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Theunis De Jong
MemberWe'd get clients complaining “some chapters have a blank before them, others don't”, until we changed the PDF Open View to always show 2 pages at once, with a title page. You can change this in Acrobat, Document Properties, View Settings, then save.
Pity InDesign can't automatically create its PDFs with that setting (I sent a Feature Request for that).
— And we still get that complaint, only now it's not always. :-(
Theunis De Jong
MemberWe'd get clients complaining “some chapters have a blank before them, others don't”, until we changed the PDF Open View to always show 2 pages at once, with a title page. You can change this in Acrobat, Document Properties, View Settings, then save.
Pity InDesign can't automatically create its PDFs with that setting (I sent a Feature Request for that).
— And we still get that complaint, only now it's not always. :-(
January 21, 2010 at 9:46 am in reply to: Change character preference settings for all documents in a book #54577Theunis De Jong
MemberErrr… No I was at work. Honestly! :-)
January 21, 2010 at 9:05 am in reply to: Change character preference settings for all documents in a book #54573Theunis De Jong
MemberA somewhat friendlier version (with a dialog!) can be downloaded from https://www.jongware.com/binari…..ttings.zip
It defaults to the current active document's settings, or the application defaults if there is no doc open. So to copy “from” one document to the active book, first open a “good” document then run.
For completeness sake I added the Small Caps size as well.
Actually, apart from testing if it does anything at all, I didn't really try it. It seems to work, though. Check after running.
January 21, 2010 at 6:08 am in reply to: Change character preference settings for all documents in a book #54570Theunis De Jong
Member(Awakes.) Wot? Wot? A script? This javascript ought to work (note: untested!). Copy, save as “CopySupPrefs.jsx” into your scripting folder. Open your book file; then create a new text document and set the preferences as you want them. Run the script to copy these to all documents in the Book. Be aware that — if it works — your text may re-format, because you are changing sizes.
supPos = app.activeDocument.textPreferences.superscriptPosition;
supSiz = app.activeDocument.textPreferences.superscriptSize;infPos = app.activeDocument.textPreferences.subscriptPosition;
infSiz = app.activeDocument.textPreferences.subscriptSize;book = app.activeBook;
for (var i=0; i<book.bookContents.length; i++)
{
var currentDoc = app.open (book.bookContents[i].fullName, false);
currentDoc.textPreferences.superscriptPosition = supPos;
currentDoc.textPreferences.superscriptSize = supSiz;
currentDoc.textPreferences.subscriptPosition = infPos;
currentDoc.textPreferences.subscriptSize = infSiz;
currentDoc.close(SaveOptions.YES);
}January 21, 2010 at 2:46 am in reply to: Change character preference settings for all documents in a book #51561Theunis De Jong
MemberErrr… No I was at work. Honestly! :-)
January 21, 2010 at 2:05 am in reply to: Change character preference settings for all documents in a book #51558Theunis De Jong
MemberA somewhat friendlier version (with a dialog!) can be downloaded from https://www.jongware.com/binari…..ttings.zip
It defaults to the current active document's settings, or the application defaults if there is no doc open. So to copy “from” one document to the active book, first open a “good” document then run.
For completeness sake I added the Small Caps size as well.
Actually, apart from testing if it does anything at all, I didn't really try it. It seems to work, though. Check after running.
January 20, 2010 at 11:08 pm in reply to: Change character preference settings for all documents in a book #51557Theunis De Jong
Member(Awakes.) Wot? Wot? A script? This javascript ought to work (note: untested!). Copy, save as “CopySupPrefs.jsx” into your scripting folder. Open your book file; then create a new text document and set the preferences as you want them. Run the script to copy these to all documents in the Book. Be aware that — if it works — your text may re-format, because you are changing sizes.
supPos = app.activeDocument.textPreferences.superscriptPosition;
supSiz = app.activeDocument.textPreferences.superscriptSize;infPos = app.activeDocument.textPreferences.subscriptPosition;
infSiz = app.activeDocument.textPreferences.subscriptSize;book = app.activeBook;
for (var i=0; i<book.bookContents.length; i++)
{
var currentDoc = app.open (book.bookContents[i].fullName, false);
currentDoc.textPreferences.superscriptPosition = supPos;
currentDoc.textPreferences.superscriptSize = supSiz;
currentDoc.textPreferences.subscriptPosition = infPos;
currentDoc.textPreferences.subscriptSize = infSiz;
currentDoc.close(SaveOptions.YES);
}Theunis De Jong
Member.. I seem to not be able to find anything online in regards to XML, InDesign and CSS.
