Master projects highly flexible and quick with database publishing
Our core area is the linking of media-neutral data with InDesign® documents. The presentation of your (product) data in the InDesign® document is highly flexible, i.e. whether you create a catalogue for your end customer, generate a technical data sheet for sales support or create clickable pdf files from your data source - it's all about linking raw data and designed documents every time. This technology is generally referred to as database publishing and means any form of automated creation of catalogues, brochures or other print media from a media-neutral data source.
Automated page building, updating and language change
How does database publishing work?
A database contains, for example, your product data. This is linked to InDesign® via a template. There, it is stored when and where which information appears. For example, the product name is placed in the top left-hand corner of the page, with various detailed information below it. The system can now be instructed to repeatedly fill the template with data records and then place them. If there is no more space on the page, a new one is added. In this way, the catalogue is built up fully automatically and there is a connection between your data source and your product displays.
This is the first decisive advantage: the catalogue is built up very quickly and there are no transmission errors between the database and the document.
If there are corrections in the data, e.g. error corrections or price updates, these can be transferred to the document by updating. This also happens in a few seconds and is another decisive advantage.
If your publication is multilingual, other languages can now be loaded into the document. Your German article description is exchanged for the English one. Mind you, in the entire catalogue! For multilingual publications and catalogues, database-publishing-based creation is almost indispensable.
All in all, database publishing saves a lot of time, money and nerves.
The automation options are almost endless
Which media can be automated? Or more specifically: Can I automate my publication XY? The answer is almost always yes.
All of the elements presented must be able to be summarised in a set of rules. This could look like "Always place the product name in the top left-hand corner". Or "If the old price is 10% above the current price, place the old price as a strike price in bold and red below the current price". If you can define the structure of tables, the presentation of pictures and icons in such rules, this can also be done in a database publishing system.
Adobe® InDesign® and EasyCatalog®, efficient catalogue automation
Our database publishing tool is EasyCatalog, an incredibly versatile and flexible tool for connecting InDesign® with a wide variety of data sources. It is designed to be open, all templates can be edited by you and all InDesign® functions can be used to their full extent. There are no limits to your creativity.
With EasyCatalog, we ensure that your data appears where and how you want it. Your layout remains intact and adapts to your data if necessary.
We support you at every step of your InDesign® automation, whether you are still at the very beginning of your automation efforts or want to change or optimise an existing system - we are at your side with almost 20 years of experience in a wide variety of projects (see references). Contact us, we look forward to our first non-binding conversation.
Rheinwork Service
When advising on a database publishing project, the focus is on the customer. What are the wishes, goals and possibilities? Often it is also a question of partial aspects of an already existing system, which are to be changed, expanded or optimised. In any case, you can be sure that we will be there for you at any time with our entire know-how.
EasyCatalog training courses for in-house productions are an integral part of our portfolio. These are usually divided into an EasyCatalog basic training course and application-specific template training. It is not uncommon for us to accompany the development of the database publishing system in a kind of training-on-the-job: the project to be created is at the same time the common training object, which ensures effective and resource-saving development of the database publishing system.
After a possible consulting and productive phase, we continue to accompany your project in case of questions or further requirements. We are at your service if things do not go as desired. This is the perfect way to deal with potential problems, especially at the beginning of the implementation of such a project. Whether by telephone, online or in person - we will find a solution for your concern.