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Pre-Packaged Forms. Purchase online at our Online Store or call 800.367.6627.

Custom Forms. Design - Print - Deliver - Support. Call 800.735.2566.

Support & Training

PhoneNCS DesignExpert™ software comes with a one-year, renewable subscription support agreement.
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Check out NCS DesignExpert training courses. more >>

NCS DesignExpert™ Forms Design Software

Forms design software that is fast, accurate, and easy to use

NCS Design Expert Logo

NCS DesignExpert forms design software enables scannable forms users to design forms for optical mark read (OMR) scanning or image forms processing applications. You can create and personalize forms to fit specific needs and print the forms at your site or ours. With NCS DesignExpert software, you can:

  • Reduce design time
  • Save on design costs
  • Make changes in minutes
  • Speed up the approval process
  • Design cut sheets, continuous forms, multi-part forms, and booklets

NCS DesignExpert forms design software provides two forms printing options:

  • With NCS DesignExpert software's local laser printer feature, you can print your design on our standard form (recommended for form quantities under 1000).
  • For large volumes, you can send your design to Pearson Assessments for expert printing on our high-speed offset presses—and it may be possible to have your forms shipped within 24 hours through the NCS YES® program.

Using this robust forms design software and your database, you can personalize both local laser-printed and Pearson Assessments-printed scannable forms with names, addresses, ID codes, and more. Personalized documents increase data accuracy, improve user response, and save time.

Software Features

NCS DesignExpert forms design software is a versatile software tool that simplifies scannable forms design and lets you make modifications on the spot. The program's features include:

Graphic Capabilities

NCS DesignExpert software is equipped with all the tools you'd expect from a substantial, high-quality graphic package. You can:

  • Import color pictures and logos, grayscale images, and graduated screens
  • Draw lines, boxes, ellipses, and polygons
  • Rotate, repeat, and duplicate graphics
  • Group, layer, and lock elements
  • Save custom elements in a shape library
  • View precise detail by zooming up to 1600%
  • Define color selection from Pearson Assessments and PANTONE® Matching System colors

The Grid Wizard

NCS DesignExpert's Grid Wizard creates response grids for OMR forms. You can specify:

  • Grid type, style, and size
  • Captions
  • Borders
  • OMR data types
  • Pre-slugging
  • Shading
  • Color

The Hand Print Wizard

The Hand Print Wizard feature creates hand print areas for image forms. You can specify:

  • Hand print type and style
  • Character box format (alpha, numeric, or alpha-numeric)
  • Caption name, location alignment, and distance from boxes
  • Box size and style
  • Field name for scanning
  • Font and colors for captions, boxes, and punctuation

Text Capabilities

To facilitate complete and accurate information gathering, NCS DesignExpert enables you to:

  • Make precise adjustments to margins, line spacing, spacing between characters and words, indentation, paragraph alignment, and baseline shift
  • Specify text justification and set tabs
  • Rotate text and characters
  • Check spelling
  • Define text styles
  • Import ASCII text from a word processing program

Document Personalization

NCS DesignExpert's Merge Wizard database link allows you to use your laser printer to overprint Pearson Assessments standard and custom forms with personalized data, including pre-slugged OMR grids, machine-print OCR text, pre-printed write-in boxes, Litho-Codes, bar codes, serial numbers, record numbers, and address blocks. Image documents use text and bar codes for print personalization.

The Merge Wizard supports popular database formats, including:

  • Microsoft® Excel
  • Microsoft® Access
  • Comma separated ASCII text files
  • Tab delimited ASCII text files

MergePrint Utility Software

The MergePrint module allows you to print variable information from your database directly onto your scannable form. It works in a similar fashion to the mail merge feature used in many popular word processing software packages. The MergePrint option allows you to add critical information to your form including pre-slug ID numbers, respondent information, or barcodes. This tool is highly effective for personalizing forms with name and address information, identification numbers, course information, or product information. You can also use it to add caption text and graphics.

Duplex Printing

Duplex print two-sided forms on your duplex-capable PostScript® laser printer. Full support for both duplex and double-sided printer alignment is included.

ScanTools Software Interface

NCS DesignExpert software enables you to get a head start on programming OMR forms by defining response areas for scanning. Once defined, the software can transfer the location of the data in your design to ScanTools software, which automates processing and converts responses to usable information. By doing much of the application set-up work for you, NCS DesignExpert software makes scanning preparation easier and faster.

Flexible Printing Options

With NCS DesignExpert software, you can tailor forms printing to fit your needs. For large quantities, send your design to Pearson Assessments via e-mail or the Value Bridge Web site for expert printing on our high-speed offset presses.

When you transmit your forms design to an Pearson Assessments printing facility, the software attaches a job specification report that automatically details your design and manufacturing requirements. You can design cut sheets, continuous forms, multi-part forms, and booklets. Pearson Assessments  will print your design with a guarantee that the forms will scan successfully on your Pearson Assessments scanner.

For small quantities, produce scannable forms in minutes using your own laser printer. Overprint the entire document, which may include personalized data, on a standard Pearson Assessments form.

Training and Support

Pearson Assessments offers valuable, effective classroom training on NCS DesignExpert software. You can attend training at our facilities, or we can come to you. Visit the Pearson Assessments Training Center for a course description and schedule of upcoming classes.

System Requirements

NCS DesignExpert forms design software requires the following system components:

  • Pentium® 4, 2.5 GHz minimum
  • Minimum 56 disk space; 1 GB recommended
  • Hard drive minimum 56 MB
  • CD-ROM drive; 24X recommended
  • Mouse
  • 64-MB RAM minimum; 1 GB recommended; running other applications concurrently may require additional RAM
  • Microsoft® Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher
  • PostScript® or PostScript-compatible laser printer; duplex recommended
  • SVGA monitor with at least 800 x 600 resolution; 1024 x 768 recommended
  • Open Type® and True Type® fonts recommended for designs to be printed by Pearson Assessments or on a PostScript laser printer; Adobe® Type 1 fonts recommened for designs to be printed on a PostScript laser printer only
  • Optional PrintFlex™ module requires the use of an iNSIGHT™ 70 or 5000i scanner, or an iNSIGHT 2/4 scanner with imaging and ScanTools® Plus with ScanFlex version 6.1 or later software

Operating Systems

You must be running one of the following Microsoft® Windows® operating systems:

  • Windows® XP Professional, Service Pack 2
  • Windows 2000 professional, Service Pack 4

1. PANTONE® is a registered trademark of Pantone, Inc.
2. Microsoft, Windows, Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Access are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
3. Pentium is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation.
4. PostScript is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems, Inc.

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