. Or it can be set to run manually for
full control to set options at any time,
displaying interactive pop-up instructions that
users respond to every step of the way.
Standard and Customized E-mail Messages
–
PDF-eXPLODE defaults to a general e-mail subject
and message to make e-mail deliveries as easy
and hands-free as possible. For enhanced
customer service, it allows customization of
e-mail subjects and messages for each individual
PDF attachment. In addition, users can crate and
name pre-scripted e-mail messages - such as
"Invoice" or "Monthly Statement" - to sent to
all recipients of a similar type of document to
easily manage report distribution to multiple
customers.
Multiple Delivery Modes
– PDF-eXPLODE can distribute individual
PDF attachments through a number of
communications channels. In addition to sending
through e-mail, it can send documents to shared
network folders for employees to view. In the
near future, PDF-eXPLODE will have the
capability to send PDF documents to FTP sites
for Web publishing.
Streamlined Mailings Management and
Archiving –
PDF-eXPLODE has a number of features for
managing mailings. It logs each task performed
for job verification so users can review the
results of each e-mail and correct any errors.
It also saves a copy of each PDF attachment for
archiving.
Professional Benefits of PDF Format
– PDF-eXPLODE leverages the features and
benefits of Adobe PDF. In addition to making
documents accessible to anyone using free Adobe
Reader®
software, it preserves the professional
appearance of original documents so the
electronic and paper versions look identical. It
protects the integrity of documents by making
them non-editable. It also offers efficiency,
making it easy to copy and paste information
from documents into other office productivity
applications.
Secure Sending
–
PDF-eXPLODE has a number of security features
that protect the integrity of documents,
including the ability to select whether a
recipient can edit the PDF document. In
addition, it allows users to password-protects
files to further secure their communications.
Efficient Operations
– PDF-eXPLODE efficiently sends documents
directly through a mail server (SMTP) instead of
using an e-mail client, such as Outlook or
Notes. This feature avoids having to manually
confirm pop-up security-block messages. It also
provides a choice of e-mail From: address, so
e-mails can be sent from any address. It also
compresses documents for more efficient delivery
and storage.
Bonus PDF Creation
– While the main purpose of PDF-eXPLODE
is to create and distribute batches of PDF
documents, it can turn any individual document,
such as an Excel spreadsheet, into a PDF without
sending.
Workings
How
Does PDF-eXPLODE Work?
PDF-eXPLODE functions as a Windows printer, so
the document delivery process starts with the
click of a printer button.
PDF-eXPLODE then runs through a series of
three steps to create and distribute targeted
e-mails. It:
1. Takes a report or a word or mail merge
document and, instead of printing it,
converts it to a master PDF document;
2. “Explodes,” or splits, the master PDF into
individual PDF attachments based on hidden
e-mail tags in the original document; and
3. Distributes each individual PDF either via
e-mail, your local area network or FTP
(available soon) to the designated
recipients.
What
Are the System Requirements for PDF-eXPLODE?
PDF-eXPLODE is ideally suited to work with any
application that merges data from a database
with a template, including Crystal Reports, R&R
Report Writer, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Word
(Mail Merge Wizard), Microsoft Visual FoxPro and
other "report writer" software, either built-in
to your business applications or used as a
separate add-on to your business databases.
You also may use PDF-eXPLODE with any Windows
application that is capable of printing if you
wish to e-mail all or portions of the document
or if you simply want to convert a document to
PDF format.
System Requirements
- Operating System: Microsoft®
Windows®
XP, Windows 2000
- Hard Drive: Minimum 34MB of hard disk
space
- RAM: At least 32MB of free RAM
Will
PDF-eXPLODE Combine Documents Going to the Same
Recipient?
Yes. PDF-eXPLODE merges all the documents
“tagged,” or addressed, to the same recipient
into one PDF attachment, which it then e-mails.
Can I Send a Document to More than One
Recipient?
Yes. PDF-eXPLODE lets you send a single
document to as many recipients as you like. This
feature is helpful to keep everyone in the loop.
Can
I Customize the e-mail Messages for Each PDF
Attachment?
Yes. You can create and send a specific e-mail
message with a specific PDF attachment. This is
done by creating and saving a subject/message in
a client folder and then “tagging” the original
document with specific file name of the
subject/message.
Can
I Manually Go Through the Delivery Process
Step-by-Step?
Yes. PDF-eXPLODE can run manually so that you
have full control to set options for a mailing
at any time. Instead of running automatically in
“Silent Mode,” PDF-eXPLODE will display
interactive pop-up instructions that you respond
to every step of the way.
How
Does PDF-eXPLODE Know Where to Send a Document
and What Message Should be Sent?
PDF-eXPLODE reads hidden “tags” in the original
document to know where to send the attachment
and what message to include in the e-mail. These
tags include a recipient identifier – which is
usually an e-mail address – and a message
identifier. If a message identifier is not
included, the e-mail attachment is automatically
sent with the default message you indicated when
you initially set up PDF-eXPLODE.
How
Do I “Tag” a Document?
You insert a "tag" on each page, typically as
the first line in the page header, in the
following standard format:
<pdfexplode>messageIdentifier#client@email.com</pdfexplode>
- All tags must start (“open”) with
<pdfexplode>
and end (“close”) with
</pdfexplode>
- Open and close tags must match one
another in case (i.e. uppercase, lowercase
or mixed case).
- All tags must always include a client
identifier, which may be an e-mail address
or a filename
- An optional message identifier, if used,
must precede the client identifier and be
followed by a pound sign (#)
- Tags must be formatted with the Arial
font, and the color may be set to White to
hide the tag.
