Quark & The Web

[duncdude]

Does anyone know of any software that enables modification of Quark EPS files over the web?

 

[duncdude]

I'll elaborate (simplified):-

1. User visits a web page & sees some nice artwork
2. User can edit sections of the artwork with regular HTML input boxes
3. User clicks Submit
4. The EPS template is edited and a copy saved - this is the clever bit
5. A few seconds later the user sees a JPEG preview of the edited artwork

OVERVIEW
A web user has just created his/her own artwork - no knowledge of the fact they have just edited a very complex EPS file

I have written this system for a very large car company - and it just works - no drama. It it at its most useful when a single template is set up and hundreds of small changes are required for individual needs. In the car company example it is the dealers who can pick templates for after-sales promotions - but they can change the prices, for example. No production staff required any more & no studio time. A new, print-ready, EPS just sits in a folder waiting to be printed.

There has to be hundreds of potential applications for this!?

Maybe this is the wrong place to be asking


Kind Regards
Duncan

 

[jimoblak]

This concept is not too new. Illustrator has had the variable data capability for a while.

Also check out server-generated PDF files. There are a few out there that can take variables and output a PDF file.

http://www.fpdf.org/

is one example.

- - I hope this helps - -
_{(Complain to someone else if it doesn't)}

 

[duncdude]

Hi jimoblak

Thank you very much your reply.

Looking at your skillbase i'll certainly take any advice you have! Do you think it's a bit radical ?

I shall also have a look at the link.


Kind Regards
Duncan

 

[jimoblak]

'Radical' implies that it is grossly against the norm. You can already find things like this with online business card services.

If you have pulled off an application like this, your next challenge is to seek out potential customers that know what they want. I suspect you know well that the real business in publishing seems to rely on the undecisive client that keeps coming back to you with odd changes... increasing your billable hours (and of course, profit). It will be a challenge to find a market where the client already knows what they want and can input their data themselves.

- - I hope this helps - -
_{(Complain to someone else if it doesn't)}

 

[duncdude]

I see your point - and, yes, radical is probably not a good description. I am not under the illusion that it is doing something never attempted before. It is, however, quite a different approach to amending artwork & I see your point in finding appropriate clients.

Thanks again for your comments.


Kind Regards
Duncan

 

[Foamcow]

I would imagine that you wouldn't do this with Quark EPS files.

PDF's would be much better IMHO. In fact, you proably don't need to involve Quark at all.

There are code libraries available for server side languages such as ASP and PHP that let you generate PDF's "on the fly".
Likewise, JPEGs (for your previews if you dont want to preview the PDFs themselves).

Foamcow Heavy Industries - Web design and ranting
Target Marketing Communications - Advertising, Direct Marketing and Public Relations
I wonder what possesses people to make those animated gifs. Do you just get up in the morning and think, "You know what web design r

 

[duncdude]

Hi Foamcow

Thanks for your comments

I guess the reason i wrote the system this way is that all the artwork is being set in Quark - or already has been set. All the artworkers know how to do all the clever stuff using Quark, Photoshop & Illustrator - and my system simply allows editing of the EPS artwork they have created. If i went down the PDF creation route - i would have to learn how to create all those special effects in an entirely new way - and lose 15 years of experience in the process. While i definitely agree that PDF's are cute - both small & efficient, i can't help but feel that this would be a much more complex way of going about this task. And how would i allow a web user to invisibly edit the artwork?


Kind Regards
Duncan

 

[Foamcow]

Perhaps I misunderstood.

4. The EPS template is edited and a copy saved - this is the clever bit

You have already done this?

Foamcow Heavy Industries - Web design and ranting
Target Marketing Communications - Advertising, Direct Marketing and Public Relations
I wonder what possesses people to make those animated gifs. Do you just get up in the morning and think, "You know what web design r

 

[jimoblak]

What do you mean by invisibly edit art?

You can create a PDF template that a web server can mix with the user's variable content to produce an entirely new PDF file.

http://fpdi.setasign.de/

works with the link I posted earlier to mix existing PDF content with variables entered by your user.

And all these goodies are freely licensed. And this is only one of several server applications that can make PDF files.

- - I hope this helps - -
_{(Complain to someone else if it doesn't)}

 

[duncdude]

I use a Perl script to manipulate the EPS template using placeholders. The POSTed data from the web form is translated & chopped up in the normal CGI fashion and then the script starts replacing placeholder markers with user data. It also handles string length compression - i.e. if the text is too long the script manages to reduce the horizontal width to fit the space available. It is also possible to move the text around the page by supplying co-ordinates to offset the text. It can also replace a basic bitmap image at present. Finally it can best-fit an address over 2 or 3 lines automatically (from a supplied 1-line address). I guess i opted for the editing of Postscript data from the outset as i have had some experience of this in the past. It is probably a silly question - but would all of the above be possible to do with your PDF method?


Kind Regards
Duncan

 

[jimoblak]

Sure... Read the pages at

http://www.fpdf.org/

and

http://fpdi.setasign.de/

for details.

I would not be surprised if someone comes out with an online desktop layout application that spits out PDF in the near future.

- - I hope this helps - -
_{(Complain to someone else if it doesn't)}