Archived V.I.P. Content
2008
InPreflight vs. FlightCheck Test — Buying advice
To see how well InPreflight and FlightCheck Professional 6.x actually are, I ran a test on one InDesign file. As InPreflight is not available for QuarkXPress, the application’s value for QuarkXPress workflows could not be determined.
The file I tested contained a trapping error, several font errors, colour space errors and several linked images that were no longer available. I exported this file to a Certifed PDF (PDF/x-1a:2001). Then, as a reference, I ran this PDF file through PitStop Professional 08.
When do you need a Font Server?
Market size: Font servers can be useful for workgroups as small as 5 people, but in such small workgroups individual, desktop-based font management may suffice. The decision to implement a font server will depend on the workgroup’s workflow.
Matching atomic content structures to a system
The AP report of June 2008 starts from the axiom that you already have an online presence that is well-established, which probably also means you will have a system in place that you can manage your content and design with. Since making sure the content becomes more palatable and attractive entails both design and content, the first thing to do is to examine whether your system is up to the challenge.
With many small to medium-sized publishers using a custom-developed system that bolts the layout and editing application to the online Content Management System (CMS), chances are most of these publishers will have to re-think their technology strategy because a loosely integrated system may not be flexible enough to accommodate for the new model.
Five rules to migrate a printed publication to an online one
Rule #1: You can simply migrate your printed publication-wide architecture and structure but you shouldn’t do that with the in-depth structure.
What this means is that you can use your main sections the way they are presented in the printed magazine --e.g. “News”, “Editorial"-- but you should seriously think over the use of vertical sections. Vertical sections are what bloggers call “categories”, and categories --or a taxonomy of topics if you will-- are very important to organise and manage atomic topics.
For example, you could have a “Lifestyle” section in your printed publication where you start with news on its first page, intermingled with an opinion piece and a start of a background article. On the web, you can re-use this visual structure, but your news item should be a category with background information on the new item created and stored in a separate category that the news story can relate to.
How Medium-sized Publishers See Publishing Evolve
Cross-media and dynamic publishing are two growth markets identified by Frost & Sullivan as well as other analysts. Many large companies and publishers are already turning towards technologies which support cross-media and dynamic publishing. They are buying or are planning to buy systems that integrate the complete workflow from concept over authoring to output into different channels.
Archived Public Content
2004
Macromedia Contribute 3 Revisited
We ran a review on Contribute 3 when it was still in its beta stage. The software has now been released for some time and we have been using it on and off. Time for an overview of what there is to like about and dislike about Contribute 3.
Drawing your Design: Wacom Intuos 3
Wacom released its Intuos 3 graphic tablet a few weeks ago. The Intuos 3 is Wacom’s most elegant tablet up to date. It’s also their best. The tablet has touch strips, tablet keys and the well-know active surface. There is little to dislike about the Intuos 3.
Hasselblad introduces new Imacon Flextight Roll scanner
Hasselblad is launching its new Imacon Flextight Roll Film Scanner. The first Flextight to be introduced to the market since the merger of Imacon and Hasselblad in August 2004, it is also the first in the Imacon Flextight range specifically designed for roll film.
Corel Painter IX
Painter is an artist’s delight: it has everything (and more) that you would find in an artist’s studio. Painter IX builds further on this foundation and adds many welcome enhancements and features. Corel Painter IX is the art application of choice for thos who want an abundance of options. For those who want only the strictest minimum (perhaps not to be distracted...), Alias SketchBook Pro is a better choice.
Adobe Photoshop CS Creative Studio
Adobe Press’ Photoshop CS Creative Studio contains tips for artists. Luanne Cohen covers the techniques that most digital artists will want to learn.
Variable data publishing with Creo’s VI Toolbox
VI Toolbox is a set of tools that allows PC users to create high performance variable information (VI) jobs. VI Toolbox is a package that streamlines the creation of direct communications such as direct mail, letters, and other customized collateral. VI Toolbox makes a VI production environment smoother and faster by integrating with familiar applications.
This makes it easy to master and extremely powerful, without the need to learn new applications and processes. The VI Toolbox suite of tools includes: VI Merge, VI View, and Optimized Mail Merge.
After Effects 6.5 Professional Review
Adobe’s compositing software, After Effects, exists in two versions. After Effects Standard is a compositing application with basic compositing features, while the Professional version offers 16-bit support and motion tracking. On the PC, After Effects holds its own, but how about the Mac? More specifically, does After Effects make any sense when you have Motion and Shake on Mac OS X? The answer depends on your way of working.
Macromedia Dreamweaver MX 2004 Demystified
A book the size of this Official Guide to Using Dreamweaver MX 2004 must be complete. In 1238 pages, Gutman covers everything that you can possibly do with Dreamweaver MX 2004.
A scientist’s DTP: Publicon 1.0 for Mac OS X
If you have ever had to enter mathematical data in a document, your choice of application to do so was limited to complicated editors that work with LaTEX, Framemaker, or Microsoft Word. Framemaker is certainly up to the job, but except for its limits in the area of which formulas you can enter, it is simply not available on Mac OS X. Unix, Linux, and Windows are all served, but Mac OS X isn’t. For most scientific users that is not a problem, but for a book designer it is. Furthermore, Framemaker’s support for symbols is somewhat limited. Word is even worse. It is clearly not designed to be used as a scientific editing tool. Formula and symbols support is thin, and there’s no way to put your design really ‘right’. Enter Wolfram Research’s Publicon. Publicon uses Mathematica’s presentation power to support every aspect of the scientific publishing process.
