Dynamic Text allows users to add specific tags to text boxes in the Layout Window, which in turn automatically generates specific information linked to the object. It can also be used for Headers and Footers in the AVA Digital Print Rip.

Instead of typing certain pieces of text in full yourself, you simply enter a tag name which finds and enters the information required automatically. Dynamic Text can be particularly time saving when used within a Layout Template.

General information such as the date, the name of the design or the substrate being used can be added, as well as more specific file data which is accessed from the Notes Window.

There are two ways to add Dynamic Text in the Layout Window. Choose one of the following:

• Add dynamic text tags to a standard text box. This makes independent tags which are not linked to any other object. These are useful when adding general tags which are not dependent on the design or colourways displayed, such as the date, time, printer information, etc.
• Create linked tags which are associated to a selected object. These are best used when adding tags which relate to a selected design or colourway, such as document name, layer name, file information, etc.

Adding Dynamic Text to a standard text box added to the page using the Text Tool

1. Select the Text Tool and add a new text box to the page, or double click in an existing one.
2. With the cursor flashing in the box, hold down ^ (control key) and click to open the contextual menu.
3. Scroll down to AVA Dynamic Text to reveal the extensive side menu.
4. Select the text you want from the side menu. The text options are initially added onto the page in their raw format, for example %%Date, %%Substrate Colour and %%RepeatDrop.
   
   
5. Choose the colour you want your text to be by dragging that colour from either the Layers Palette, a colour file or the Swatches Palette. Your chosen colour will be colour matched, just like the colours in your design.
6. When you are happy with the font style, size and colour, go to Layout Menu > Text > Set as Dynamic Text or ^ (control key) click on the text and select Set as Dynamic Text. The text will now be active and will display the chosen information.
   
   

Add Dynamic Text as an associated object text box

1. Highlight the colourway(s) that you wish to add associated dynamic text to.
2. Go to Layout Menu > Text > New Dynamic Text. An associated text box will appear at the top left of the selected colourway(s). 3 By default, %%DocumentName is entered.
   

   
   

   To change this, double click on the text to select it, then ^ (control key) click to reveal the contextual menu. Choose AVA Dynamic Text.
   
   
3. Select the text you want from the side menu, for example %%RepeatDrop.
4. Choose the colour you want your text to be by dragging that colour from either the Layers Palette, a colour file or the Swatches Palette. All colour of your text will be soft proofed and colour matched like all other colours within AVA and ColourSys.
5. Once tag insertion is complete, go to Colourway Menu > Text > Set as Dynamic Text or ^ (control key) click on the text and select Set as Dynamic Text. The text will update with real time information related to the selected colourway object.

Adding or editing Dynamic Text

Simply highlight the text box and go to Layout Menu > Text > Edit Dynamic Text, or click on the Dynamic Text button in the toolbar. Any tags will revert back to their raw format allowing the user to edit accordingly.

Make the necessary additions or alterations and then choose Layout Menu > Text > Set as Dynamic Text, or click on the Dynamic Text button in the toolbar to reactivate the tags.

Other items in the Layout Menu > Text Menu

• Document Name – adds the document name in an associated text box at the top left corner of the selected colourway. The text can be moved to a different position if desired, but it will remain an associated object to the colourway.

• Colourway Name – adds the colourway name in an associated text box at the top left corner of the selected colourway. The text can be moved to a different position if you want, but it will remain an associated object to the colourway and will update accordingly.

• Colour Name – adds the colour name in an associated text box above the selected circle or square colour chip. The text can be moved to a different position if desired, but it will remain an associated object to the colour chip. To learn more about how to use this feature, refer to the 'Creating Custom Colour Chip Shapes in the Layout Window' article.

Dynamic Text currently supported

General information

• EveryLayer{} - repeats the text inside the brackets for each layer in the design
• DotGainSummary - displays a summary of the dot gain curves set for each layer
• DocumentName - displays the current document name
• DocumentFileName - displays the complete file name with its file extension
• Date - displays today’s date
• Time - displays the current time
• DesignScale - displays the design scale displayed
• SubstrateColour - displays the colour name of the substrate colour

Overprinting information

• OverprintMethod - displays the overprint method set in the Overprint Inspector
• OverprintMethodN - displays the ‘n’ value set in the Overprint Inspector
• OverprintMethodC - displays the ‘c’ value set in the Overprint Inspector
• InkBreakdown - displays the ink breakdown method set in the Overprint Inspector

Information from the Notes Window

• FileInfoDesignName – displays the Design Name as stored in the Notes Window
• FileInfoDesignReference – displays the Design Reference Number as stored in the Notes Window
• FileInfoAuthor – displays the Author as stored in the Notes Window
• FileInfoCompany – displays the Company Name as stored in the Notes Window
• FileInfoCopyright  – displays the Copyright Name as stored in the Notes Window
• FileInfoCreationDate – displays the Creation Date as stored in the Notes Window
• FileInfoCaption – displays the Caption as stored in the Notes Window
• FileInfoJobDetails – displays the Job Details as stored in the Notes Window
• FileInfoRevisionHistory – displays the Revision History as stored in the Notes Window

