Web to Print: Template creation for dynamic publishing

A Quark publication in co-operation with Cleverprinting

Web-to-print in 2010 is an opaque market. More than 200 companies are flying the flag for Web-to-print, yet produce and deliver very different kinds of software. The spectrum ranges from print order shops, online printing calculators, and digital printing links to sophisticated template editors and brand management systems. This has resulted in enormous hype with marketing  materials shouting catchphrases that are often dissimulating  the substantial changes Web-to-print brought about in the advertising and publishing sectors: Web-to-print publishing meets cloud computing.

Bernd Zipper has followed the Web-to-print market for a long time and has formulated the following definition:

“Web-to-print is the server-supported, online creation of individual print documents, including the necessary commercial processes."

One could also say that the most important system requirement for creating and ordering printing materials in the future will be the Internet. Web-to-print places these new opportunities directly in the hands of end users. Separate Internet interfaces make them independent from external layout service providers and internal marketing profit centres. This evidently leads to decentralisation in the creation of  advertising resources. What is interesting about Web-to-print is that the opposite is also true: Like in cloud computing, all marketing processes, job guidelines and quality standards (not least corporate design) are stored in a central location. This information forms the basis for the Web-to-print system, which functions as a sort of gatekeeper to ensure compliance with pre-defined parameters. This ensures process integrity and quality consistency which could never be achieved with centralised specialist departments. Not to mention improved response time and cost reduction.

This increased quality is most evident when one looks at the printed materials that are actually produced. The time when fliers were thrown together in Word is over. If a print layout is first fed into the system with a system of rules governing it – together they constitute the so-called template – all users have to do is fill it with content online. If the print layout is correct, users can rely on compliant implementation of their corporate design, print output and layout quality - the Web-to-print system takes care of this.

Web-to-print is not an agency killer, however, but more of a magnet for new business, at least for agencies that anticipate the trend. The tasks involved in constructing and maintaining a Web-to-print platform are fundamentally of more value than those that are being replaced. For example, most larger agencies can no longer profitably produce layouts for business cards. Web-to-print offers the solution for both the agency and the client. If agencies want to be successful in this area, they must make considerable investments in knowledge and skills, since platform operation, project consulting and template construction will certainly not happen magically by themselves.
 
The choice of system is just as complex, due to the confusion in the market.  Two main aspects are crucial for agencies: First, the need for sophisticated ways to edit templates online and second, the integration into portals that are similar to online shops and offer enterprise functions, such as access management and approval processes. The technology used to create and edit the templates is key for agencies, publishers, and for the end user:

Existing layout documents already contain a lot of intelligence and know-how that should be incorporated in Web-to-print templates.
Template construction should be as easy as possible and experienced users of layout programmemes should be able to learn the process quickly.
The Web-to-print system should be integrated seamlessly into the conventional layout process. On one hand, it should be possible to input existing layout documents into the system, while on the other, the system should be able to produce other usable layout documents. This is especially important if one is to take advantage of the platform’s full automation capacity. The final finishing touches of the project would still take place in a conventional way.
Implementation quality in the areas of composition, micro-typography and output should be equivalent to quality obtained with a normal layout programme.

If these criteria are important to you, only solutions based on familiar layout programmes can be considered: Adobe InDesign Server and/or QuarkXPress Server. Systems based on .pdf or custom-developed technologies are not worse in principle, but they reveal some weaknesses when it comes to integration in existing layout environments. This is why large platforms in particular prefer systems based on conventional layout programmes, even if they are usually more expensive.

The layout technology chosen is crucial and determines the scope of the template. The organisational buy-in of the Web-to-print platform depends on the design and implementation of the layout technology, as well as on other factors such as user interface, ease of use and ordering options. Good templates take time and experience in planning, editing and quality assurance. The objective is always the greatest degree of flexibility, at least when it comes to corporate design. Considerable sums of money are often invested in a big corporate design portfolio, but this academic exercise is somewhat less pivotal to the actual success of a corporate design than the toolbox available to implement it. In this sense, Web-to-print has become an indispensable tool. Ideally, a Web-to-print template should always regulate the exceptions and prohibitions defined in the Corporate Design manual automatically. Think of the template as a corporate design framework reincarnated as a computer programme. This means that it will be difficult to include any parameters that are not valid in a print layout. This includes mainly aesthetic criteria, such as image selection and composition.

