CONTENTS
========
1. NEW VERSION OF VENTURA
2. OPENOFFICE AND OTHER OFFICE SUITES
3. HELP FOR EDINBURGH
4. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
5. UTILITIES/UPDATES
6. HINTS
7. SOURCES OF INFORMATION
8. LAST WORD
A quick reminder that all Format subscribers are entitled to a discount price on all our books bought from our website: <http://www.worsleypress.com> . This will be at least 10% but at times there will be larger discounts on some titles.
1. NEW VERSION OF VENTURA
=========================
In Ottawa on July 9, Corel Corporation announced that a new version of Ventura, their page-layout and publishing application, would be available in September 2002.
New features in Ventura 10 (there was no No.9) include XML import with a new "XML Mapping Editor", and they are emphasising use with Corel's separate XML editor XMetaL. Other enhancements include Table Tags to format multiple tables simultaneously, "Publish to PDF" ability, an integrated Preflight Engine with settings for print, PDF and web workflows, 50 new bitmap effects and improved support for import and export of picture file formats, including the soon to be released CorelDRAW 11. Ventura 10 includes more than 80 import and export filters.
In a push for high-end publishing, Corel has partnered with XyEnterprise to deliver an integrated XML publishing solution with separate offerings for high-volume and design-intensive publishing.
Ventura 10 has a suggested retail price of US$699 and registered users of Ventura 7 or 8 can upgrade for US$249. In the box are Ventura 10, Corel DataBase Publisher, Corel Capture 11, Corel Barcode Wizard, XML Mapping Editor, the Color User Guide and more than 1500 TrueType and Type 1 fonts. The program requires Windows 2000 or XP, a Pentium 233 processor and 128MB RAM plus 240MB hard disk space.
More information: <http://www.corel.com/ventura10>
And if you think that "nobody uses Ventura", consider McGraw-Hill who produce 99 of their workload in it, and Bookcraft who produced the 4000-page Burke's Peerage in it, set in 7pt type with a 300-page index.
2. OPENOFFICE AND OTHER OFFICE SUITES
=====================================
I recently installed OpenOffice.org, the new open source free office suite for Windows and Linux which has replaced the free version of StarOffice (Sun will now market an updated StarOffice with some extras but still at a fraction of the price of MS Office).
I'm impressed. OpenOffice gets rid of the idea of having its own Desktop, so you can easily just open the Writer word processor -- and you can retain it in the system tray to speed further use. Details at <http://www.openoffice.org>
The native file format is XML. When you save a document it creates a file with an .sxw extension, but that is actually a standard Zip compressed file that can be opened from within a program such as WinZip to reveal the other parts of an XML file, the style definition documents...I didn't realise there could be so many other parts to an XML document. (OO can save in several formats including flavours of Word).
I installed the XML import plugin from InDesign's second disk, unzipped the OpenOffice file to a separate folder, clicked the new Import XML item under the File menu and told it to import the file which appeared to be the content of my document. I got a sudden extra pane within the InDesign document window containing a long list of XML styles, but nothing in the document, until I realised that one of the styles had a tooltip which said there was text associated with it. Dragging that over to the document did produce the text from the original document, with lots of strange red marks where there could have been line endings. I suppose I'll have to start reading the instructions.
We live in interesting times...
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Also relatively new is ThinkFree <http://www.thinkfree.com/>, a US$49.95 office suite for Windows, Macintosh, Unix and Linux platforms and which is licensed to the user rather than the software, with the idea that if the user is away from their base they can download or use the program across the Internet even if that involves using a copy for a different platform. ThinkFree is based in Cupertino, California, and employs about 70 people worldwide.
The entire suite comprises less than 10MB of Java code, which is automatically delivered and upgraded over the Internet to any computer with a Java-capable browser. For slow connections, or for use where there is no online connection, it can work offline. It is claimed to be compatible with MS Office files.
Companies financing ThinkFree include Prism Venture Partners, Tredegar Investments, TIAA, Samsung, LG, and CSK. That's a formidible list of companies who are (or were) paying a lot of license fees to Microsoft.
3. HELP FOR EDINBURGH
=====================
Several suggestions came in for William at Midlothian Voluntary Action whose database/PageMaker problem featured in the Format64
Owen Watson suggested that, as in times before PageMaker's DataMerge plugin, a better flow might be:
Database -> Word table -> Word mailmerge (after you've constructed the template) -> PageMaker.
