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In the publishing industry, applying styles to a manuscript based on a specific design can be challenging. You need to remember where to apply each style, such as headings, text, lists in special boxes like Case Studies, and the first and last paragraphs in a list.
Applying the correct style is crucial for producing the right output. But it’s easy to forget all the styles for a book, and this can lead to errors. We need an efficient solution.
PageMajik’s solution is to let users apply styles as they recognize them, without having to remember all their house styles. For special boxes, users can apply the same style as they do for normal text, and then apply a group style. This removes the need to remember the style for special boxes.
PageMajik’s solution identifies the first and last paragraph within any list and applies a specific style before/after a specific paragraph. This removes the manual work that would have otherwise been necessary.
Let’s say you have a paragraph style called “Para1” and another paragraph style called “Para2”. You wish to apply a specific style to “Para2” when it is either above or below “Para1”.
In PageMajik, you can define this auto-style structure in the InDesign template as: <Para1>=<Para2>=<above/below>=<ReplacementStyle>.
When generating InDesign, PageMajik will automatically apply the “ReplacementStyle” to “Para2” when it is in the specified position relative to “Para1”. This eliminates the manual work of applying the style each time.
With the traditional method of tagging styles, it would take approximately an additional 5 minutes per chapter. However, with PageMajik’s innovative approach of auto-prefixing and auto-applying styles, this time is now yours! Meaning - you can focus more on the content and less on the technical aspects of applying styles, and your process becomes more efficient and user-friendly.
This innovative solution was the result of a collaborative effort among several teams - XSLT scripting, InDesign automation, and Testing. The combined skills and dedication of these teams have made this significant advancement possible, further enhancing user experience and improving efficiency in the publishing process.
PageMajik uses a predefined structure within the InDesign template for the configuration of auto-styles. On the roadmap is a transition to a more user-friendly interface.
Implementing this solution was not easy, but PageMajik managed it without overloading InDesign. We used XSLT to identify/markup elements that belonged to a group and InDesign automation scripts to apply styles automatically.
While the solution takes care of remembering and applying the style, users still need to apply the correct group style and paragraph style.
The usability of “Auto-prefixing and auto-applying style when generating InDesign” is a significant factor in its success. The system is designed with the user in mind, ensuring that the process of applying styles is as straightforward and intuitive as possible.
The individuals responsible for styling the document will greatly benefit from this solution. With PageMajik’s system, they no longer have to recall all the styles. The solution prefixes and automatically applies a group style, making their task significantly easier and more efficient.
In this section, we will delve into a case study that demonstrates the time it took to apply styles before and after implementing our solution.
Before implementing our auto-prefixing and auto-applying style solution, the process of manually tagging the headings and texts for boxes, identifying list items, and applying specific tags to remove additional vertical space in the output was quite time-consuming. It took approximately four minutes to complete these tasks for each chapter.
With the introduction of PageMajik’s innovative solution, the time previously spent on manually tagging these specifics is no longer required. This time is now saved, allowing users to focus more on the content and less on the technical aspects of applying styles. This makes the process more efficient and user-friendly.
Since the implementation of PageMajik’s auto-prefixing and auto-applying style solution, we’ve seen a significant increase in efficiency across the publishing industry. While it’s difficult to quantify the exact number of individuals who have benefited from this solution, the impact is evident in the time saved and the reduction in errors during the style application process.
Publishers, editors, and designers who previously spent considerable time manually applying styles can now focus more on the creative and content aspects of their work. This not only enhances productivity but also improves the overall quality of the published material.
The positive feedback we’ve received from our users further underscores the effectiveness of our solution. We’re proud to say that our innovative approach has made a significant difference in simplifying the style application process in InDesign, contributing to a more efficient and user-friendly publishing workflow.
Auto-prefixing and auto-applying style in InDesign is a powerful solution to the problem of remembering and applying style based on design. By understanding the problem and using innovative approaches, we can make the future of the publishing industry brighter.
PageMajik is an integrated editorial and production platform designed specifically for publishers. By harnessing the power of artificial intelligence and process automation, PageMajik is transforming the publishing landscape. Our platform significantly reduces time and operational costs, and expedites the time-to-market for published materials.
We invite you to experience the future of workplace management systems for publishers. With PageMajik, you’re not just keeping up with the times - you’re staying ahead.
For more information, please visit pagemajik.com.
Bhaskar Arumugam, “Manager – Publishing Workflow” at PageMajik, has been involved in InDesign automation since 2017. With over 19 years of experience in the publishing industry, he is actively helping to simplify user experience while achieving greater automation results.
