Managing Editor Inc. (MEI), a leading provider of software and services to the publishing industry, announces the immediate availability of K4 Publishing System version 5.6. The latest version of this popular high-performance editorial system further accelerates the production process for publishing workflows using Adobe InDesign and Adobe InCopy by adding built-in integration with Adobe InDesign Server. The release also improves interoperability with other systems and incorporates an impressive set of new features that can instantly help publishers boost productivity and lower production costs.
With its multilevel security controls and robust customization options, K4 supports a transparent and fast production workflow for individual workgroups or entire publishing enterprises. K4 has been successfully implemented at magazine, newspaper, book and corporate publishing sites ranging from 10 to more than 1,000 users. The K4 Publishing System is a product of SoftCare GmbH. MEI is the exclusive distributor of K4 in the Americas.
” The enhancements in version 5.6 are a great indicator of K4’s rapid development and the reason why more and more sites have begun implementing the software for their publications,” said Linda Bruce, vice president of enterprise sales at MEI. “We expect even more publishers to rely on K4 and its valuable new features with this and all future releases.”
InDesign Server integration provides K4 5.6 with a powerful layout rendering engine that significantly speeds up the process of checking in items and enables the system to offer PDF previews of every page for saving, commenting and printing. Every standard K4 Publishing System comes bundled with Adobe InDesign Server CS2, designed specifically to enable tasks like background generation of page proofs for viewing over the Web.
Customizable change controls allow administrators to disable an exhaustive array of editing functions in InDesign or InCopy by category of user. This practical new feature leaves no room for accidental document modifications or user errors. K4 also features an optional new Revision Manager plug-in to allow users to compare the differences between versions of InCopy files and easily keep track of revisions.
K4 DropFolders offers automated batch check-in of images, ads, text files or any other type of content and metadata into K4 from pre-defined directories that can be fed from an asset management system or content repository, a convenient and time-saving feature for non-enterprise customers.
K4’s new Caption&Credit feature can capture caption and credit information for images as metadata, logically link this data to the image on the InDesign page, and dynamically create caption and credit frames on the page based on publication-defined parameters. All information is automatically adjusted if the image frame is moved or resized, speeding page layout and reducing errors. After an issue is closed out, a list of placed images, with their caption and credit metadata, can be exported for statistical purposes.
K4 5.6 also includes updated K4 XML-Exporter version 1.2, which can automatically provide publication data as XML to feed archiving and Web publishing solutions and generate all the metadata on images, text and other objects in the issue. The version comes with additional ways to trigger XML exports and new features for delivering exported data. Exported content can also be sent automatically to a pre-defined FTP server, after which the XML-Exporter can notify the recipient or deliver the exported files by e-mail.
K4 version 5.6 and XML-Exporter version 1.2 are available from MEI and its distribution partners. All K4 customers are eligible to receive a free upgrade to version 5.6 and can purchase or upgrade XML-Exporter version 1.2 as an option.
MEI representatives will be available for demos and discussions at NEXPO Booth 1054. For more information about MEI products, visit https://www.maned.com or call 215-886-5662.
About MEI
Managing Editor Inc. (MEI) 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 Publishing System, Integrated Publishing Suite (IPS), Wav2 and IPS AdTrac deliver automated pagination and workflow solutions to newspaper and magazine publishers, as well as to other print and electronic publishing markets. Founded in 1990, the company was named a laureate of both the 1999 and 2000 Computerworld Smithsonian Collections. Managing Editor is a portfolio company of Adobe Ventures LP, the investment arm of Adobe Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: ADBE). Additional information regarding MEI’s products and services can be found on the company’s Web site at https://www.maned.com.
About SoftCare
SoftCare was founded in 1990 and is a leading developer of workflow solutions for the publishing industry, helping magazine, newspaper and book publishers work more efficiently. SoftCare’s flagship product is the award-winning K4 Publishing System, the first editorial system for professional publishing workflows based on Adobe InDesign and Adobe InCopy. SoftCare teams up with trained K4 System Integrators throughout Europe and the Americas to ensure high-quality services and support for the system on a local level
This article was last modified on January 18, 2023
This article was first published on April 4, 2006
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