Flexible layout when flowing XSL-FO content into PPML copy holes

A method of printing data comprising a plurality of individual print items, said method comprising:

• laying out at least one document page having at least one variable content copy hole;
• abstracting a page description language copy hole into a document description language page;
• fitting a variable content into a page;
• rendering said page;
• mapping said page to a copy hole formed in a page description language document;
• and
• printing said rendered page within said variable content copy hole.

A method of preparing content, said method comprising:

• specifying a page within a document defined in a document description language;
• assigning an item of content into said page;
• and
• mapping said page to a copy hole formed in a page description language document.

A method of preparing content for inclusion in a copy-hole, said method comprising:

• specifying a page within a document defined in a document description language;
• and
• fitting an item of content into said page;
• and
• mapping said page to a copy-hole formed in a page description language document.

A method of rendering a document comprising:

• inputting a stream of document description language flow as objects;
• arranging said objects in a page tree;
• applying a sizing algorithm to said objects of said page tree for re-sizing said objects according to instructions contained in said document description language;
• predicting whether said content will exceed a corresponding respective area assigned to said object, in a copy-hole defined in a page description language;
• and
• if said prediction determined that said object will exceed said corresponding respective area in said page description language copy-hole, then re-sizing said content object such that when it is rendered, it will fit within said corresponding copy-hole.

A printing system for printing a plurality of individual print items, said printing system comprising:

• a component capable of laying out at least one document page having at least one variable content copy hole;
• a component capable of fitting a variable content into a page;
• a rendering engine capable of rendering said page;
• and
• a printing component capable of printing said rendered page within said variable content copy hole.

Program code stored on a data carrier, said program code comprising instructions for:

• specifying a page within a document defined in a document description language;
• fitting an item of content into said page;
• and
• mapping said page to a copy-hole formed in a page description language document.

A rendering engine for rendering a document, said engine comprising:

• a page tree for arranging a stream of document description language flow objects within a tree structure;
• a sizing component capable of being applied to said objects of said page tree for re-sizing said objects according to instructions contained in said document description language;
• a prediction component for predicting whether said content will exceed a corresponding respective area assigned to said object, in a copy-hole defined in a page description language;
• wherein
• if said prediction component determines that said object will exceed said corresponding respective area in said page description language copy-hole, then said sizing component operates to re-size said content object such that when it is rendered, it will fit within said corresponding copy-hole.

A method of generating an output document for rasterizing into a bitmap, comprising the steps of:

• designating, in a source document, a copy hole for accommodation of variable content;
• rendering variable content intended to be located in the copy hole;
• establishing, in accordance with predefined rules, whether the rendered variable content fits in the copy hole;
• if not, adjusting a characteristic of the variable content and re-rendering the adjusted content.