Content that is to be made available to users in digital and printed media is mostly generated in media-neutral and low-cost XML format. This later requires a transformation into the target formats designed for the media. This transformation is usually a fully automated process, which is controlled by transformation rules; the so-called stylesheet.
Fully automatic and high quality are not mutually exclusive
Developing a good style sheet is a challenging task, because all decisions that a Media Designer makes in the manual layout process must be first anticipated and then formulated as layout rules. Especially in the print sector, where not only the text-image flow but also the page breaks are added, the demands on a good stylesheet are very high.
Our Application Developers are specialised in exactly these challenges and are able to build stylesheets that deliver results so good that they can hardly be distinguished from manual typesetting.
In this way, not only the classic formats of user information can be output, but also well-designed marketing content.
High flexibility in media selection
We develop stylesheets for a wide variety of output media, for example:
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PDF (mostly via XSL-FO)
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Word
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(X)HTML, HTML5 (with CSS layouts)
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HTML-based online help formats such as Java-Help, Eclipse Help, and CHM
In the development of stylesheets we support you holistically: From the initial design and concept for the content structures to the technical implementation, you get everything from a single source.
Fine-tuning for your layout
Sometimes, especially with marketing content, the fully automatic typesetting is not sufficient in order to meet the requirements of the (print) layout. In such cases, you do not have to do without media-neutral creation in XML format. Especially when the content is also used in digital media, media-neutral creation makes sense.
DTP programs such as FrameMaker, InDesign or even Word have XML interfaces that enable us to provide XML content in these applications. Depending on requirements, the layout can be pre-produced more or less automatically during the import process. Thus a Media Designer can either fall back on a predominantly pre-designed layout or design the final layout themselves to deliver the icing on the cake.