PageDNA Software Overview
Table of Contents
List of Figures
- 7.1. Help in the Gold Menu Bar on the Storefront
- 7.2. Help Menu Header
- 7.3. Help Window
- 7.4. Support Form
- 7.5. Site Directory
- 7.6. Test Token
The audience for this document is anyone interested in the basics of PageDNA software.
Introduction
If you are interested in what PageDNA software does, how our software is sold, and for other general information, please visit our Website for the most current information. The site is found at:
Stated briefly, PageDNA is a Silicon Valley company specializing in internet-based software for the printing industry. Our technology streamlines the procurement and production of brand identity products such as business cards, letterhead, and standardized forms.
Our customers are generally manufacturers or resellers of printed products. These companies are primarily involved in Business-to-Business sales of brand identity products and other printed business consumables.
Our flagship product is our Stationery Ordering System or "SOS". This web-based system provides end users with an intuitive online interface designed exclusively for the procurement of business cards, letterhead, envelopes, notepads, and other printed collateral.
At the heart of the PageDNA system is the Variable Input Printing Engine and Renderer (VIPER), a proprietary Postscript® engine that creates industry-standard EPS files from online forms. VIPER provides many of the tools found in advanced desktop publishing applications, ensuring that any EPS files it produces adhere strictly to corporate graphics guidelines.
Documentation Overview
PageDNA has created and maintains a suite of documentation regarding our software. Following is an overview of the currently published titles.
- Software Overview
You are reading this book now.
- Specification Forms
How to gather information from customers to build sites correctly the first time. "Measure twice, cut once"
- Site Configuration
In-depth overview of site development options.
- Style Building
How to build Styles for your templated items.
- Imposition System
Batch your templated items into n-ups or "gangs" of orders for production.
- Shipping System
Enable real-time, automated customer order tracking with PageDNA’s shipping module
- Tech Notes
From Credit Cards to Approval setup, this is a catch-all area with many helpful notes from PageDNA on using the system.
- Dev Primer
Introduction to PageDNA site development tools.
User Types and Passwords
Table of Contents
One powerful feature of the PageDNA system is the ability to control access to the system, both for end-users as well as administrators. To help improve your understanding of the different ways access to the system can be controlled, we have prepared the following list of user types and passwords:
Types of Users / Logins / Passwords in PageDNA
- PageDNA Administrator
This is the username and password used by you - a site administrator - to log into the "Hub", where you can find access to your sites, documentation and product news. This account will see all sites "owned" by the Organization they belong to, including any demonstration sites and sites under construction.
New PageDNA Admin Logins can be requested using the form at: http://www.PageDNA.com/get_started/request_login.html
- External Users (Guest Admins)
A Guest Admin is a virtual menu user who can access only specific areas of the menu for one site. Administration of Guest Admins is done using "Guest Admins", found in the Menu of each site and available to PageDNA Administrators. Use the checkboxes to select which menu items they can access. Guest Admins must login through the Admin Login or menu.cgi, even if they are already logged into the site as a profile user.
NOTE: The Username and Password for a Guest Admin cannot be the same as the Username and Password for a profile on that site.
Warning: if you give a Guest Admin access to menu "Guest Admins", they will be able to create more Guest Admins. However, they will only be able to give access to menu items that they have access to.
- Pop-Up Site Password
Access to sites can be controlled through a "pop-up" username/password prompt. Users without a valid username and password are completely blocked from seeing anything on the site. There are two places to change site passwords: 1) In the Hub, using the "Site Passwords" feature, or 2) In the "Passwords" item found in each site's Menu. Note that passwords are scrambled and cannot be recovered - only changed.
Side note: if you're familiar with web servers, this is HTTP basic auth, implemented with .htaccess files. Because we generate the .htaccess files with our web tools, we do not support custom configuration of these files.
- Divisions Passwords
As described extensively elsewhere in the documentation, sites can have 'divisions' to break users into separate catalogs. This delineation is often by brand or department in a company, but can be used for other purposes as well. These passwords are inserted into the "extra vars" in divisions, using the "Divisions Editor" Menu item found in each site. You may also retreive an item password when logged in as an Administrator in the Menu of a site - while ordering. A gold bar appears above the page, and the "Retrieve Password" button will give you the password in a pop-up window.
- Item Passwords
Items can have passwords. These are edited using the "Item Editor" in the 'display info' section. You can view all passwords for all items using the "Old Item Editor" menu item. Use "Configure Columns" (upper right corner) to add 'passwd' to the columns you view. When you return you will see all item passwords in plain-text.
