Making alternate layouts in one file for both print and web?!?!?!

[heatherm22623790]

How do I take a 6x9 print file (using inches) and add two iPad alternate layouts (using pixels) to the same file?

[Erica Gamet]

I didn't say the PDF was interactive...because, as stated above, it's a crapshoot at best. My print version might be 6x9 portrait, and for the PDF, I'd probably make it 2048x1536 (retina) landscape...as reading landscape seems to work better on an iPad (depending on the content, of course). If text, I might make the alternate layout switch to two columns of text in a text-heavy document. It really depends on the individual document and its final destinations (as with any project). If the client knows they will all be reading it on an iPad (say with an internal sales force), I design for that. If it's a PDF they want to distribute on their website, I would go with a lowest common denominator. The point is that even taking these points into consideration, it's often worth the time to have to maintain only one document and one set of editorial changes. As with anything, it depends entirely on the project and the workflow.

[BobLevine]

That’s the point I’ve been trying to make as well. There is zero reason to do this.

[Erica Gamet]

But there is, Bob. If you have a book or other doc that needs to be delivered in differing layouts with the same editorial content, how do you set it up? Different files? Different layers? If you had a massive product catalog that you're printing 8.5 x 11 portrait, then want your sales force to have on their iPads, but in landscape format, and then (for sake of argument) you also want a reflowable ePub version...how would you handle this workflow? I've found that Alternate Layouts is a HUGE part of my workflow. Also, just the Liquid Layouts aspect of it is huge.

[BobLevine]

If you create the alternate layouts based on ipad v and ipad h, the dimensions will be 768x1024 and 1024x768 but they will be displayed in whatever units your print document is in.

[heatherm22623790]

so to change the units of the print document, do i have to change the intent in the document setup or just change the ruler increments?

[BobLevine]

Just change the units, but again, it will change the units on all layouts including the iPad layouts.

[BobLevine]

Rob, she sent me details via direct message.

Details have confirmed what I thought originally. This whole thing is an exercise in, well, I’m not sure, but it’s certainly not a test of any expertise that could possibly be used in the real world.

[heatherm22623790]

I sure hope someone can help me figure out how to give them the minimun of what they are asking - I have to have this done today and it's the difference between getting a job after being laid off for almost a year or not. So let's start with the basics. If I have a 6x9 print file, how to I convert it to mobile, so when I create the two iPad alternate layouts, the iPad sizes will be an option in the dialoge box?

[rob day]

If I have a 6x9 print file, how to I convert it to mobile, so when I create the two iPad alternate layouts, the iPad sizes will be an option in the dialoge box?

It's not possible to create alternates for mobile devices, there are too many variables. This is just Apple there's also Android:

The iOS Design Guidelines - Ivo Mynttinen / User Interface Designer

Now HTML pages have to be responsive. You no longer design to a pixel dimension, the pages must be coded to rearrange themselves to the users screen. But that's not possible with PDF, so the only option is to let the browser handle the display and fit the PDF into the browser's viewport.

[rob day]

- Using my original 6x9 print file create two alternate layouts for the iPad.

And if you create the two alternate layouts (Apple has at least 22 possible variations), would you be expected to export two different PDFs? Then you would have to wonder how the alternates would be delivered? Would there be some kind of JS code to detect the screen's current aspect ratio? What happens if the landscape version gets delivered and the user turns the device?

[BobLevine]

Rob, creating alt layouts using the predefined iPad h and iPad v will give you 1024x768 and 768x1024. But, as you know, these are meaningless for PDF which has no resolution.

[heatherm22623790]

What should be working just isnt. I've changed my file to a mobile, my increments are in pixels in my rulers and in my document set up, but then when I go to create the new ipad layouts, it gives me the option to chose a preset for ipad, but then the increments are still in inches. WHAT THE EVER LIVING ****?!?! It's going to 10.6667 x 14.222 should I just go with that? I'm so out of time.

[BobLevine]

Those dimension are indeed the underlying dimensions when converted from pixels to inches. Did you change the 6x9 layout to pixels?

Again the units of measure are document wide. You can also open your preferences and change the units there.

[heatherm22623790]

THAT'S what I'll do for this file. Just change increments in preferences. Let me see if that fixes all of this.

[heatherm22623790]

Well it already said pixels because I'd changed my rulers. Ha! Still seems weird the dialoge box for alternate layouts is still in inches. That doesnt make sense at all.

[rob day]

THAT'S what I'll do for this file. Just change increments in preferences. Let me see if that fixes all of this.

If for some reason you think the iPad preset is important, you would have to change the size of the pages. When you change the ruler units to pixels, a 6"x9" page will be 432 x 648 pixels.

[heatherm22623790]

I think I'm going to run with this. Even though it annoys me the increments in the alt layout are still in inches, even when the entire document is in pixels, if they fail me because of that, then I tried everything I could. I appreciate all of the feedback beyond words, thank you for every answer and the patience it took to deal with me.

[rob day]

Rob, creating alt layouts using the predefined iPad h and iPad v will give you 1024x768 and 768x1024. But, as you know, these are meaningless for PDF which has no resolution.

The resolution doesn't matter but you would have 2 different aspect ratios, which one would get exported and delivered?

[heatherm22623790]

The test was everything I thought it would be. Testing for things that aren't important in the actual understanding of how to create print/web ready files. Made a 5 out of 5 anyway, even though I would never submit files that that to a printer or upload to any digital format. -shrug-

[BobLevine]

That’s the problem with tests sometimes. They test your ability to take tests more than anything else.