Content Management Systems

A Content Management System (CMS) is a database from which projects can be exported. It is usually stored on a server, which is accessible through a live remote desktop connection, or something similar. Content Management Systems are used to create and manage digital content, and will usually include a front-end interface, or Content Management Application (CMA). This is typically a webpage from which the user can control the creation, modification and removal of content without needing to know anything about HTML or the back-end of the database. Therefore content management systems can be useful for many differing projects.

Librios

Librios enables customers to store their publications in a CMS environment with the added advantage of the following:

• Self-editing of content using the web CMA
• Customised web pages
• Automated typesetting via InDesign IDML export
• Workflow processes
• Export directly to EPUB
• Access to XML feed
• E-commerce capabilities.

We are able to use our expertise to take a customer’s data in varying formats and import it into a Librios database. Whilst working closely with Librios, we can ensure the data will be presented in a well-structured state which is suitable for online, digital and print purposes.

To learn more, visit www.librios.com.

Combining forces

The advantage of using Librios is that it can also be paired with other typesetting systems to deliver an almost perfect product. We have found that using Penta, QPM and InDesign integrated with Librios allows for customer’s needs to be quickly and efficiently fulfilled. We are continually developing our processes to keep all the software updates running smoothly and productively.

Batch-typesetting

A batch-typesetting system is an automated process by which input files are processed into made-up pages. The difference between this and InDesign scripting is that there is no user intervention.

PubLink’s Penta system

We have embraced the use of a batch typesetting system called Penta, owned by PubLink. This allows us to quickly generate automated page proofs from a customer’s database exports. Penta is considered an especially valuable page make-up solution for scientific text, educational trade books, academic journals, directories, catalogues, legislative proceedings, legal books and periodicals.

To learn more, visit www.pub-link.com.

QPM

Quick Page Make-up (QPM) is a process we devised to take Penta one step further. Once the QPM process has been set up for the customer, QPM manages the receiving of data via email, FTP, or from a Librios database. It controls the automated running of translation scripts to convert the data into XML ready for the Penta system.

We can also configure QPM to watch our emails or poll FTP folders for automated collection of data. Then it can process this data using scripts to produce the desired XML for page make-up in Penta.

Finally, QPM will then collect the resulting PDF and return it to the customer using their preferred method ready for proofing. It only takes a matter of minutes for the whole process to be completed, hence the use of the word ‘Quick’!

QPM Advantages:

• Cost-effective database proofing tool
• Pages look exactly as they will print, so a precise page extent is known earlier
• Typesetting and proof correction costs are reduced dramatically
• Shorter production time, therefore publication content and information is more up to date
• Spin-off publications are easy to create, cost-effective and time-efficient.

Technical Typesetting

With the advancement in technology the days of hot-metal are long gone. Instead, there are lots of different types of publishing software available, from free downloads to large package subscriptions. There are too many to list in all, so the most noteworthy programs are as follows:

• Adobe InDesign
• Microsoft Publisher
• iStudios Publisher
• QuarkXPress
• LaTeX.

The industry-standard program is InDesign, which has many additional features and add-ons available, making it our go-to typesetting software. We do also use some of the others when necessary. For example, LaTeX is the best program for typesetting any mathematical work.

InDesign

We are highly experienced in the use of InDesign and have used these skills to typeset using customers’ database exports. Pairing InDesign with the Librios database has significant advantages. For instance, when a project has either spin-off or sister publications with a similar theme or page design. It is also a great tool for any multi-platform project, large or small.

Furthermore, we can export IDML files from Librios through a tailor-made template and produce pages in InDesign. These are manipulated using scripts to render the pages exactly as the job requires in a matter of seconds.

Non-Librios customers can send us XML or Word exports from databases and we can import these into InDesign for typesetting. The level of tagging and number of styles in the exports reflects how quickly and accurately these pages can be produced.

In both the above situations, once the data is in InDesign we have the ability to write scripts to change how the data is rendered in the page.