Layer related information

• LayerName – displays the name of the first layer
• LayerNumber – displays the layer number of a single visible layer in the colourway object. If multiple layers are visible, the last layer number shown will be displayed
• LayerTransparency – will display the transparency of all the layers
• LayerDotGain – displays the transparency of the first layer in the file
• NumberOfLayers – displays the number of layers in your design file, minus any image layers. The result of this tag is just a number, so it is advisable that you pre-fix this tag with Number of layer =, or something similar.

Information about embedded profiles

• LayerProfileName – displays the name of the printer profile used
• LayerProfileDate – displays the date of the printer profile used
• LayerProfileRenderingIntent – displays the rendering intent of any embedded profiles
• LayerProfileBlackPointCompensation – if an embedded profile has Black Point Compensation on, the word ‘yes’ is displayed. If it does not, the word ‘no’ is displayed. We recommend you prefix this Dynamic Text with BPC.

Colourway information

• ProofRef – displays the proof reference number used by AVA QA
• ColourwayName – displays the name of the colourway
• ColourwayIndex – displays the colourway reference number

Profile information

• PrinterProfileName – displays the name of the printer profile being used
• PrinterProfileDate – displays the date the printer profile was created
• PrinterDriverName – displays the name of the printer driver installed

Repeat information

• RepeatWidth – displays the width of your file in the units you have specified in the Info Window
• RepeatHeight – displays the height of your file in the units you have specified in the Info Window
• RepeatDrop – displays the drop assigned to your files, so ½, ¼, or ⅓

Information about percentages of ink used and surface area covered

• Percentages – adds the information from the Percentages Window to the Layout Window. This information needs to be calculated prior to applying this text, otherwise you will see the following message.  Therefore we recommend having the ‘Generate Percentages on open’ option ticked in the Layout Window Settings . When the percentages tag is applied, it provides information similar to this:
  
  

• LayerPercentageCoverage – represents the percentage of ink required by the selected layers, taking into account the tone levels used on the layers.
• LayerPercentageArea – represents the total area of the design that is covered by the selected layers.
  
  Both options above look similar to this when applied:
  
  

Available now in AVA 5.9!- Dynamic Text Builder

Dynamic Text Builder is a new function that allows you to quickly and easily added ‘dynamic’ text to your Layout. Dynamic text is text that updates in real time as the document or settings in AVA change. 

Dynamic Text gives accurate information about the designs or settings used which can be included on your prints.  For example, you could have text that automatically shows things such as: printer profile, scale of objects, overprint settings, document sizes, repeat drop and many others, see example below.  

This could also be saved as a template and used for all your designs / prints.

To add a Dynamic box to your layout page:

• Go to the Layout window in AVA, from the Layout menu go to Text > Dynamic Text Builder or click the toolbar icon

• This will open a dialog listing all the currently available dynamic text options, their label, requirements and a brief description of what each option will show.

• Select the Text item(s) you wish to show on the page.

• If you also wish to have a label for the text item(s) you can check the item in the Label column.  You can also change the Label name if you wish, for example instead or the Date label just saying Date: you might want to change this to ‘Print Date:’  or Author could be ‘Artist’s name - “ see example below.

• Once you have the options set as you require just press Create and a text box will be added to your page.

Editing Dynamic text:

You can edit this dynamic text very easily at any point.  This could be add further dynamic text, additional standard text, change the font, size, colour, etc.  

To edit your dynamic text simple double click the text box, it will then change to reveal the dynamic text code so you can edit, see example below.

I can then add a tilte for my text using normal text and make the labels bold for example using the new text editing panel in the toolbar, see example below.  To set this just click out of the text box and the changes will be shown.  

As you can see from the image below when you double click the text box you can also change the associated design.

If you want to add additional dynamic text item, simply type a %, the list of available items will appear, see example below.

Click on the text item you want, it will then be added with the %% code, click out of the text box to set.

Adding Dynamic Text with the Text Tool

To add Dynamic Text using the Text Tool follow the below instructions:

1.  Select the Text Tool and drag a text box over your design 
   
2. Type a % symbol to see available Dynamic Text in a list form
   
3. Either select directly from the list or continue to type. There is automatic prediction based on your text entered.
   
4. You can label this manually with standard text if you prefer
   
5. Once you are happy with your selection you need to choose an Associated Design (the design you want your text to be linked to). You can choose this from the drop down below. 
   
6. Once done you can click off the text box and your Dynamic Text will be set
   
7. You can go back and re-edit this using the Text Tool any time.