First, export your data. You're trying to get the data into a Word table so if the database doesn't support it directly, export it as text. If the fields don't have returns, just use the usual tab to separate fields, and returns to separate records. Open the text file in Word, select all the text, and choose the Word tool to convert it to a table (on Mac Word it's Table>Convert Text to Table). You should now have a table where each record is a new row, and each column a different field. Insert a row at the top of the table and write in the names of the fields (it doesn't have to be accurate). Save this file.
If any fields contain returns, export the data so that fields are separated by tabs and records are separated by form feeds (ASCII 12). Open the file in Word, Find & Replace all returns to an unused phrase (say "xxyy"), then all the form feeds to returns. Now convert all the text to a table as above. Once you've inserted the field names in Row 1, do a Find & Replace on "xxyy" to returns. Bingo - all your returns are back.
Now go to your mail merge helper (in Word, Tools>Mail Merge), choose the data file you've just made, and create the mailmerge master with the help of the fieldname popups Word obligingly provides. You can format the master how you'd like the final product to be, or just use styles and rely on PM's ability to overwrite Word styles. Now you do the merge to a new document. Everything looks good except that each "record" is on new page. You can get round this by find & replacing section breaks with returns in Word. Now just import the merged doc into Word!
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Ian Warn, also in New Zealand, gave more advice: Last week I completed "munging" (industry term for manipulating data for transfer between applications/databases) a 23,000 line FoxPro file, for a Corel Photo Database.
I found that an invisible character, ASCII 29 (I think), allows multiple keywords in a single field. This may solve your multiple entry problem. If you have a problem locating this character (I had trouble re-finding the solution), open an exported .CSV file that you know contains multiple keyword entries, and just copy/paste.
I found Microsoft Word (and some other text editors) ignore this field completely - a number of trials later, and some converting from .RTF to .TXT and back again, I found a solution to get the best of both worlds: using an interim character (;) not used elsewhere in the document. This allowed advance sorting features (Word) with ASCII-compatible .RTF (BBEdit).
Good luck! (and glad to be of more help - I'm an avid Format reader form years back...)
4. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
========================
One person who will be pleased to see the first item in this issue is David Scott, who wrote: "Your newsletter is very informative. However, as many do not use Quark or Adobe, the specific problems users of these programs have is often of little benefit. Many of the issues Quark and Adobe users face are easily solved in Ventura.
"For example, trim and fold marks are automatically handled in Ventura's print/imposition engine. In your last issue it was stated that you knew of no software that handles this. This could be another avenue of valuable information you can provide to your user base."
We replied that we thought David was right, and that, because this is basically a one-person publication it is not easy to keep abreast of all software. However I do welcome suggestions of hints and tips, as well as pointers to things we may have missed.
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Curtis Ferguson wrote: "I am a PageMaker user, Macintosh OSX, and have a need to export a 50-page doc. from PageMaker to Word format. How can I do this, it does not seem to have a way with the export option..."
We replied: Basically PageMaker, being a page layout program, is at the end of the production line. Documents come into it from word processors like Word but they don't usually go back in the other direction.
One way is to export to HTML. You then have a choice of creating one file or one file for each page and whether you attempt to recreate the layout. The resulting HTML file(s) can be opened in Word and saved in standard document format.
If there aren't too many text blocks in the PM file you can stack them in reverse order, drag (marquee) select them all, then copy, change to the text cursor and paste, perhaps in a new document. This single text block can then be exported as text.
Also you can export to PDF (or print to Distiller or PDFWriter and, then in Acrobat or Acrobat Reader 5, export to text.
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In a general comment prompted by William's DataMerge problems, Peter Patrick wrote from Australia:
"I've used every version of PageMaker since V1.0. I think v7 sucks. Indeed, it is more than inadequate. It can introduce errors into text. I wrote you last year about a feature I noticed where if one imports over 16,000 chars which is little more than 2,500 words, it will always output three extra, pseudo random characters from the buffer into your text. That no one needs.
"The data merge function is, well to put it frankly, absurd. Anyone who needs data merge, should be looking at other software, any other software. I have trapped a designers diagnostic which tells me to run the PM7 on a machine later than a 486 when I am using the latest P4. And to think this stuff comes from the people who gave us the Postcript language.
"I've got rid of PM7 and am using PM6.5 for formatting and flowing text and InDesign 2.0 for more complex page layout. Keep up the good work. I enjoy reading your journals."
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Our comments on email prompted this from Daniel Gold: "In your latest issue of FORMAT you ended with a paragraph about the impact of the Klez virus (worm?). In an unusual move for you, you did not provide a solution, a suggestion, a question, or a link. You posed the problem, but what about the solution? As a Mac user running 2 Macs (OS 8.1, and OS 9) -- I have searched the internet trying to answer my question: does Klez affect Macintosh?"