- Profile Logins
PageDNA’s Profile System adds logins for each user ordering on the site. A Profile site presents users with a login dialog when they first visit the site, but with the logo and other information showing (not a pop-up window). Logins are generally an email address, but may alternatively be a code or other unique identifier. You can optionally let users email themselves with their passwords through an option on the login screen, and passwords can be edited by users themselves (or admins with sufficient rights) using the Profile system found in the ordering process itself.
Frequently Asked Questions about User Types/Passwords
Frequently Asked Questions about Account Questions
- 1. How do I add new PageDNA users?
- 2. Users and usernames: I see PageDNA Admins, Guest Admins, Profile Users, and Site Passwords. What's the difference?
- 3. What changes are happening to authentication systems?
- 4. I have tried many times to log in to my account and now the system will not let me try any more. What now?
- 5. How do I access our online invoices?
Training Requirements
Pre-recs for PageDNA training, what you should know before beginning.
This document is intended for professionals who will be implementing or working on the PageDNA online ordering sites. These people should be familiar with all aspects of the business, but specifically pre-press functions. The person running the solution must understand how to make and manipulate graphic images.
In order to more efficiently train individuals for the task of running our software we ask that the lead participant have:
At least 6 months - 1 year experience in using Adobe Illustrator in a pre-press capacity.
At least 6 months experience in using Adobe Photoshop in a pre-press or web design capacity.
Basic knowledge of fonts, including how to locate and install source font files.
Good internal knowledge of your company's specific needs for order creation and routing.
High-speed Internet connection, DSL or better is required.
As most training is done via telephone, a phone connection indepenent of your Internet connection is also required.
While these are just a few of the skill and access requirements that any customer may be called upon to use on any given day, we believe they represent the essential toolkit needed to be successful working with the PageDNA solution.
How to Build A Demo Site
One of the most useful tools you can have when demonstrating to customers what you can do using the PageDNA system is to have a demo site. This page will walk you through the process of setting one up.
Log in to the Hub and select Start New Site from the menu. Give your demo a client name and a directory name, such as Acme Demo Site and acme-demo. Be sure to label this as a demo.
Choose the option to to create a demo site and click the Create button. It will take just a moment to build the site and you'll get a Success message. Click the link Use Site Wizard to begin configuring your demo site.
The next set up steps follow the same process as those found in SiteWizard ( http://www.nationsprint.com/hub/docs/html/SiteWizard/ ) section of our documents. However, since this is a demo site there are a few differences. Those are noted below.
1. Welcome
2. Site Name/Title - This will be pre-populated with your demo company and site name. Click Continue to advance.
3. Contact Info - Enter you Actual customer service information on this page. Click Continue to advance.
4. Logo - This logo will appear on the page header. We've provided a template for you to use when building a demo site logo. Right click the logo in top right of the page and save it your desktop. Next open the file in Photoshop and convert to the file to RGB. Paste in your logo, making sure that it's small enough to still see the "Online Ordering Demo" line across the bottom and then convert the file back to GIF file and save (with transparency on) back to your desktop. Browse to that image file and click the Upload Logo button. Once the file has been uploaded click Continue to advance.
5. Manufacturer Setup - Since these will not be real orders choose the option 'email' from the dropdown list in the New section then enter an address. This is the email address where the print ready files from your demo orders will be delivered. Click Apply changes and then click Continue to advance.
6. Site Options - You can choose to populate the Site Options screens as you wish. Click Continue to advance until you arrive at the Products screen.
7. Products - Choose the 'No' option. There are already products created for demo sites and you will add them in a later step. Click Continue to advance.
Here you will need to take an additional step before proceeding to add local address to the Address List. This will allow the demo site to create sample orders that use accurate shipping information.
From the Menu on the left side of the page right click on the choice for Address List Editor and choose to open it in a new tab or window. Click the New button and enter information that is local to you. When you fill out the Description field be sure to start it with an ' * '. This will cause that address to rise to the top of the list and makes easy to find later.
Once the address is added, you can close this window (or tab) and return to the SiteWizard.
8. Phone Setup - Leave these options set as default and click Continue to advance
9. Shipping Setup - Be sure that Real Time Rates and Tax Collection are both checked and click Continue to advance.
On the Tax Collection page place check marks in the state(s) where you need to have tax included in the final cost.
On the Shipping Methods page enter the correct zip code that you ship from and select a UPS ground for demonstration purposes. You can choose to offer any of these methods on your live sites.
