— ADS —
Magazine Manager (CRM)
Magazine Manager will be your primary interface to generate reports to know which ads are booked to run in a particular issue — including information on their: type, size, section, etc.
You’ll access this search from Reports > Production > Tower Ad Manager.
The report will ask you for qualifiers to limit your search. You can filter these options to your desired search as well as sort the results in any way that’s helpful.
From this list, which we refer to as a manifest, you’ll be able to select individual ads to access the Job Jacket, which will contain all the information about the ad. Details on Size, Ad Position, Section, etc.
Status on when it arrived as well as check boxes to mark when a proof(s) is completed.
After any action is taken in the “Status” section, an Order Number will be assigned that displays in the top right corner. This number is crucial to naming the InDesign file for that ad.
The Production area is only used for reps to indicate a specific Pick-Up if it is from an issue older than the very last publication.
Naming Convention for Ads
All ads must follow a specific naming convention in order to have the proofing and publishing processes work properly.
AccountName-ProductCode_OrderNumber
For example, the ad in the example above would be named: AllAboutWomen-OTGV_688-2.indd
The account name can be anything you want, is not case sensitive and can include a hyphen if needed.
The most important part is the final hyphen must be followed by the Product Code, which is then followed by an underscore and finally the Order Number.
PRODUCT CODES:
OTGV = Our Town (All Zones and Gainesville Only)
OTHS = Our Town (High Springs/Alachua and Newberry/Jonesville)
ST = Senior Times
SG = Survival Guide
Ad Materials and Types
The sales rep who sold the ad should facilitate the designer with all copy. The components necessary to create an advertisement will come from a variety of sources. The main three will be either email, hand-written or simply typed instructions in the Ad Notes or Production Notes sections of the Job Jacket in Magazine Manager.
The different types of ads are:
PU = Pick Up
This means the ad will be running exactly as it has before with no changes.
PCHG = Pick Up with Changes
This means the ad will starting from a previous ad, but making revisions.
NEW = New Ad
This means the ad will be an entirely new design.
AGEN = Agency
This means the ad will be sent in ready-to-print.
AGPU = Agency Pick Up
This means the ad to run is a Pick Up from a previous Agency ad.
PEND = Pending
This means the rep does not know yet.
Adbase and Filing Structure
All the ads get stored in a folder named Adbase. Within that folder are alphabetical folders to organize client folders. Each client folder needs two nested folders named Art and Ads.
Any images, logos, etc. should be saved in the Art folder for that client. The Ads folder is meant to save previous ads. The only ad that should be in the root directory of the client folder should be the current ad.
Templates
There are prepared templates for ads (all sizes) as well as robust templates for each product that include multiple master pages, paragraph and character styles. The templates are located in the Tower Publications Dropbox:
Production > Shared > CC Templates
Proofing & Processing Approved Ads
When the correct naming convention is used, any InDesign file in the Adbase will automatically generate a PDF proof in the Proofing section of Dropbox that corresponds with the Product Code in the file name. This is made possible by a small javascript file that must be kept in the InDesign application’s “Startup Scripts” folder on your local HD. You must also have the PDF preset “slug-proof” installed.
As you work on any ad, every time you save a new proof will be generated. Multiple saves will simply overwrite the existing proof (as long as the file name is identical).
When a sales rep approves an ad, they will drop it into the “(APPROVED)” folder within that products Proofing folder.
Process an Approved Ad
Open the InDesign file and the Job Jacket in Magazine Manager. Double-check all the specifics are correct (Order Number, Size, Shape, Product, etc).
Open the Preflight panel in InDesign. Run the Tower Preflight preset and correct any errors that might show up. Typically, this will be images or art with RGB or Spot colors. It also checks for resolution fidelity and overset text.
Once Preflight has been passed, export a PDF using the Adobe PDF (Print) format.
Save to: Production > Issues > Ads Approved
Select the PDF preset for TOWER-SWOP2(new) and make sure the bleeds are set to match the document settings.
Drop the proof into the “~COMPLETED” folder.
Tick the box in the Job Jacket labeled “Ad Done”
TIP: After you export, you may be asked to Save upon closing the file. Always Save. This will create a saved path in the InDesign document to export to that folder again the next time you export. However, it will also make a new proof in the Proofing folder. Just drop it into Approved and overwrite the existing proof.
Art, Images, Logos & Text
All art should be set for final output:
CMYK
Raster images at 240dpi or above (minimum of 150)
No text smaller than 5pt
Stock photos/illustrations may be needed from time to time. We have an account with iStock with credits (although we make an effort to avoid unless absolutely necessary).
We use Suitcase to manage our Font Library.
Any new fonts added to the local library on your computer should also be copied into:
Production > Shared > SHARED FONTS
This helps ensure that another designer also has access to any fonts that you used.
Batch File Renaming
We use software called “A Better Finder Rename” to batch rename files. This is used rarely, but is critical for processing finalized ads for placement into InDesign with the Fido extension. There’s a pre-scripted droplet that will strip the filename of all the approved PDF or EPS files leaving only the Order Number as the name of the file.