Adobe InCopy CS Review
Adobe InCopy CS is Adobe’s editorial solution. It is designed to work together with InDesign CS, but can be used as word processor by itself as well. However, InCopy CS is aimed primarily at the user in the editorial workflow. InCopy CS produces pure XML files. The product is delivered by Adobe as well as Value Added Resellers these days, whereas previous versions could only be purchased from VARs.
Vue 4 Professional Review
e-on Software is a developer of 3D applications like Vue d’Esprit. Vue 4 Professional is the company’s flagship product. Vue 4 Pro is a 3D terrain builder and one of the features that makes this a professional program is its capabilities in terms of file exchangeability with other industry-standard 3D programs like Maya, Lightwave, etc. Another high-end feature of this program is its rendering engine. The engine is capable of very high quality rendered scenes, with one Power Mac or PC running long hours before the result can be seen (in highest quality mode). To speed things up, e-on delivers its own render network with the application.
Barcode Generator 2.3 Review
Barcode applications exist in many flavours and versions. Excellent barcode applications for Mac OS X include Intelli Innovations’ products and Barcode Toolbox plug-in for Illustrator. But Barcode Generator from Wolf Software is an especially likeable barcode creation tool.
HP DesignJet 30 Part 4: Paper And Ink
How is the DesignJet 30/130’s paper handling? Can you use canvas? How thick can the paper be? Is the colour gamut wide enough? These paper and ink-related questions are the subject of our last article in the series on the DesignJet 30/130. In this last article the focus lies more on photography and art than on colour proofing, our main focus so far.
Portfolio Server 7 Review
Portfolio Server 7 is the server edition of Extensis’ Digital Asset Management tool, Portfolio. The server application is a Mac OS X background process. The server comes with a Launch program, but managing the server, adding catalogues, and performing maintenance is all done from the client application. Although Portfolio Server 7 is a powerful DAM tool, I found it requires careful thinking about workflow efficiency, network load, and architecture.
HP DesignJet 30 - Part 3: The HP and EFI/Best Designer RIP
The HP DesignJet 30 comes without any software RIP to make the device attractive to photographers as well as professional designers who want to proof. Optionally, however, the buyer can opt for a HP software RIP or an EFI/Best Designer RIP. The latter has more features than the HP’s. It is also more powerful in terms of workflow support. The EFI/Best Designer RIP is an instrument that offers almost total control over every aspect of the DesignJet 30. In my opinion, it is a must-have option and a better one to consider than the HP RIP.
Digitally Sketching And Painting: Alias SketchBook Pro 1.1
When I first saw the Alias’ SketchBook Pro 1.1 reviewer’s guide, I immediately thought about Painter 8. SketchBook Pro is not really a sketchbook at all. It is a full sketch and paint application that will only be attractive to people owning a graphics tablet, a Wacom Cintiq, or a Tablet PC. SketchBook Pro is used by architects, industrial designers, game designers, and digital artists at large. It may not offer the same preset capabilities Painter 8 has to offer, but it delivers exactly what a designer needs.
HP DesignJet 30 Review - Part 2
One week of testing has taken me a bit closer to an encompassing idea of the DesignJet 30’s performance. I fed the printer various photographs to print on both the Photo Matte and Premium Plus Photo and Proofing Gloss papers. I have yet to unpack the Photo Satin paper. I have tried the two previously mentioned papers with photographs of various size, including full-bleed A3+.
Understanding JDF
JDF (Job Definition Format) is a comprehensive XML-based file format/proposed industry standard for end-to-end job ticket specifications combined with a message description standard and message interchange protocol. JDF is designed to streamline information exchange between different applications and systems, intended to enable the entire industry, including media, design, graphic arts, on demand and e-commerce companies to implement and work with individual workflow solutions. JDF will allow integration of heterogeneous products from diverse vendors to seamless workflow solutions.
nik Multimedia Color Efex Pro 2.0 Review
nik Multimedia, the German developer of Photoshop plug-ins, only recently released the second version of its filter collection Color Efex. nik Multimedia gave me the opportunity to review Color Efex 2.0 Complete edition, which contains all available filters in one package. New in Color Efex 2.0 are 16-bit capabilities, advanced control panels, selective capability enabling you to "paint" an area with filter properties, TrueLight technology, and a series of Reflector filters that control and add light similar to conventional photographic reflectors. There's more, as you will see from this review.
The HP DesignJet 30n: Proofer And Photo Printer Review
The HP DesignJet 30 is the successor of the DesignJet 20. Both DesignJets are medium-format inkjet printers. The larger inkjet in this range is the DesignJet 130, which I couldn’t test by lack of space. However, the DesignJet 130 is basically the same printer, only capable of larger paper formats and equipped with a paper roll for easy continuous printing.
The DesignJet 20 was positioned by HP as an inexpensive proofer. HP has been very successful in the proofing area with their HP DesignJet 5500 which has won a number of prestigious awards. However, these smaller inkjet proofers were not that successful. The DesignJet 30/130 (I will refer to the 30 in future; it is understood this shall refer to both 30 and 130 models) is to change all that.
EFI Designer Edition 4.0 for HP DesignJet 30 and 130
EFI Designer Edition for HP 4.0 is compatible across platforms, providing greater flexibility for both Mac OS X and Windows end users. Additional support for the HP remote proofing format, RPF 2.0 and HP CMYK Plus colour technology are also included. The new EFI Designer Edition support produces greater consistency and superior colour quality for traditional offset presses without the need for manual intervention in the original source files.
