Date: June 29th 2007

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*** InCopyFlow ***

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Tips and techniques for Adobe InCopy/InDesign Workflow Users

In this Issue:
-- New User Finds New Use for InCopy
-- InCopy and Images Refresher
-- Mailbag: Speccing Type? Archives?

Issue 6, 6/29/07
Written by Anne-Marie "HerGeekness" Concepcion ... for her InCopy students, colleagues, and interested subscribers (unsubscribe link at the bottom)

(c) 2007 Seneca Design & Training, Inc.

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New User Finds New Use for InCopy

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Brooks Jensen is the editor and publisher of LensWork magazine -- an elegant, perfect-bound periodical that focuses on "photography and the creative process." LensWork, by the way, was included in the Chicago Tribune's recent feature, "Our 50 Favorite Magazines." http://lenswork.com
Trib article: http://tinyurl.com/26kelb

Brooks recently converted his publication's 7-member editorial/design staff to the InCopy/InDesign workflow, and we've been trading a few e-mails back and forth. A couple days after the switch, he e-mailed me, "The advantages of the parallel workflow are a Godsend. I am not exaggerating when I say that we have leapt four days ahead in our production schedule in the last 48 hours."

I just love hearing that, you know? There aren't too many software applications that people call a "Godsend" these days. ;-) I trust all of you know exactly what Brooks is talking about and why he's so excited. I hear the same thing from my publishing clients who've made the transition -- production schedules slashed by days, and even weeks.

But that's not the point of this story, just the scene-setting. Read on ...

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InPhoto?

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A few weeks later, I e-mailed Brooks to see how it was going, if "the bloom was off the rose" yet. You know that's gotta happen... once the dazzle departs, you get used the new workflow, and then start seeing things that could be improved.

And while he did reply with a couple of common wishlist items, what struck me was his detailed explanation of a completely new use for InCopy (new to me, at least) that they're finding indispensable for their photocentric publication.

Call it "InPhoto." Equip the artists and Photoshop retouchers at your publication with InCopy, and they too can edit within the layout. Not the text, but the artwork.

Brooks gave me permission to reprint his explanation of LensWork's image-editing workflow, pre- and post-InCopy:

"Old way with InDesign only: We would layout the magazine with all the images (sometimes a hundred or more) that a photographer sends us. We would then edit down to the final cut. Next, every image that makes the final cut needs to be examined and tweaked in Photoshop for perfect tonalities, color corrections, and other image issues. We would do this from InDesign using EDIT ORIGINAL on each image in the final layout, working our way through the portfolio one image at a time. While doing this, the layout and editorial folks would not have access to the InDesign file -- which was a frustration for all of us.

"New way with InCopy: We simply assigned the image layer of the InDesign document to an InCopy assignment. The person doing the photo editing could then use InCopy to access the final cut images rather than InDesign. They could still review and port images to Photoshop one at a time using InCopy's EDIT ORIGINAL command just as in InDesign. This obviously left the text editors and layout people free to do their work while the photo editor was tweaking the Photoshop files for perfect reproduction. Voila -- a perfect workflow for image editing that didn't interrupt anyone else. A thing of beauty!"

Yes, Brooks, beautiful! And thank you for letting me share that with everyone.

Who else is using managed images in their InCopy/InDesign workflow? I'd love to know how it's being used at your publication. E-mail me at amarie@senecadesign.com and let me know the details, if you get a chance.

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InCopy and Images Refresher

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I wonder how many seasoned IC/ID users are even aware images can be exported to the workflow, just like text. And what exactly an InCopy user can do to them.

In case this feature (introduced in CS2) escaped your notice, here's a quick rundown of how it works.

First, designers export image frames -- filled with an image, or an empty placeholder -- from InDesign to InCopy the same way they export text frames. When they export a frame with an image inside it, the resulting .incx file doesn't contain the original image, just a preview and a link to the original, native file, just as in InDesign. InCopy users have a Links panel where they can see the same info about placed images that InDesign users can.

Once an image frame has been exported to InCopy, it displays the same status icon (Available, In Use, etc.) in layout mode and in the Assignments panel as managed text frames. In the Assignments panel you can tell which of the managed content items are images by looking at their icons. Managed graphics show a little box with a large "X" inside (mirroring what an empty graphic frame looks like in the layout), while managed text stories show a little box with a captial "A" inside.

InCopy's Galley and Story view don't show managed images. Users stay in Layout view to work with them. As with workflow stories, editors need to check the images out (select the image and choose Check Out from the usual places) and check them back in when they're done. The important thing to remember is that as with text frames, InCopy users can only edit the content of image frames, not the frames themselves.

However, there's a ton of stuff you can do with that content! Both InCopy CS2 and CS3 have a Position tool (right under the Type tool) to drag the image around in the frame, changing what the frame reveals, i.e., the image's crop. You also have an Object menu with automatic and precise image editing controls like Transform (Scale, Rotate, Flip, etc.), Object layer options, Display options, and Fitting commands. This latter fly-out menu includes commands like Fit Content to Frame and Fill Frame Proportionally, but not Fit Frame to Content (an option in InDesign), since that would be changing the frame itself.

InCopy users can also import images into frames they've checked out via the File > Place command, or by dragging and dropping from the Finder, Windows Explorer, or from Adobe Bridge (now included with InCopy CS3).

Importing an image into a text frame turns it into an Anchored Object, an image that's part of the text flow. Importing it into an empty image frame fills it with the image, of course. Importing it into a filled image frame replaces the old image with the one that's being imported.

Danger, danger, Will Robinson! Care must be taken to only import images that are on the shared fileserver so that other users in the workgroup can access the original if needed (and the designers will need these when they prepare the publication for final output). If the image is on your local hard drive, move it to the server first before importing it into the publication.