We replied: The Klez comment was an afterthought -- we received two spam emails with attachments of around 5MB on the day that issue was ready for despatch, and while Klez can't actually infect a Mac at present that may not provide much satisfaction. You can't be guilty of spreading the virus. But that won't stop other people from blaming you.
The virus picks random email addresses from the computer it infects and uses those in the From field of emails it sends from that infected computer. It then attaches random files from the infected computer to those emails. These attachments can be infected with the virus and will spread the virus when run on a Windows machine.
Thus, spam can be sent from what appears to be your address from anyone you have ever corresponded with or even from people you don't know who may have been given your email address.
I've received Klez emails which appear to come from addresses which can't send mail -- they are receiving addresses only, such as the administration address of some Listserv computers.
There are methods on just about every anti-virus software website detailing how to rid an infected computer of this virus, but many infected users don't realise they have it.
Internet services such as Woody's Office Watch are railing against Microsoft for not closing the holes which let this happen -- but admit that even if Microsoft do issue satisfactory patches, not everyone, not even a majority, will install those patches.
Using web-based mail or by using the ability of some email programs (or add-on programs such as MailWasher to just download email headers and then select which ones we really want, will perhaps help.
From Woody's Office Watch:
KLEZ is rearing its ugly head once again. It'd be worthwhile to stop what you're doing right now and check your Registry for the most obvious sign of KLEZ infection: click Start | Run, type regedit, push Enter, and navigate in the Registry Editor down to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run or \RunOnce. If you see any entries there that say WINKxxx (where "xxx" can be just about anything) or KRN132 or WQK, you're probably infected. If that's the case, run - don't walk - to your favorite anti-virus software manufacturer's Web site for details.
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Andrew Bartholomew in San Francisco wrote: "Just a quick note to say how much I appreciate your newsletter--I always find two or three indispensable tips and solutions in every issue."
5. UTILITIES/UPDATES
====================
SoftCare GmbH, a Germany-based software company, has released version 4.0 of the K4 Publishing System for Mac OS X, a publishing system for magazines that integrates InDesign 2.0 and InCopy with an SQL database.
K4 supports text-driven and layout-driven workflows or a combination of the two and has been implemented at magazine sites ranging from 15 to 300 users.
K4 is distributed in the Americas by Managing Editor <http://www.maned.com> and a list of integrators in Europe is available at <http://www.K4PublishingSystem.com>. On the maned site you may have to wait a long time until the K4 button appears, so you may prefer to go direct to <http://www.maned.com/products/k4/k4.html>
SoftCare also produces PublicationExport for extracting structured data from QuarkXPress or QPS documents.
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WoodWing Software <http://www.WoodWing.com> has announced version 2.0 of Smart Connection Pro, its workflow solution based around InDesign v2 and InCopy v2. Smart Connection Pro offers multiple story XML support and now uses a check-in/check-out mechanism, allowing multiple people to work on the same page.
Users no longer have to deal directly with the file system, but can work with concepts like publication, issue, section and basket. An editor can mark a story 'Ready' after editing, which will route the story to the next stage. Page designers will be notified automatically when a story reaches the ready-for-page status. Users can send a message to the person working on a story or page, even without knowing who is working on that story or page. Other features include versioning, an optional web overview module, a workflow configuration tool and extensibility via a Software Developer?s Kit.
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Free Photoshop compatible plug-ins for Windows and Mac include:
<http://www.v-d-l.com/up.html> VanDerLee - UnPlugged
<http://www.cybia.co.uk/> Cybia : Creative Resource Studio
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pdfPreviewMaker creates JPEG, BMP and Thumbnails from PDF pages and is now available at US$249 for single users. Settings can be saved as profiles and it will also work with AutoPilot, the firm's PDF workflow automation module. See <http://www.callas.de/>. A demo for Win and Mac is available.
6. HINTS
========
In InDesign, to resize objects proportionally using the Transform box, hold down the Command key (Mac) or Control key (PC) when you press Enter and the other axis will change proportionally. This works with the percentages in the scale boxes or with the width and height boxes.
