For a broader set of ebook resources including links to AdobeTV segments about exporting ePub and using the files on a variety of ebook readers, visit:
www.adobe.com/products/creativesuite/design/crossmedia_resources/ebooks_software.htm

The overall workflow hinges on a strong use of styles to create structured flow of text through your document. When working with graphics in a layout this means converting them to inline or anchored objects so that they’re part of the flow of your story. This is the important technique when designing for ebook output. Once I get an export to Digital Editions (ePub format) I can convert the file pretty easily into a number of formats including mobi-and this is what works on Kindle.

The “slides” for the session were built using InDesign then exported to epub for use in Digital Editions or on many Sony eReaders; then the epub was converted to mobi for use on Kindle. You’ll find links below for downloading these files for reference or experimentation. There are a number of links inside the files to additional resources from many resources, they’re well worth taking a look at.

I’m told my session will be recorded and the recording will be available for viewing soon.

Hope this is of interest.

Bob Stucky, the same guy who created the contact sheet script for Adobe in the CS2 and CS3 days, has released a new version for CS4 and he’s asking only $25US. At this point, the script essentially recreates the functionality of the CS3 script, but he’s got several enhancements in the works that will be free to folks who buy the script now.The new Output Module is Bridge CS4 is fast and easy, but if you need more control, then this script is just what the doctor ordered. Enjoy!

If you’re interested in saving time and working more efficiently with InDesign you really should check it out. And now there’s even more incentive with Gabriel’s new podcasts at http://www.instantindesign.com/. The book and the podcasts make a great combination!

Anyway, what I’m loving about this scanner is that it’s fast and the paper handling rocks. This little guy scans color/duplex just as fast as my black and white laser printer prints! It’s rated at 18ppm duplex (so 36 page images) in color and really chews through stacks of paper with its 50-sheet ADF. I was impressed by a few test scans, but I’m pretty picky and I thought it would be a good idea to put this scanner through a real test.

I recently moved my office and decided it was time to do some housekeeping/purging, and I couldn’t think of a better (and geekier) way to tidy things up than a paper-to-PDF conversion. Amidst conference calls, emails, and various other projects, I managed to scan 35 pounds of paper today. It’s in a big box ready for the recycler in the morning!

35 POUNDS! Gone!

The only thing I’m bummed about is that I cannot directly control the printer within Acrobat 8 Professional. According to Rick Borstein, this is because the scanner doesn’t support a TWAIN driver. Not ideal, but I can live with it because the driver software that comes with the scanner can be configured so that by pushing just one button I can convert up to 50 pages at a time into a single PDF and have it opened directly inside Acrobat. At that point I can just save the PDF or post-process it with some cleanup, compression, or OCR using the features in Acrobat 8 Professional.

Excuse me while I grab another box of paper from the basement….

[Update: Somehow I forgot to mention that this great little scanner includes a license of Acrobat 8 Professional. The scanner is selling for $425US on Amazon. Acrobat 8 Professional retails for about $450US. You do the math!]

I’m sure the updater will be posted on the web soon, but in the meantime just choose Help>Check for Updates inside Acrobat to get the goods. Please post your experience and feedback here!

The filter is even capable of converting text variables, complex tables, and numbered lists. If you also use their Cross-References plug-in for InDesign then cross-references from FrameMaker are also converted.

Just last week I met with a customer who is interested in converting some existing documents from FrameMaker to InDesign and this new plug-in should help a lot if that’s the direction you’re headed. Possibly the most interesting this about this plug-in is the pricing model. Instead of paying a specific license fee, yo only pay for how much you use and only when you’re satisfied with the conversion results. That’s right, you can download and use the plug-in for free and test the conversion results for yourself. When you’re happy with the results you can purchase usage credits and save the new InDesign files!

Lots of folks will get good mileage out of layer comps for InDesign, and I suspect folks doing lots of design variations for ads, circulars and magazines with regional variations will love it the most. A few tidbits from their press release that sum it up better than I can:

• Layer Comps allows to save different settings of layer visibility, lock state, order, printability, guide visibility and lock state.
• Comps can be also exported into all formats supported by InDesign. You can export a single comp into .inx as a snapshot or multiple comps into PDF to show your clients layout alternatives.
• All documents created with the Layer Comps can still be opened and edited without this plug-in. The layer settings will remain the same.

I use Snapz Pro every day for a variety of purposes. A few examples include projects I’ve done with Total Training, Lynda.com, and all of my writing projects. I’m sure all of the trainers and authors out there will be thrilled about this release. Enjoy!