Note: The features discussed in this user manual, especially the package builder GUI and upload to websites, are no longer advertised to new customers, but continue to be supported for existing customers.

SwiftPublish can be used as a standlone utility or as a document publishing and upload component for web services like SwiftSend.  It creates optionally compressed and SwiftStamped PCL files from any application program running on Microsoft Windows.  Those portable documents can be printed, emailed, published on a CD-ROM with a free copy of the SwiftView document viewer or uploaded directly to a website by SwiftPublish itself. 

The electronic document files created by SwiftPublish can be viewed and printed at no cost by anyone using a copy of the SwiftView document viewer from our website.  You can also direct your recipients to install the SwiftView viewer from your website or put a copy on your CD-ROM.  Standalone SwiftPublish uses SwiftStamp to place a SwiftView license in each PCL document file it creates.  This allows that document file to be freely viewable by any copy of SwiftView on any system anywhere.  You can, for example, create a CD-ROM or email (which includes SwiftView if you like) and send it to thousands of people, none of whom require a license to view your documents.

Proceed to our download page using the link below, download the appropriate installer for your system, save it on your hard drive and double-click it to install SwiftPublish.  At that point, you can try out the entire SwiftPublish process, including stamping your document files and sending them to anyone.  SwiftPublish may be evaluated for 7-10 days from the time you download it before it 'times out'.  After 'timeout', you cannot either 'save to file' or 'SwiftStamp', as noted below.

Download SwiftPublish

When you are ready to buy, contact our sales department for a SwiftPublish quote.  When you purchase, you must provide us a system name for each system being licensed.  We will email a SwiftPublish installer unique to your company and a license file or license string unique to each PC you are licensing.  Simply double-click the installer on each licensed system and add the system unique license string as discussed below under SwiftPublish License.  NOTE:  The license string we ship works only with the installer we ship - it will not function with SwiftPublish downloaded from our website.

Create a freely viewable zipped PCL document file by following these steps:

1. Click the Windows Start button, then Programs, SwiftView, SwiftPublish Package Builder.
2. Click Start New Package.  The Current Package window should then indicate "SwiftPublish package 1" and the other buttons should now be active.
3. Click Options and you will see the popup Options dialog menu.
4. Click Save to file: and directly enter a full file name like "C:Documents\mydoc.zhp" or use Browse in the standard Windows manner to select a file name.  You should use the suffixes .PCL or .ZHP for these file names.  After evaluation 'timeout' this feature requires a SwiftPublish license. 
5. Click SwiftStamp to enable free viewing.  After evaluation 'timeout' this feature requires a SwiftPublish license.
6. In the SwiftPublish License field, enter your the license string emailed to you by SwiftView Inc. when you purchased SwiftPublish.  This is required only the first time you use SwiftPublish.
7. Click OK.
8. Click Add File, and select a file.  For most Windows applications, SwiftPublish will run the correct application program and cause it to print the selected file to the "Current Package".  If this does not work, see the discussion below.  Do not close SwiftPublish.
9. Repeat the 'Add file' step as needed to add additional files to the package.
10. Click Finish.  The file will be created using the name specified in the Current Package field.

If 'Add File' does not work

Some applications, like Loan Origination Systems, have no single document file representing what you want to print, so 'Add File' doesn't make sense.  Leaving SwiftPublish open and a package started as described above, open your application program and arrange or select the information or documents you wish to publish.  Then print it!  SwiftPublish temporarily resets the Windows default printer to "SwiftPublish package 1" when you start a package, so you shouldn't need to do anything but print in the normal manner.  Once you click Finish the default printer is restored.  Do not close SwiftPublish before you print, because that will restore the former default printer, causing your document to print on paper rather than being added to the current package.

Appending several documents into a single package

It is possible to print multiple files from multiple applications into a single package.  For example, SwiftPublish can generate a single PCL file containing a Microsoft Word Document, an Excel spreadsheet, another Word document, and the output of a mortgage loan origination application.  Simply follow the steps above, repeating the 'Add file' step for each additional document to be added to the package.

Working with already existing PCL (.prn) files

If you already create PCL files with another program or process, you can still use SwiftPublish.  Simply start a package, click 'Add File', select a PCL (.prn) file and proceed as described above.  You can also add multiple PCL files to a single package.

How licensing works for your document recipients

Standalone SwiftPublish 'stamps' a SwiftView license onto the documents you create using an embedded copy of SwiftStamp.  Once 'stamped' that document carries a SwiftView license which makes the document freely viewable forever using the 'evaluation copy' of SwiftView from our website.  That SwiftView will view anything for up to 30 days because it does not check for licenses.  After that timeout, it does not 'stop working', but, rather, simply starts checking for licenses.  If a license is unavailable, SwiftView will not work.  However, the documents you create with SwiftPublish carry the required SwiftView license, so they are viewable forever.  SwiftView cannot, however, be used by your document recipients for other purposes such as viewing local files they have created themselves.  They must purchase SwiftPublish or some other SwiftView license in order to make their own documents freely viewable with SwiftView.