Example: Typography

Many of the following typography tips also apply to conventional print layout creation. They become particularly relevant in the Web-to-print environment, however, because users with no layout experience - and yet low tolerance for mistakes- are expected to produce acceptable results:

Syllable separation rules that do not require manual editing should be preferred, when possible. In tests, this works better than expected. In most Web-to-print systems, the final composition is visible only after rendering has been completed, which can make manual changes very time consuming. If certain words, such as company names, are not supposed to be separated, these must be entered in the list of word exceptions. A Web-to-print user must be able to assume that the system will create the ideal composition.
If the Corporate Design manual specifies that each paragraph must be followed by a half-line of space, use the “Spacing after” function. Many Word users are unfamiliar with inserting separate blank lines.
For lists, try to use the layout programme's own list functions as much as possible. Users can hardly be expected to place bullets, tabs and indents manually.
GREP styles and nested styles can also be components of a CD-compatible micro-typography scheme. For instance, they can be used for company names that are always written in capital letters or for paragraphs that always begin with three words in bold.
Everything that the user no longer has to do manually guarantees quality and reduces the need for explanations. The Web-to-print system is incorruptible and generally infallible when it comes to implementing the parameters.

The secret for correct use of formatting, however, lies in permissions over styles in the given textbox. In a box for content, for instance, headline styles should not be activated, and bold style should also be disabled if unwanted. A detail that is often overlooked is naming the styles. This should be done in the most straightforward and self-explanatory way possible. Depending on the target group, it is best to avoid foreign terms and specialist terminology. 

Example: Image selection

Similar considerations apply to both images and text. Options should be kept simple and sources of error should be ruled out from the outset. Image editors in Web-to-print systems on the market have very different designs. They range from simple image selection tools to complex tools that allow free customisation of scaling and details. In the first case, there is no choice other than prepare all images according to the image box proportions. This gives you full control over the potential image details, but creating templates is much more difficult. You can also save considerable time if all image boxes have the same aspect ratio. 

Editors allowing the user to place the image freely inside the box are more in line with current practice. These allow images in portrait format to be placed in a landscape format box, as is common layout practice. If a frame is not completely filled, unattractive white lines usually appear. Depending on the system, you can implement graduated placement options and only allow proportional changes to the width and height. The image pool behind the box does not have to be set in stone: some suppliers offer links (adapters) to file systems and image databases. This is a good example of the closest possible association between Web-to-print and existing publishing environments.

Images chosen by the creator of the template are not the only ones that image boxes will accommodate. Franchise and syndicate organisations in particular like to upload their own images (such as those relating to a particular region) to the Web-to-print system. Whether this option is enabled is a matter of discretion. If it is, many quality assurance problems arise:

The uploaded images do not fit in with the imagery, colour scheme, image format or are not aesthetically suitable for other reasons. A computer system is unable to evaluate these criteria. This requires that a “human component” be involved to grant approval.

The images have quality problems (unfocused, grainy or dull colours) or resolution that is too low. While detecting poor image quality generally remains a human task, many systems offer control mechanisms for images with resolutions that are too low. It should also be noted that it is the effective resolution after placement in the layout which is crucial, not that of the source image. A check that rejects all images with a pixel density of 72 ppi (many camera images come this way) would not be practical, since the images could still be printed if placed in the layout at 30% of the original size.

Colour management is also involved: When creating the print file, the Web-to-print system must convert uploaded RGB images to CMYK. To do so, the system must have ICC-based colour management. This is the only way to prevent the majority of unprofessional errors from occurring, such as unprofiled RGB or a variety of different CMYK colour spaces. Layout programme servers have an advantage here, since these functions are already highly developed in the desktop versions. Nevertheless, PDF/X styles and the colour management of the document must be properly configured. This is yet another example of how Web-to-print demands specialist knowledge of a wide variety of disciplines.

Example: Print layout intelligence

Template creation really becomes a burning issue when it comes to dealing intelligently with user inputs. For instance, what happens if the user enters more text than there is room in the box? Should you set the system to just show a mere warning? Or are there better options? In the case of layouts governed by rules, the templates created are anything but “dumb”. A few examples:


Business card – To improve possible entry control, the title, name and position are spread over three textboxes (1). If the user enters a second title, the two other textboxes are shifted down – instead of a warning about too much text or an unattractive overlap of text. This also ensures that the spacing between the boxes always remains consistent.


Data sheet – In this template for a data sheet, there are two content areas that can be filled with different text content. Each area has a coloured background. Three images are placed along the side in the second area. The logo and address information appear along the bottom and cannot be changed by the user (1). If the user then adds more content in a text block than originally intended, a complex mechanism starts up (2). The text blocks are shifted downward while maintaining the spacing toward the bottom, and the upper colour field increases in height. The height of the logo block is fixed in accordance with the Corporate Design and cannot be reduced. This is why the lower colour field is reduced in height from the top. The placement of the three images is also matched to the lower colour field. This means that the central image becomes proportionally smaller (if it becomes too small, a colour bar can be inserted to block it out). The corporate design remains intact through all of these transformations.


