Re: Web frontend to typographical docs

Les Klassen Hamm wrote:
> Greetings all,
>
> I am trying to figure out how to create a QUALITY document from a web
> frontend.
>
> The final result will be produced at a print shop, and can be a PDF or
> anything else that I can convert. The issue isn't file format, but
> detailed control.
>
> I've created a mock site that does everything using ImageMagick (or even
> gd) and php, and it works well, but doesn't allow for the kind of
> detailed typographical control needed, such as proper kerning or
> intelligently flowing to a new page or column. The final document will
> have lots of graphics and some text (think brochures, signs, etc.).
>
> I'm wondering if there some blend using something like TeX or postscript
> where the frontend can write/manipulate a text file to create the
> document. I'll confess I'm not up on my typeset document formats, so
> that's why I'm asking this here. Anyone got any ideas or even some
> directions to send me hunting? Maybe it just can't be done reasonably,
> but I'm not ready to quit hunting just yet.
>
> Thanks again,
> Les...

Hey Les. I work in the printing industry, 12 years now starting in
Desktop/Sales/IT. You're best bet would be to see if you can script
using Scribus/Inkscape/Gimp. Aside from those, the CMS/Font/graphical
controls in the OSS world are too immature.

ImageMagick's PDF capabilities are, in particular, not good enough.
Scribus is leaps and bounds beyond ImageMagick.

TeX (not LaTeX) can do it . . . but I'm glad it isn't me doing it. The
whole variable format thing . . . eek. I'm sorry to sound like a downer.
We have a proprietary system built, web-enabled. It relies on the
graphical capabilities of Mac OS X and templating.

Another alternative might be XSL/XML but in my mind that's only good for
one thing . . . textbooks or similar crud, certainly not 4 colour
designed works. (It's a little confusing here, you say "docs" in the
subject, but then say "think brochures").

If you want to do this right, Mac OS X is the way to go, not Linux.

There are several on-line proprietary systems available, of which ours
is just one.

Cheers,
lance

-- 
Lance Levsen,
Catprint Computing
Tel:  (306) 493-2249
Cell: (306) 230-8783
Blog: http://www.catprint.ca/blog/
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