Finally, as Brooks discovered, after an InCopy user checks out a filled image frame, they can use InCopy's Edit Original command to open the source image -- the one that the preview is linked to -- in its native application, and edit it there. After you save your changes to the image, when you return to InCopy you'll see the image is automatically updated. But it's not until you take the second step of saving your changes to the content in InCopy that other users with the document open will get the "Out of Date" icon on the image, prompting them to Update Content to see the changes.

You'll find the Edit Original command in InCopy's Edit menu and the context menu (right-click on the image), or you can use the Edit Original shortcut: just hold down the Option or Alt key and double-click on the image.

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Mailbag: Speccing Type, Previous Issues

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I love hearing feedback from InCopyFlow readers, it reassures me that people are actually reading these things. ;-) I respond personally to each e-mail as my schedule permits. Occasionally, I'll reprise your comments or questions and my answer in an InCopyFlow issue if I think other readers would benefit.

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Speccing Type

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Here's one. An editor responded to my article about working with paragraph styles in InCopy ("Dueling Styles: InCopy vs. InDesign" in the May 2007 issue, #5) detailing some of his frustrations with the feature.

In his publication's editorial-driven workflow, editors are primarily responsible for creating styles and applying them correctly to their stories in standalone InCopy documents, which are later placed into InDesign layouts. Being able to use InCopy to pick up formatting specs from previous InDesign files would help him a great deal. But, he lamented, it was impossible to pick up text formatting specs from older issues (which are usually read-only) in InCopy.

He said, "I could look up something that's been archived, but yesterday I tried that and found I can highlight the word or character in an archived document but the palette reveals nothing about font, size or leading."

I thought, naw, he must be doing it wrong ... but I tried it, and he's correct. (Note to self: Editors are always right.) InCopy won't show you formatting details until you actually check out the story containing the text. But in a read-only layout file (one that doesn't have any managed stories), there's nothing to check out.

Ah, but there's a workaround! Here's what I suggested to the editor: After selecting some text in a read-only layout, you can copy and paste it into a story that you've checked out in a different document, or just create a new standalone InCopy document (File > New) to paste the text into. That pasted text is now editable, so you can see all the paragraph and character formatting settings it has in the relevant palettes. When you have the information you need, you can delete the pasted text.

Workarounds ... more satisfying that solutions, sometimes, because it feels like you're tricking the software. Hah!

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InCopyFlow Back Issues

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Speaking of archives ... A couple new InCopyFlow subscribers (who are also subscribers to DesignGeek, my other free e-zine) asked how they could find the archived issues of InCopyFlow. I'm careful about keeping my DesignGeek archives up-to-date on my web site, so they were looking for a similar page for this e-zine.

Quick answer: Sorry! They're not up yet. We're still in beta mode! (How long can I milk that ...) They definitely are coming soon, though; including a real opt-in subscription form, welcome message, etc.

In the meantime, the CGI program I use to send these out, DadaMail, does automatic archiving of each issue. There's a link to Dada's archive page at the top of each issue I send out, but I'll repeat it here for the record:

InCopyFlow Archives (temporary)
http://senecadesign.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/archive/incopyflow/

If you're curious about DesignGeek, check out its archives: http://senecadesign.com/designgeek/archives.html

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* NOW IT'S EVEN EASIER TO GET HERGEEKNESS TO YOURSELF!

Do you like what you read in InCopyFlow? Find anything useful? Here's a thought: Set up a remote training session for your users via our web-based classroom -- we share screens and a phone line, and it's amazing how much we can cover in an hour or two. All you need is a browser and an Internet connection. (Of course, I'm also available for on-site training, anywhere in the U.S. or beyond. Not the Moon, though. I get airsick.) All training comes with three years of 24/7 follow-up support for each student by phone or e-mail.

To learn more, or hear what other clients have to say, contact us or fill out the no-obligation "Request a Training Quote' form on Seneca's site: http://www.senecadesign.com/training/request.html

Recent InCopy/InDesign workflow training clients in Chicago and parts beyond include over 50 attendees at my recent all-day InCopy/InDesign Workshop in New York City (various publishers); General Learning Communications (textbooks); McGraw-Hill (textbooks); Advanstar Media (trade magazines); Marquette University (collateral and catalogs); Perfection Learning Corp. (textbooks); St. Mary's Press (book publisher); Tyndale House Publishers (book publisher); and Abercrombie & Kent (travel brochures). *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

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InCopyFlow is a free publication written by Anne-Marie "HerGeekness" Concepcion, a design studio owner, software trainer and publishing consultant. She's an Adobe Certified Expert (ACE) in InDesign and InCopy and an independent Adobe Certified Instructor specializing in helping workgroups master the InDesign/InCopy workflow. Anne-Marie owns Seneca Design & Training, Inc. in Chicago, Illinois (http://www.senecadesign.com/).

Don't hog this all to yourself! Pass it on to your hard-working colleagues so they can learn some tips too, they'll thank you for it.

This part is for them: To subscribe to InCopyFlow, send an e-mail to me at amarie@senecadesign.com with "Subscribe InCopyFlow" in the Subject line. You don't have to include anything in the body area of the message, but if you don't mind, I'd love to know your company, title and city/state, and anything else you'd like to add. Anything you send is kept confidentially by us and is never shared with third parties.

To unsubscribe, follow the link at the bottom of this page.

Contact Seneca by phone at 312-946-1100 or e-mail at info@senecadesign.com

Copyright 2007 by Seneca Design & Training, Inc. Please forward without cutting. Please contact Seneca for reprint permissions. We don't guarantee accuracy of articles. Company or product names mentioned in InCopyFlow may be registered trademarks, we use the names in an editorial fashion with no intention of infringement.

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