Single Source Publishing Question--export to another print document?

[Aturner]

Hi,

I'm new to Framemaker. I'm trying to do a proof of concept document by migrating a user guide from Word to Framemaker. I've got the "digital" pdf version down, now I want to be able to export to a "print" user guide . My problem: the digital guide is 8.5x11in full color and the print version is 8.5 x 5.5 in and black and white. is there an easy way to do this?  The point of the project is to only update one set of data. I've seen that it's pretty easy to export to the web once the template is set up, but I haven't figured this out.

Thank you in advance.

[Bob_Niland]

Do you want the smaller one to be a content re-flow or scaled pages?

[Aturner]

I think it'll be too hard to read if it is just scaled. What we've done in the past is a content re-flow.

Thanks for the response!

[Bob_Niland]

For re-flow, I'd do it as two books (.book parent file).

Each would have a unique component file for.

cover.fm

toc.fm

ix.fm

end.fm (if needed).

The authoring version of the document, perhaps the large one, would have the body file(s) with actual editable text content

body.fm

The clone version, would have an empty body.fm file, that imports, as a Text Inset, the entire Flow A from it's counterpart in the large edition. The TOC and IX auto-update just fine once set up.

We do this for commercial vs. consumer manuals, and domestic vs. export. Works pretty well.

If the large document is two-column of suitable column width (matching a single column layout in the smaller), the content should layout out identically, and allow constant widths for headings, tables, illustrations and anchored content generally.

[Aturner]

Error7103,

That sounds like what I initially attempted but did not exicute properly and it chewed up my files.

Thank you!

[Art_Campbell1]

The first question I'd ask about this is whether you need both formats to

be live, online, and able to generate a fresh PDF on demand or not?

For instance, if you reach the end of a development cycle and pull your

final "Gold" online content... will that be frozen and inactive for some

period of time while you pull the print copy?

Depending on the answer to your question, I'd follow up with a second about

the appearance of the content -- are the styles you apply visually

identical in online and print? I'd guess not, that there will be font, font

size, and other layout differences.

After you answer the questions, we could provide more feedback, but in

general... you'll want to have your data source be separated from the

design elements. That probably means creating a second set of page layouts

and tag style sets in a second book into which you can pour the content.

There are a number of ways to do this, though, so your answers are

important.

Can be done -- it's just a question of lining up the details ahead of time

and planning how to meet the constraints.

Art Campbell

art.campbell@gmail.com

"... In my opinion, there's nothing in this world beats a '52 Vincent and

a redheaded girl." -- Richard Thompson

No disclaimers apply.

DoD 358

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[Aturner]

Art_Campbell,

Thank you for your questions and quick reply. For the time being we're not putting any content online. Our user guides are produced and used in the following way: we make changes to a main 'digital' document in Word that we pdf and use for reference and email to customers.  Once that edition has been updated, we make the same updates to the print user guide which is eventually printed, bound, and shipped with our products. So the long answer is yes, the content is frozen and inactive until the next release.

The styles (font size, type, etc) are pretty similar between the current documents.

Thanks again!

[Arnis Gubins]

Depending upon the complexity of your layout, you probably only need to create a set of template files specific to the print version that would be applied to the source FM files. You can have various template designs that can be applied to FM to re-format as required for the desired output stream.

In your case, create a half-letter page sized template and set the colour attributes for your tags & fills so they render with sufficient contrast in B&W.

No need to "export" the content to anything else before resizing.