Reader’s Digest Relied on vjoon K4™ and Adobe® DPS to Create First Tablet Edition
January 18, 2011
World's largest paid-circulation magazine tapped vjoon® integration partner MEI for project management
Following the success of their Kindle edition, the editorial team at Reader's Digest hopes to continue the trend with an iPad edition, available today in the iTunes store. After seeing the immersive apps that vjoon K4 customer WIRED and other popular magazines were creating using Adobe Digital Publishing Suite (DPS), Reader's Digest decided to use the same tools to build its own tablet content. "There are a lot of vendors out there offering iPad solutions, but once I saw WIRED's app, I immediately thought it demonstrated a natural progression for magazines," Reader's Digest Managing Editor Ann Powell said. "Cost and creative control were also factors. By using vjoon K4 and Adobe DPS, we could leverage our print workflow and design, which allows a sustainable production of future issues."
The deep integration of vjoon K4 with Adobe DPS allows publishers to concentrate on creative tasks. One of the many ways it enhances productivity is by substituting automated processes for routine manual chores. vjoon K4 automatically converts individual pages into iPad format and adapts styles and units of measure - for example, from inches to pixels. What's more, automated processes in vjoon K4 can export individual articles or complete issues in the .folio file format to the Distribution Service of the Digital Publishing Suite. This and MEI's extensive experience made Reader's Digest's next step a no-brainer: They tapped MEI to project-manage the effort and produce some of the edition's specialized interactive features. Powell said she was very pleased with MEI's quick turnaround and close collaboration.
MEI's experienced designers and technologists used a combination of Adobe's Digital Publishing Suite - which Reader's Digest also employed for the rest of the issue - and custom HTML programming to create several pieces for the iconic publisher's first iPad edition. Among them: an interactive version of the popular "Around the World with One Question" feature, which includes a globe that displays fun facts as the user spins it, and the transformation of the familiar "Word Power" into a touch quiz with instant feedback on the user's vocabulary prowess. Reader's Digest also tapped MEI to project-manage the maiden effort, using the vjoon K4 Cross-Media Publishing Platform to handle tablet content alongside print.
vjoon K4 at Reader's Digest
Before upgrading, in both the U.S. and internationally, Reader's Digest was using a Quark-based editorial system to handle its 50 editions worldwide. When she joined Reader's Digest, Powell, who had worked with vjoon K4 at Condé Nast and Hearst magazines, campaigned to upgrade to a new system for the U.S. and large-print editions. "I could see that vjoon K4 was always getting better," she said. "I thought our old system was like a big, clunky tractor, whereas K4 was more like a sleek sedan... Besides, it's more fun to use."
In late 2009, the magazine installed a vjoon K4 version 6 pilot system and started taking advantage of its task-based workflow model. MEI and vjoon worked closely with Reader's Digest to ensure a smooth rollout, and the pilot quickly turned into a full installation, augmented by MadeToPrint, K4 XML Exporter™ and K4 Overview Advanced™.
Powell cited several particularly beneficial vjoon K4 features, including the ability to see custom metadata in K4's powerful query panels; the K4 Sticky Notes™ functionality, which lets users insert real-time comments in layouts and in the K4 Overview Advanced; and even simple tools such as tracked changes, which were difficult to manage in the old Reader's Digest system. One of Powell's personal favorites is the browser-based K4 Overview Advanced, which allows anyone involved to view the entire issue at a glance - even for executive review. The team also uses it to oversee its iPad edition in the final stages of production.
Powell said she expects the magazine to continue to improve its tablet production process with each issue, and she's looking forward to new features as Adobe develops the DPS. "Overall, it was a great experience and a good value," she said. "It was a great investment for the company, and I look forward to expanding it."
Based in New York City, N.Y., Reader's Digest has been one of the bestselling consumer magazines in the United States for many years, with a circulation of 6.1 million today. Globally, the magazine is the world's largest circulation magazine reaching some 70 million readers in more than 60 countries, with 50 editions in 20 languages. Further information about the company can be found at www.rda.com.
MEI is proud to have assisted an industry icon in its first tablet edition, and in implementing a new streamlined workflow. "Reader's Digest is one of the first publishers to realize the benefits of upgrading to vjoon K4 - an extremely powerful and reliable system that integrates so well with Adobe's emerging standard for tablet publishing," said Linda Bruce, vice president of enterprise sales at MEI. vjoon K4, distributed exclusively by MEI in the Americas.
About MEI
Managing Editor Inc. is an industry leader in the development of quality, proven software solutions for the evolving publishing industry. The Page Director® Series of Advertising and Classified Layout Systems, K4 Cross-Media Publishing Platform, Integrated Production Suite (IPS) and IPS AdTrac deliver automated pagination, workflow and digital asset management solutions to magazine, book and newspaper publishers, as well as to other print and electronic publishing markets. MEI also provides expert training, consulting and design services for publishers, advertisers and creative teams building specialized content for tablets such as the iPad. MEI is an Adobe premier development partner and has twice been named a laureate of the Computerworld Smithsonian Collections. Additional information regarding MEI's products and services can be found on the company's Web site at www.maned.com.