10. Checkout - Choose your options and click Continue to advance
11. Multi-Imprint Setup- Choose your options and click Continue to advance
12. Finish- Choose your options and click Continue to advance
Now, you'll need to add some inventory to your demo site. We've already populated the demo site with some sample items so to add inventory click on the Item Editor in the left hand Menu and then click on the link near the top of the page that reads "Inventory". Add 100 count to several items and click save.
The PageDNA demo site, when copied, includes by default two profiles by default. They are:
jane@example.com
john@example.com
Both use the password: demo.
These two users are mentioned on the front page of the system so that demo users know how to get into the site and start shopping. Their profiles are locked to prevent users from altering their information.
The user Jane is an admin and can order for herself or others. The user John can only order for himself. This is an example of user levels and it's just one of the many features in the PageDNA Profile system that can be used to your meet customers' needs.
The next step is to log yourself out of the site and then log back in using jane@example.com Place an order for business card for both John and Jane and then submit that order. Log out as Jane and then log back in as yourself.
Choose Create Shipments from the menu on the left and create the shipments for the business cards that you just ordered. Give them these UPS tracking numbers. They are real numbers.
1ZX1R7180391207507 1Z93Y8A50347101649
Your demo site is complete and ready to use.
How to subscribe to the PageDNA Newsletter
Once a month PageDNA sends out a newsletter with all the latest features and information about our service and our company. If you miss a month or simply want to go back and review previous newsletters you can do so from the Product News link in the Hub.
To subscribe to the newsletter or to edit your subscription information you can go do so by going here.
How to Submit a Support Request
The best way to submit a support request is to use the Help link to open a help window and in this window you click on the "Open support form" link. Help links are found on the store front (in the gold menu bar at the top of page) and in the Menu, in the header bar towards the right. See screen shots below for the store front help button:
And here is how the help link looks in the Menu:
The help window gives you easy access to the various parts of the documentation. In the Menu there is also often a link to the docs specific for the page you are on.
Clicking on "Open support form" shows a form:
Filling out the form and submitting will send your request together with the site name and the page you are on to PageDNA. This saves you time and us as well because the site name and page you are on are sent in automatically, no need to remember to provide that information.
The other way to send in a support request is by email. In order to help you get your question answered as quickly as possible and make the best use of our support resources, please provide the following information when sending us a support request by email:
Site Directory - This is the url for the storefront you are writing about. Usually this will be the information found after https://www.nationsprint.com/clients/
If you are using a punchout or roundtrip integration (such as cXML), you will need to include additional information about your setup in your request.
If you are using Virtual Hosting, please include the full URL to your storefront.
Test Token - To generate a test token, visit your storefront and begin placing an order. When you get to the part of the process where you are provided a proof, stop. In the address bar you will see the words "token=" followed by a six character code. That code is the token you want to include in your support request if your question relates to a specific item or item type.
Don't forget to cancel your order after generating this token, so we can resume where you left off.
How to Reproduce the Problem - Step by step instructions so that we can see the problem just as you see it.
System Details - What web browser are you using? What version of that web browser? What Operation System are you using (including version or service pack)?
Additional Information - What else do you want us to know about the issue? The more information you provide, the easier it is for us to address your question
When you have collected that information, you can send an email to Support@PageDNA.com. You'll receive an automated response soon after we get your email. That response will contain your Help ticket number. Please be sure that any further correspondence you have with us about this issue contains that ticket number in the subject line.
Many of the questions that come in to our support team team can be answered from within our various Help resources. Before submitting your request you may want to be sure you have you:
searched our Help documents
checked the video tutorial library
read the relevant FAQs
Response times for support requests are typically within 24 hours. The actual time to resolution will vary depending on the exact nature of the issue.
If you email <support@pagedna.com> from an unrecognized email address, the
support request is marked as "incomplete" and an automatic response will be sent asking for
more information. The email includes a link which allows you to complete the support request
either by logging in or by clicking another link to inform us that you do not have a Hub
account.
additional keywords: help ticket, contact
Final Words
One final thought. We have put a lot of time and effort into developing our software and tools. We have also used our tools extensively to help early adopters to put their accounts online. While we have developed production skills that allow us to set up robust sites with relative ease, our time is better spent improving our tools so that you, our customers, can handle site production and maintenance issues with greater ease and confidence now and in the future.
In the spirit of passing the web site production and maintenance baton to you, we hope that you find our documentation useful as an ongoing reference guide. Of course, we will always be a phone call or email away, but we encourage you to exhaust online and printed support materials first.