Not with those three terms together. As David said, yes, there are workflows possible that use XML for input into InDesign (I believe there is even a book entirely on that topic — Harness The Power). Me, I export hand-tagged XML to a database format.
CSS, however, is the odd one out. CSS is the style-description format of HTML and related stuff (XSL-FO, ePubs); but other than a very basic style sheet when exporting to XHTML, ID does not use it, not for import and not for export. Practically, there is no reason to mention the two in one sentence, unless it is “InDesign doesn't really do anything with CSS”.
Theunis De Jong
MemberPS (aka. “Type 1”) fonts: PostScript outlines. Separate files for outlines and kerning (on Windows, but not on Mac). Rigged to encode only a max of 256 characters at a time, in predetermined encodings (echoing Bill Gates: “Who will ever need more than 256 characters!?”) Characters and features such as extended ligatures, small caps, and old style numbering live in separate fonts — just today, I got a font where I had to type a “K” in another font to see an “fi” ligature.
TTF fonts: TrueType outlines. Huge character sets — full Unicode 2.0 set supported. No feature-enabled re-coding, though — if a font has small caps or oldstyle numbering, it'll be in non-standard positions, and you will have to select and insert the characters manually.
OTF: Outline format: either of the above, and I couldn't care less which one. Who can tell by looking if a font uses quad or bezier curves? Mega ultra size character sets (Unicode 3.0 — is there a 4.0 forthcoming?). Features can be enabled and disabled per user request, enabling access to language sensitive characters (S cedilla vs. S comma-below, o kreska rather than o grave), more ligatures than a sane person could ask for (anything is allowed, viz. the custom “Zapfino” logogram if you type its name, and the amazing Ed Interlock), context aware kerning, and typographical niceties such as hand drawn superiors and inferiors and real small caps. Amazing possibilities.
So, it sounds you should convert everything you own and then some more to OTF. Or, does it?
If you convert a font to OTF, it will not have all the niceties I summed up. Special ligatures have to be drawn — or, if they exist in another font file, copied to the base font file. Small caps ditto. And then you have to add the mini OTF programs that actually allow these automatic replacements to take place — it doesn't happen by itself.
I'm also not totally 100% sure of the kerning conversion that takes place. Are all existing kerning pairs correctly converted? All you have to do is type “VAT”, and you'll see if it does. Oh — and all extra OTF types of kerning (class kerning, context aware stuff) should also be added manually.
So there are no real benefits of converting your fonts, and only (possibly) drawbacks. Your computer (or specifically, FontExplorer) doesn't mind handling all different font types. Sure, OTF has lots more possibilities, but you'll have to add them yourself, and that amounts to completely overhauling each and every font.
Unless anyone else can convince me, I'm sticking to my old (t)rusty PS fonts, unless an official Pro version comes out — now these are worth upgrading to!
Theunis De Jong
Member.. I seem to not be able to find anything online in regards to XML, InDesign and CSS.
Not with those three terms together. As David said, yes, there are workflows possible that use XML for input into InDesign (I believe there is even a book entirely on that topic — Harness The Power). Me, I export hand-tagged XML to a database format.
CSS, however, is the odd one out. CSS is the style-description format of HTML and related stuff (XSL-FO, ePubs); but other than a very basic style sheet when exporting to XHTML, ID does not use it, not for import and not for export. Practically, there is no reason to mention the two in one sentence, unless it is “InDesign doesn't really do anything with CSS”.
Theunis De Jong
MemberPS (aka. “Type 1”) fonts: PostScript outlines. Separate files for outlines and kerning (on Windows, but not on Mac). Rigged to encode only a max of 256 characters at a time, in predetermined encodings (echoing Bill Gates: “Who will ever need more than 256 characters!?”) Characters and features such as extended ligatures, small caps, and old style numbering live in separate fonts — just today, I got a font where I had to type a “K” in another font to see an “fi” ligature.