- All tags must fit entirely on one line.
- You may include as many tags per page as
desired.
Does
“Tagging” a Document Differ Depending on the
Business Application?
Yes - the steps you follow to insert a
PDF-eXPLODE tag depends on the application in
which you are working.
How
Do I Know If a Document Has Been Sent?
You can check on whether a document has been
sent one of two ways.
- You can view the “Log File,” which
records and displays each action, so you can
see if all documents were sent – and which
ones, if any, had sending errors.
- You also can look in the e-mail inbox
for your e-mail return address (i.e., Sender
Name) account for delivery errors returned
by the intended recipient's e-mail server.
Can
I set up multiple tags and e-mail addresses on
each page of my print run?
You can have multiple document tags, each one
starting with a '<pdfexplode>' and ending with
'</pdfexplode>' tag set, formatted with the font
'Arial'.
For example:
Page 1 header
<pdfexplode>invoice@3000ad.com.au</pdfexplode>[space]
<pdfexplode>mail@3000ad.com.au </pdfexplode>
Page 2 header - assuming each invoice is
one page
<pdfexplode>invoice@300ad.com.au</pdfexplode>
[space] <pdfexplode>jgeorge@zzz.com
</pdfexplode>
OR
Page Header
<pdfexplode>invoice@3000ad.com.au</pdfexplode>
Invoice Group Header of your report writer
<pdfexplode>mail@3000ad.com.au</pdfexplode>
(this will change with each NEW group
header)
Note:
[space] means you must include one keyboard
space between each tag set.
Tags must not word wrap. So the <pdfexplode>
PLUS e-mail address PLUS </pdfexplode>must be
fully contained on ONE line when the report or
document is run.
You must ensure that the Group Header is
repeated on each page.
How
can I create different Master PDFs for my
Invoice Batch run and my Weekly Reports?
PDF-eXPLODE currently does not cater for
multiple Master PDF named files. However the
following workaround should provide you with the
answer.
You can have multiple document tags, each one
starting with a '<pdfexplode>' and ending with
'</pdfexplode>' tag set and formatted with the
font 'Arial'. Create 2 pdfexplode tags for each
page in the page header as follows
Page 1 header
<pdfexplode>invoice</pdfexplode>[space]
<pdfexplode>mail@3000ad.com.au </pdfexplode>
Page 2 header - assuming each invoice is
one page
<pdfexplode>invoice</pdfexplode>
[space] <pdfexplode>jgeorge@zzz.com
</pdfexplode>
The 'Invoice' tag is not a valid email address,
so a file with the name
INVOICEyymmdd_hhmmss.pdf will be created for
each page in the batch run in the default
document path or a nominated file path (Version
V1.17.10(SP10)). This INVOICEyymmdd_hhmmss.pdf
'master' is in addition to the Master PDF
created by PDF-eXPLODE. In the filename: 'yymmdd_hhmmss'
represents the Date in year/month/day and the PC
clock Time in hour/minute/seconds. In
PDF-eXPLODE version V1.17.10(SP10) and beyond,
you can optionally elect to remove the date/time
from the saved filename.
Note:
[space] means you must include one keyboard
space between each tag set.
Tags must not word wrap. So the <pdfexplode>
PLUS e-mail address PLUS </pdfexplode>must be
fully contained on ONE line when the report or
document is run.
How
can I setup PDF-eXPLODE to use Web mail servers
like Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail, etc?
PDF-eXPLODE can be used with some Web mail
server that offer POP3 functionality - which is
essentially the functionality offered by most
E-mail Clients (like Outlook Express / MS
Office Outlook. Greater use of Web mail servers
is planned for the next and future versions of
PDF-eXPLODE. For now, lets look at the most
popular web mail servers:
Yahoo
Yahoo! Mail offers standard POP3 access for
receiving and sending emails through your Yahoo
mailbox, using an external email client
software. This is the only web mail server that
currently works with PDF-eXPLODE.
To setup your email client for working with
your Yahoo account, you need to in PDF-eXPLODE
enter the following for your mail settings:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Incoming Mail Server (POP3)
- pop.mail.yahoo.com
Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP)
- smtp.mail.yahoo.com
Authentication: POP3
Username/Password: enter
your Yahoo login & password
Port: 587
------------------------------------------------------------------------
YOU MUST also go to your
Yahoo mail account on the web and access Mail
Options and set it and click SAVE as shown in
the graphic below:
Hotmail
Hotmail is using the HTTP
protocol for connecting you to your mailbox.
PDF-eXPLODE does not support HTTP protocol
currently
GMail
Like Yahoo, Google
GMail service offers email client access for
retrieving and sending emails through your Gmail
account. However, for security reasons, GMail
uses an SSL (Secured Socket Layer) connection
which sends the outgoing message encrypted.
Currently, PDF-eXPLODE does not support SSL
connections.
Purchasing and Licensing
How
Is PDF-eXPLODE Licensed?
A separate license is required for each computer
on which PDF-eXPLODE is installed.
Can
I Get a Trial Copy of PDF-eXPLODE?
Yes. You can download a 30-day free trial
version from this website. Please click the
Download link on this screen.
The trial version has a maximum 30 day operating
restriction as well as a limit of 2 emails only
per Print run.
How
Can I Buy PDF-eXPLODE?
After downloading and installing the 30-day
trial version of PDF-eXPLODE, you can purchase a
license by accessing the Buy option on
this screen and selecting ADD TO CART
and then clicking GO TO PAYMENTS to order
through our paypal website.
You will then be emailed within 24 hours, a
License and password to enter into PDF-eXPLODE.
You enter this License in PDF-eXPLODE to
complete the process.
