Let start, I am starting a new automotive advertising magazine, I am not proficient in adobe indesign or adobe photoshop so some of what I ask may not make since to you. (just ask me to explain what you do not understand) please.
I want to automate as much of the production as I can.
Below are some of the things I need to see if can be done automatically.
Currently:
A. I have my website up
B. I receive the listing of ads in a data stream from different services. These come in an xml file which is uploaded to my site including the text description and the photo.
C. I have a script that also processes the same xml files and creates two things
1. It downloads the photo and saves in with a specific [login to view URL]
2. It also pulls the text description that I need and puts in a text file with the same name as the photo, but txt file.
(I have included a copy of each in this email)
OH I have also attached a completed page from one of the books but it is not the same 24 photo per page that I am talking about but I wanted you to see a finished page with photo and descriptions.
D. I had my graphic designer design a sample template in adobe indesign that we will be using for the majority of the pages in the printed magazine. (I have attached it also)
E. my current graphic designer creates (from what I understand) the template in adobe indesign, then adds each photo and text information for that vehicle to the template in photoshop (I think) and also creates and graphic art for the page in photoshop. She then saves it as a PDF page, and then sets up the paganitation (sp) (layout) (pre-press) and once done uploads to the printer via ftp site.
What I want to see if it can be done:
I know that adobe photoshop has a way to setup some things automatically. But I may need an outside script that can help do more and not I would need a batch process written that can be used with photoshop to do what it can automatically ( I do not think my designer is knowledge enough to do this since I have ask before and got a blank look from her. (but she is very “very” good at creativity designing the graphics for the page.
A. I want to see it I can automate the resizing of each photo and placing it in the template.
A2. I also need a script to put the required text description in the template with the correct photo.
Plus some process on the text file needs to be done.
Example: in the text file it will say: “power brakes” but in the template I need it to say P/B and etc on several standard
descriptive text items. (I know that non standard items will need to be done manually) which is no problem.
I want to cut down on as much manual time as possible to get the magazine ready to go to print.