Patent ID: 8199350

Claim:
A variable data printing (VDP) method implemented in a data processing apparatus, comprising: (i) receiving VDP data including variable data, form data and a plurality of association rules from a VDP database, the variable data including a plurality of entries each having a plurality of attributes, the form data including a plurality of background images, the association rules defining associations between variable data attributes and form data; (ii) for each entry in the variable data, (a) obtaining a color association rule as a separate file from the VDP database specifying a foreground text color for each background image in the form data; (b) obtaining at least one attribute; (c) selecting a background image from the form data based on the at least one attribute; (d) selecting a foreground text color based on the background image obtained in step (c) and the color association rule for printing text over the background image; and (e) generating an image based on variable data and form data selected using the association rules and based on the foreground text color determined in step (d), the image including the background image and foreground text in the foreground text color over the background image.