E-mail distribution

Simply create a local document file with SwiftPublish, attach it to an email and send it.  Place these instructions in your email for normal browser plug-in viewing:

Note:  You don't need to put the 'underlines' above in your email.  Simply copy and paste the above text into your email and the recipient's browser will normally handle the rest.

Note:  Recipients of your email who use AOL cannot normally click on a link in an email and must use cut and paste.  They should be familiar with that process.

CD-ROM distribution

Simply create any number of local document files with SwiftPublish.  Assuming you expect your recipients to use standalone SwiftView, either controlled by your application or just running by itself, simply place the executable referenced by the following link on your CD.  Then either run the installer for your user or give that user instructions to find it on your CD and double-click it.  Download SwiftView installer to distribute on your CD.

Website distribution

You can place the stamped documents on a website as well and they will be licensed for all normal simple links (i.e. links directly to the document file).  However, taking advantage of some advanced features of SwiftView such as sophisticated active page use of ICS commands also requires a website license.

Start New Package
Clicking this button starts a new document package.  A package is a SwiftPublish document in progress.  When started, it becomes a temporary printer in the Windows Printers folder.  The name of the printer is normally "SwiftPublish package 1".  If you open your Printers folder you will actually see this printer present.  Generally, there should only be one package in existence at a time.  A package exists from the time the Start New Package button is clicked until the Finish or Discard Current Package buttons are clicked.

Add File
This button allows you to add files from most properly installed Windows applications.  If this button fails to add a file or just does not make sense, print to the package from your application as described above in If 'Add File' does not work.

Preview
This opens the SwiftView document to allow the creator of a package to check it before it is Finished.  You must install SwiftView as noted above to use this function.

Finish
The Finish button causes the package to be saved as a file or published to a website, according to the settings under the Options dialog.  Once the current package is 'finished', the temporary printer also disappears.  While the package exists, it temporarily sets itself as the default printer (unless you deselect that function on the Options dialog).  This allows compatibility with programs that do not allow you to select an alternate printer.  When the package is finished, the default printer reverts to its former setting.

Discard Current Package
This deletes the current package and removes the associated printer from the Printers folder.  A confirmation dialog is invoked when the button is clicked to prevent accidental loss of the package.

Exit
This immediately exits the SwiftStamp GUI and restores the Windows default printer setting.  If a package was open, it remains open and the next time the GUI is started, that package is used.

Current Package
Gives the default name of the package, which can be changed.

Package Destination
Shows the form the package will take when it is Finished, either the name of a website where it will be published, or the filename that it will save to.

Options
Invokes the Options dialog, described below.

Current Package
Gives the name of the package, which has a default name which can be changed.

Save to file:
This radio button allows the user to enter the final file name of your PCL document package.  The Browse button can also be used to select a file in the usual manner.  After timeout of evaluation period, this feature requires that a license string be entered as noted below.

SwiftSend to:
This radio button allows the user to specify a SwiftSend website to which the document is published.  If you would like to use this type of system for your company (administrated by SwiftView Inc, or as a turnkey product run by your own company) please contact SwiftView marketing for information.  After timeout of evaluation period, this feature requires that a license string be entered as noted below.

Zip
If you check this box, SwiftPublish will ZIP compress your document file as it finishes.  This setting should always be used because it allows faster transmission, giving faster performance in many situations.  Document recipients view exactly as before, except the faster performance.

SwiftStamp
Checking this box on an appropriately licensed SwiftPublish (or before evaluation timeout) places a SwiftView licence in each PCL file it outputs, using SwiftStamp technology.  This makes your document file freely viewable by any copy of SwiftView on any system, even after the trial period on the SwiftView viewer has expired.

Add ICS commands
Invisible ICS commands can be added to the file which control almost all aspects of any SwiftView viewer while viewing that file.  For example, it is possible to disable printing, add or remove buttons, configure special printing, pop dialog messages, etc.  Start on our technical support pages for more details.

SwiftPublish License
When you purchase a SwiftPublish license from SwiftView Inc. we will provide an installer unique to your company and a license string unique to each PC you are licensing (unique to the PC's system name).  Double-click the installer on each PC and then enter the license string in this field.  The license string will not function with the installer from our website, because the license string is unique to both the installer we provide for your company and each PC.  If you change the name of the PC or seek to move it to a PC with a different name, you will need to request a new license string.  To do so, simply explain your request and email us your new system name.  As long as you have current support and maintenance, we will provide a new license string at no charge within a few hours.  You are required, of course, to immediately deinstall from the previous system and destroy your copy of the previous license string.

Make this package the default printer
Checking this box means that while the current package is open, the current package is the default printer.  Once the package is finished or discarded or the user exits the SwiftPublish GUI, the former default printer is reinstated.  This option simplifies use and ensures that even applications which can only print to the default Windows printer are fully supported.