ISO 16613-1:2017 enables variable data printing applications using PDF template-based variable content substitution where

- a PDF template file containing pages with variable content substitution fields (placeholders) is delivered ahead of a print production run and may be reused across multiple print production runs, and

- PDF-based variable data substitution content is provided during print production and merged with the PDF template to produce final form variable content page output.

ISO 16613-1:2017 defines PDF/VCR (PDF for variable content replacement), a set of base technical requirements for a PDF template file format, a PDF-based variable data substitution content format and a framework for in-RIP variable content merging. The PDF/VCR base technical requirements do not include writer and processor conformance.

ISO 16613-1:2017 also defines the PDF/VCR-1 conformance level which is based on the PDF/VCR base technical requirements and defines conformance requirements for:

- the PDF/VCR-1 template file format;

- the PDF/VCR-1 data sequence format, a variable data substitution content format;

- a PDF/VCR-1 writer, a software application which can generate PDF/VCR-1 template files;

- a PDF/VCR-1 data provider, a software application which can generate PDF/VCR-1 data sequences;

- a PDF/VCR-1 processor, a software application which can perform substitution (replacement) of PDF/VCR-1 template placeholder objects with substitution content provided within a PDF/VCR-1 data sequence.

NOTE 1 Additional conformance levels can be added at a later time based on the same PDF/VCR base technical requirements.

NOTE 2 A conforming PDF/VCR-1 template file contains all necessary information for variable content printing by adding matching substitution content. Generating the substitution content usually requires additional information not present in the template file.

The template file format defined in this document is based on the ISO 15930 (PDF/X) family of standard formats for the representation of a single or multiple page template containing both static content and stylized variable content placeholders.

The variable data format defined in this document is based on the CSV file format defined in RFC 4180. It supports the representation of substitution content data that can be merged into the template's variable content placeholders to produce complete page content utilizing the full PDF graphics model.