TTF fonts: TrueType outlines. Huge character sets — full Unicode 2.0 set supported. No feature-enabled re-coding, though — if a font has small caps or oldstyle numbering, it'll be in non-standard positions, and you will have to select and insert the characters manually.
OTF: Outline format: either of the above, and I couldn't care less which one. Who can tell by looking if a font uses quad or bezier curves? Mega ultra size character sets (Unicode 3.0 — is there a 4.0 forthcoming?). Features can be enabled and disabled per user request, enabling access to language sensitive characters (S cedilla vs. S comma-below, o kreska rather than o grave), more ligatures than a sane person could ask for (anything is allowed, viz. the custom “Zapfino” logogram if you type its name, and the amazing Ed Interlock), context aware kerning, and typographical niceties such as hand drawn superiors and inferiors and real small caps. Amazing possibilities.
So, it sounds you should convert everything you own and then some more to OTF. Or, does it?
If you convert a font to OTF, it will not have all the niceties I summed up. Special ligatures have to be drawn — or, if they exist in another font file, copied to the base font file. Small caps ditto. And then you have to add the mini OTF programs that actually allow these automatic replacements to take place — it doesn't happen by itself.
I'm also not totally 100% sure of the kerning conversion that takes place. Are all existing kerning pairs correctly converted? All you have to do is type “VAT”, and you'll see if it does. Oh — and all extra OTF types of kerning (class kerning, context aware stuff) should also be added manually.
So there are no real benefits of converting your fonts, and only (possibly) drawbacks. Your computer (or specifically, FontExplorer) doesn't mind handling all different font types. Sure, OTF has lots more possibilities, but you'll have to add them yourself, and that amounts to completely overhauling each and every font.
Unless anyone else can convince me, I'm sticking to my old (t)rusty PS fonts, unless an official Pro version comes out — now these are worth upgrading to!
Theunis De Jong
MemberAha. Opinions — with a capital “O”!
Here's mine: A blank page is professional; a blank page with only a header or footer is not professional (typically, printed Word documents are littered with these).
A blank page that says “Intentionally left blank” is a logical contradiction which I cannot process. It must be something American — afraid of being sued for having a blank page for no apparent reason at all.
A left hand side blank page is extremely normal. A right hand side blank page is plain weird, and should be avoided in “a professional book”.
A blank page is not meant to do anything. It's sole reason of being is to allow the next chapter to start on an odd page again. If you don't want blank pages at all, drop the requirement of starting chapters on odd pages. They are mutually exclusive!
Theunis De Jong
MemberAha. Opinions — with a capital “O”!
Here's mine: A blank page is professional; a blank page with only a header or footer is not professional (typically, printed Word documents are littered with these).
A blank page that says “Intentionally left blank” is a logical contradiction which I cannot process. It must be something American — afraid of being sued for having a blank page for no apparent reason at all.
A left hand side blank page is extremely normal. A right hand side blank page is plain weird, and should be avoided in “a professional book”.
A blank page is not meant to do anything. It's sole reason of being is to allow the next chapter to start on an odd page again. If you don't want blank pages at all, drop the requirement of starting chapters on odd pages. They are mutually exclusive!
Theunis De Jong
Member… all I really need is a macro/action that simply sends the four commands Shift-Cmd-S, Enter, Cmd-R, Cmd-W that I can run over and over until all the windows are closed. I can probably figure out how to do that myself sometime.
InDesign doesn't support macros and/or actions. And boy! is that high on my wish-list! Exactly for doing stuff like this. Now it needs a script.
The scripting language does not 'record' actions — it works the other way around, you have to supply the commands that are performed inside ID when you press 'Shift+Cmd+S'. So you would send a 'save as', then a 'close' command to the active window, repeating until no windows are left.
What happens when you have an untitled document? In the javascript below, I check for that and don't do nuffin' with these.
list = app.documents.everyItem().getElements();
while (list.length > 0)
{
doc = list.pop();
if (doc.saved)
{
doc.save (doc.fullName,false,undefined,true);
doc.close();
}
} -
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