Advertisement – Advertisements can accommodate a high degree of dynamism, provided that the Web-to-print system allows adaptation of the page size. If it does, page sizes can be adapted to the column widths of different newspapers. In the example above (or below), the advertisement has been made wider: The large image is scaled accordingly, while the decorative bar to the left maintains a fixed width. The width of the continuous textbox is matches not only the width, if more text is entered, but also the height. A mechanism such as this is indispensable for job advertisements. In this case too, the protected areas around the logo and address remain accurate.

The examples show that designers and DTP content designers are evolving into programmers for sophisticated templates. Whether a template works properly is decided in the design phase. Not everything that looks good can be implemented, so extensive testing is required to refine a template down to the details. Ideally, testing should take place over a defined period and involve a wide range of individuals, as well as testing extreme parameters, for example excessively “dumb” ways of working. In order to test a system, the ways in which a design can change in Web-to-print practice must be considered first.  In this context, it is clear that there are now new ways for agencies and publishers to gain added value, and that such new possibilities hold more value and allow designers more creativity than the repetitive tasks performed by a Web-to-print system. So, everyone benefits from the new development. All's Well That Ends Well.


Georg Obermayr

This is the second article of a series on Dynamic Publishing by Georg Obermayr. You can read the first article here.

A Quark publication in co-operation with Cleverprinting

Hardly any other industry has undergone such rapid change over the past few years as the printing and media industry. DTP programmes like QuarkXPress have revolutionised what is possible in media production. Now the Internet, new programmes and new ways of working are introducing the next important step in media production: The advance of “dynamic publishing” cannot be stopped. It will fundamentally change the work done by agencies and designers.

With dynamic publishing, agencies and creative individuals will no longer – as previously – control the entire production process. Instead, they will become template creators, publishing project managers and platform architects. The publishing revolution is in full swing – and those who do not keep up risk losing step with the technology at some point.

Georg Obermayr is Technical Director at the ADVERMA agency and a user of Quark Publishing System 8. He highlights the opportunities, processes and requirements relating to dynamic publishing in this five-part series for the Cleverprinting Newsletter.

As well as this article, the Cleverprinting Newsletter contains much more information about DTP. With 14,000 subscribers, it is one of the most-read newsletters in the industry: www.cleverprinting.de/newsletter (In German).

In co-operation with Cleverprinting, QUARK is now publishing all parts of this successful series on its website, “The Dynamic Publisher” – an exclusive that has been translated into three languages.

Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: Web-to-Print
Part 3: Publishing systems
Part 4: Integrated publishing systems

Part 1

Introduction

Sometimes, a catchphrase is needed to cast light on insidious developments. The term “dynamic publishing”, for example, gives parallel developments like web-to-print and database publishing a standard conceptual structure. The term appears to be here to stay. This is urgently needed, because “dynamic publishing” is changing the very heart of the entire graphics industry.

To put it succinctly, dynamic publishing is the automatic creation of layouts. The content is also inserted into previously-created templates (layout templates) following sophisticated rules. This largely automates layout creation, saving time and reducing costs. On the other hand, this process should not be to the detriment of quality: Dynamic publishing systems are not intended to spit out monotonous industrial catalogues, but rather to create products with ambitious graphics and typography without compromise.

The key question is: “How will companies produce their marketing documents in ten years time?"

• How will they publish in print and on the web simultaneously?
• How will they keep labour-intensive designs up to date simply by pushing a button?
• How will they plan, design and create cross-media campaigns consisting of advertisements, online banners and videos centrally?
• How will they integrate and control publishing using the enormous variety of off-the-shelf business software (from ERP and CRM through BPM to PIM)?

Several of the above are already a reality and employed on a daily basis, while others will follow in the coming years. Ultimately, the topic probably still cannot be fully explored at this point in time.  Over the next few years, for example, Apple’s iPad and augmented reality could free up creativity in terms of how (journalistic) content is prepared and consumed. 

What is clear is that the focus of the stakeholders will shift: Advertising agencies will become suppliers of

• Frameworks for marketing strategies, corporate design guidelines and layout templates 
• Tools such as web-to-print systems, publishing solutions and content management environments.

Media production will increasingly occur within the companies themselves. Not necessarily only in the marketing department, but at each workstation, via the internet.

