Abstract: A data processing system and method of processing format parameters of a variable data area within a base document are described. According to the present invention, a base document defined by a data set stored within the data processing system is created utilizing a user application. In response to identification of a portion of the base document as a variable data area, at least one page description language comment statement associated with the variable data area is inserted within the data set. In response to specification of format parameters for the variable data area, the format parameters of the variable data area are encoded within the comment statement. In one embodiment, an identifier of selected variable data to be presented within the variable data area is also encoded within the comment statement.