InDesign Automation (Scripting, Extensions, XML)

We’re on Facebook!

The Los Angeles InDesign User Group now has a Facebook page courtesy of member Michael Grant. We expect it will be the perfect way for user group members to interact with one another. Visit it. We know you’ll like it. (Soon you’ll be able to follow us on Twitter as well!)

Next Meeting: InDesign Automation

Catch a glimpse of the future of electronic publishing.

Max Dunn of Silicon Publishing will present examples of InDesign automation using scripting and CS Extensions. He will show techniques of automating flowing data through InDesign templates. Max will explain the workflow of Silicon Designer, an online editing solution for InDesign and InDesign Server that leverages the latest features of InDesign CS5.

Silicon Publishing automates the distribution of information to multiple channels. They build software and custom applications that let clients author and aggregate content, manage editorial and review processes, and deliver high-quality output to print and interactive electronic media.

Examples of their work include:

• Automating composition of directories, catalogs, and other documents from data and image sources
• Developing XML-based applications for page formatting, Web publishing, and information exchange
• Building and hosting interactive Web applications that let users access and manage information

Max L. Dunn is co-founder of Silicon Publishing, a software development company building solutions and products for web and print publishing. Max has been programming since the beginnings of the world wide web, and is an expert at Adobe InDesign Server automation and related technologies. He is an Adobe Community Expert, a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional, and he has spoken at numerous XML, DITA, and software development conferences.

$3 Raffles

• Adobe CS5 product (InDesign, InCopy, Illustrator, Flash Professional, Dreamweaver, Flash Catalyst) Value to $699
• Letterhead Design cards from StockLayouts
• InDesign Magazine. Value $69

Giveaways

Free Layers Magazine

Agenda

5:30 p.m. Meet and greet
6:00 p.m. Presentation (with a mid-presentation break)
8:30 p.m. Raffles and giveaways

Sponsors

Adobe
Recosoft
StockLayouts
InDesign Magazine
O’Reilly Press
David Blatner, Teacup Software, Blatner Tools, InDesign Secrets
Photolibrary

Meeting Notes

We had two presenters at our November meeting. The lead presenter was Max Dunn of Silicon Publishing who showed examples of InDesign variable data automation using scripting and CS Extensions. He talked about flowing data through InDesign templates and the use of Silicon Designer, an online editing solution for InDesign and InDesign Server created by his company. It was a challenging subject that some understood right off and others not so much. But by the end of his presentation everyone had at least a working knowledge of variable data automation.

Michael Grant demonstrated PDF2ID, a utility by Recosoft that quickly and intelligently converts a PDF document to a fully editable InDesign document. This somewhat more accessible topic produced a lively discussion.

Continuing our policy of holding meetings at diverse locations within the Southland, we held our November meeting in Altadena at the Business Technology Center of Los Angeles County. It was a great space with easy parking. We had a bit of a scare as we had made arrangements with what turned out to be an outgoing administration. But the new leaders -- who were unaware of the arrangements until a few days before the event — stepped up to the plate and the meeting went off without a hitch.

The turnout was somewhat smaller than usual, but a third of the people were from the area and had never before attended a meeting. We were glad to see the newcomers.

Regrettably, Layers magazine is shutting down in January and so we were unable to give all attenees a copy. The five we did receive were given to Paula Johnson, Peter Palulshyn, Daniel Carmin-Romack, Cathy Romero (as a birthday present) and Judy Walker.

Three of the magazine winners were also winners of the larger prizes. Daniel won a one-year subscription to InDesign magazine, Judy won the Stock Layouts Letterhead Design Cards and Paula won the big prize of the night, Adobe InDesign CS5. Deborah Talley won a copy of PDF2ID Professional, version 3.0.

Thank you

As usual, we’d like to heartily thank the meeting’s facilitators: Adobe, Recosoft, StockLayouts, InDesign Magazine, O’Reilly Press, Peachpit Press, official chapter photographer Ron Talley, Michael Grant and especially Max Dunn, who flew down from the Bay Area especially for this presentation.

Job Opportunities

We are looking for people who want to get involved with the administration of the group. Maybe you have web skills, newsletter skills, an eye for photos, want to conduct the raffles. Whatever. Let’s talk.

Next Meeting

The topic of the next meeting is “InDesign and Image Masking,” wherein you will learn about how to make masked subjects look right in InDesign. As usual, it will take place on the third Thursday, which in January is the 20th. The location will be the Huntington Beach Central Library (to accommodate our South Bay members). Everyone is welcome, of course. If you haven’t been to Orange County in a while, attend the meeting and make an evening of it.
 

About the Presenters

Max Dunn

Max Dunn (left) is co-founder of Silicon Publishing, a global leader of Adobe InDesign automation solutions for over two decades. Silicon Publishing pioneered the use of InDesign Server since its inception in 2005. Max has a deep background in document automation, and leads a team of world experts at publishing software, several of whom were on the original InDesign development team.

Michael Grant