For agencies and media companies, this means both opportunity and risk. Companies which previously viewed themselves as “content and layout shops” for advertisements, invitations, business cards, etc. will face even more challenges in a dynamic publishing future. The industry needs to reflect on how it perceives itself. Again, in future there will be plenty of space for high quality products manufactured in small quantities, such as art books, calendars, image brochures and even branding concepts. Concentrating on these objects, which are not easily exchangeable, is the primary strategy for the industry. The second pillar will be IT. The producers of the next generation of publishing tools will exert considerable influence on what is possible in design and on creative licence.  With its centuries-long tradition in typesetting and graphic design, the media industry should not allow this influence to slip from its grasp. It would be naïve to believe that the graphics industry could develop these tools itself - they are much too complex. Instead, agencies and printing houses must drive development and should not let themselves be crushed between clients on one hand and IT companies on the other. In the ideal situation, media companies will become a kind of think-tank tasked with exploring how their clients can implement publishing IT.

This development also has implications for job descriptions. Many specialists working on layouts and pre-publication tasks are crossing borders and attempting to bring together topics such as pre-press technology, type setting, template creation, project consultancy and IT. The design process has also been changed by designers "thinking in templates". New job descriptions such as template builder, publishing project manager and platform architect are already appearing. Individuals who are at once generalists and specialists in as many sub-disciplines as possible will likely be most successful in this new and different professional world. At the same time, the graphics industry must ensure that it doesn't bleed out and lose its best people. There will be increased demand within client companies for people to support complex publishing systems. Education is soon to be affected and will have to reflect those changes: “conventional” media jobs (from media designer and graphic designer through to consultant) are insufficient to accommodate these shifts in tasks and skills– convincing new curricula and education structures have yet to be developed to meet these new needs. 

The individual components required for dynamic publishing have existed for a long time. Yet it is only now that the various key technologies are interacting with each other:

• In dynamic publishing, the content is most dramatically separated from its use in specific media. Databases house the content as text and images. Ideally, they are so closely knit that the company can use them outside the publishing world. XML is the interface between different systems and file formats. For example, print layouts can be changed automatically into websites by applying XML transformations. Of course, this requires that the systems used are equally open in relation to XML.The omnipresence of the Internet and dramatically expanded bandwidths are important factors for dynamic publishing. Ultimately, many of the systems are based on websites. This is reflected in our ability today to represent interfaces that resemble a desktop on the web.
• Cloud computing also plays a role, especially in web-to-print systems. In precisely the same way as you already save your emails and contacts in a “cloud”, you will be able in future to access your print templates from anywhere.
• The two juggernauts among layout programs, Adobe InDesign and QuarkXPress generally predominate in most high-quality dynamic publishing systems, but are transparent from the outside. Finally, the server versions of these tools are employed in these programs, and because they have no graphic interface, they are streamlined enough to process a large quantity of documents performantly and reliably. This process makes use of the same sophisticated typographical and design functions that are familiar from the desktop versions. This is why a layout program engine is usually superior to a PDF engine in terms of flexibility, capacity for integration and production quality, especially for more complex publishing applications.
• PDF/X and colour management form the basis of the modern pre-press stage. Dynamic publishing would not be possible without the standardisation and quality assurance that have been achieved in terms of print data creation and transfer.

The next instalments of this series explore how these technologies interact to shape a new generation of publishing solutions. One thing is clear, however: There is enormous potential for clients to save time and money and improve quality. The publishing revolution is gaining momentum and it won't slow down any time soon.

Georg Obermayr

Quark Publishing System and TapLynx Cost-effectively Automate Publishing to the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad

Quark has partnered with NewsGator (www.newsgator.com), a leading social computing provider, to help publishers and other content creators deliver digital content to the iPhone, iPod Touch, and soon, the iPad. The partnership allows Quark® Publishing System users to instantly publish newsfeed content to Apple’s digital devices through a newsreader application that can easily be created using NewsGator’s TapLynx Framework.

The combination of Quark Publishing System, which automatically publishes to multiple types of media, and TapLynx, NewsGator’s framework for the simple creation of iPhone and iPad apps, allows publishers, news organisations, and marketing teams to:

• Deliver content in a colorful newsfeed format optimised for Apple devices;
• Easily repurpose content that already exists in Quark Publishing System in order to reach consumers on the iPhone, iPod Touch, and soon the iPad;
• Enable those consumers to share publisher content on their social networks with a single click; and
• Customise the branding of the newsreader application with company logos and colours
• NewsGator’s TapLynx is the easiest way to make a unique digital content app for the iPhone and iPod Touch because users only need to fill out a simple configuration file. The framework supports multiple ad formats and servers so that publishers can monetise their content, and it lets consumers share content through social media. TapLynx is the foundation of NetNewsWire, NewsGator’s iPhone feed reader.