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Automatic Apple updates to OS X can provide a security hole though it is not as easy to exploit as some reports have made it seem. And it is possible to still use Software Update, but manually apply any updates which it notifies as being necessary. You can also edit your local hosts table to add the Apple Software Updates server. This would prevent your Mac from being fooled by a spoofed IP address. Details at Apple knowledgebase articles: <http://www.info.apple.com/kbnum/n75085> and <http://www.info.apple.com/kbnum/n88158>
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If you want to use InDesign in Mac OS X Classic mode, select the InDesign 2.0 application icon, open the Get Info window, and check the box "Open in the Classic Environment", then launch the app. Note that if you do this then upgrade to OS X ver.10.1.5, you will need to recheck that box.
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In PageMaker, and some other layout applications, it can seem that Text Wrap has gone haywire. This may be because TextWrap is on for one item in a group rather than for the group as a whole. For example, there is no inbuilt textwrap as part of the Keyline plugin but if your box drawing tool has textwrap turned on, strange things can happen. Select the combined object and then "Ungroup". You'll be able click on the keyline itself and on the graphic and see if either of them has the dotted line indicating textwrap.
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Another perennial PageMaker problem: If the listed shortcut for inserting a page number doesn't work, try shift-control-3 which is what the command used to be in early versions of the program, and which still works up to version 7.
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With memory prices relatively cheap, consider boosting memory in laser printers. With many printers the memory required could be just what you have replaced in upgrading PCs -- in other words the upgrade for the printer may cost nothing.
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A PageMaker hint from Michael Brady which may apply to other programs: If your high-res scans take too long to redraw even at "standard" resolution, or you need different output for different purposes (RGB and CMYK etc), make hi- and lo-res versions of the images and name them the same but initially store them in separate folders.
Place the lo-res images, as usual, but when you are ready to do the final, hi-res work, close the document with the lo-res images; rename the folder with the lo-res images and rename the folder with the hi-res images to that used previously for the lo-res images. Reopen the document and PM will load the hi-res versions.
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To see the installed filters in PageMaker, on a PC hold down the Ctrl key, then choose Help > About PageMaker. Scroll way down to Installed Import Filters. For a Mac it's hold down the Command key, then choose "About PageMaker..." at the top of the Apple Menu.
7. SOURCES OF INFORMATION
=========================
The International Prepress Association has co-sponsored a comprehensive guide to PDF/X. The "Ultimate Guide to PDF/X" which covers all current PDF/X standards as well as PDF "how-to" techniques. Download from <http://www.ipa.org>. It is 7.9MB.
The association states: "PDF alone does not provide the level of reliability required by graphic communication firms. IPA members have joined forces with other industry leaders in pursuing the possibilities, which has led to the development of PDF/X-1a and PDF/X-3. These formats ... ensure that the PDF file has all of the fonts, has no moving images, etc."
Included are many potential errors from PDF files with descriptions of their cause and methods of correcting them. This advice includes how to use one or more of the many PDF supplementary or plugin programs to solve the problem.
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A training firm's view on InDesign vs. Quark, in PDF format at <www.gilbertconsulting.com>. 892kb. Also worth a look are the Tips & Techniques postcards; Keith Gilbert does know what he is talking about.
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Read Dan Margulis on text readability and spacing at <http://www.ledet.com/margulis/Type_Gourmet.pdf> It is mainly on adjusting H&J in QuarkXPress or PageMaker but the principles apply to any program. From Electronic Publishing magazine.
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Websites with templates:
<http://desktoppublishing.com/templates.html> for Illustrator, Microsoft Publisher and QuarkXPress.
<http://www.snappyforms.com/> Form templates for tax, copyright, contracts etc, mostly US, many in Word or text format
<http://www.adobestudioexchange.com/> (Not many yet)
Nothing among those we opened that couldn't be created almost as quickly as downloading, and the level of care may be indicated by the Ohio State University and WorldWide templates which, for Windows, are saved with a .ind extension when the correct extensions are .indd for files and .indt for templates.
8. LAST WORD
=============
There is an increasing amount of small print which often needs to be placed somewhere in a publication. A few have some fun with it, such as the "Morning Groundhog", a newsletter from Columbus, Ohio. It reads in part:
Any trade names, trade marks, or service marks mentioned are for identification only. That is, if we should write about Microsoft or Corel, for example, we do not want you to think that we actually own Microsoft or Corel. Likewise, we hope you understand that this would not imply that Microsoft or Corel owns, endorses, or has ever heard of Proficient Computing Solutions Corporation. By pointing that out, we can avoid those pesky little R, TM and C that we might otherwise have to scatter throughout the text. Void where prohibited, taxed, or otherwise regulated. Contents may settle during shipping. Use only as directed. Discontinue use if a rash develops.