Quark Publishing System enables publishers and other content creators to publish to their newsfeeds with a single mouse click by fully automating content transformation and delivery to newsreader applications. Quark Publishing System users can publish to Apple’s digital devices today by downloading TapLynx, which is available for $599US / 517.98EUR / 440.27 GBP from NewsGator. Once downloaded, TapLynx is a seamless, integrated part of the Quark digital publishing experience.

“Our work with NewsGator provides publishers a fast and affordable solution to publish colorful newsfeed content to Apple’s digital devices,” said Rainer Heckmann, Director of Product Marketing at Quark. “Quark supports Quark Publishing System customers who are at varying stages of digital publishing, and this is an ideal solution for those who want to deliver their current print content to Apple devices quickly and inexpensively.”

“Our company is deeply committed to connecting content and people, from our birth as an RSS pioneer through our evolution into a broad-based social computing leader,” said Walker Fenton, Vice President of Corporate Development at NewsGator. “We’re pleased to execute again on that commitment by working with Quark to deliver social capabilities to their customers.”

To know more about Quark's partnerships please see http://dynamicpublishing.quark.com/en/dps/partners/technology_partners.html

Partnership Provides Content Creators a Cost-effective Way to Create and Deliver Compelling, Interactive Content for All Leading Digital Devices through a Worldwide Distribution Network

Quark, K-NFB Reading Technology, creator of the Blio e-reader application; and Baker & Taylor, the world’s largest distributor of physical and digital media products, today announced their partnership at Untethered – a digital media conference in New York. The three companies are collaborating to offer content creators the first complete solution for Digital Publishing 2.0. The partnership brings together experts in digital content creation, digital content distribution and the digital e-reading experience to offer content creators and providers a simple, cost-effective digital publishing solution.

“Digital Publishing 2.0 is defined by design-rich, interactive content that can be delivered to the mass market through all leading digital devices,” said Ray Schiavone, President and CEO of Quark. “We are excited to work with K-NFB Reading Technology and Baker & Taylor to combine our expertise to help publishers and other content creators capitalize on this emerging market. Together we make it affordable and efficient to create compelling digital content that is ready for the Blio e-reader application and available through a world-class distribution network to deliver the ultimate consumer experience.”

The Quark, K-NFB, and Baker & Taylor solution ensures the delivery of content that emotionally engages readers through a variety of unique features, including video and audio clips, interactive Web pages, integration with social media, note-taking, exporting capabilities, and more. Put simply: the partners transform static, black-and-white pages into rich, engaging digital media content. The solution:

• Makes Digital Publishing 2.0 accessible to all content creators, including self and professional publishers, by giving designers an easy way to create rich, interactive content without complex configuration or programming
• Makes rich, interactive digital content available across all leading digital devices including tablets, smartphones, and computers
• Provides a new source of advertising revenue through digital books
• Enables fast and cost-effective conversion of print publications to digital publications
• Provides a vast global distribution network through which digital content can easily reach consumers everywhere

“K-NFB and Baker & Taylor chose to partner with Quark, a leader in dynamic publishing, to help content creators efficiently and cost-effectively create design-rich, interactive content in QuarkXPress -- content that can then be automatically exported to the Blio format and shared with consumers through Baker & Taylor’s broad worldwide distribution network,” said Ray Kurzweil, CEO, K-NFB Reading Technology. “Together, our three companies are providing content creators the technology they need to improve their own publishing experience as well as advance the consumer experience.”

Tom Morgan, CEO of Baker & Taylor, added: “Baker & Taylor is proud of this partnership with Quark and K-NFB. We open the door for thousands of new content creators and providers to create digital, interactive content and then access Baker & Taylor’s unparalleled worldwide distribution network. We have teamed up to provide a simple way to transform static media content into rich digital media content that 21st century consumers demand.”

Quark reduces publishers’ reliance on programmers and customised applications to deliver engaging content to digital devices, lowering the cost of digital publishing and helping content creators introduce digital products faster and support all leading digital devices. Quark will release its solution for publishing to the Blio e-reader application from QuarkXPress later this year.

Click here to view a demo of Blio: http://dynamicpublishing.quark.com/digitalpublishing/partners. The first Blio-powered devices are expected to launch in summer 2010, with support from all leading devices rolling out throughout 2010 and beyond