The Future of Web-to-Print?

Over the past couple of weeks, I've been in the process of participating in online demonstrations of Web-to-print solutions to get a sense of how the software is evolving. During one of those demonstrations, I saw something completely new. Yet, I'd seen it before. It was a very strange feeling.

On one hand, it was new. On the other hand, I'd both seen it and used it—in fact, just days before.

I'm talking about the Web-to-print solution from GLUON. Most people would never associate GLUON with this technology. In fact, if you're not a designer, you might not have heard of GLUON at all. The company is known for its dozens of QuarkXPress XTensions and InDesign plug-ins, such as ColorBreaker, ProScale, Cropster, and Slugger. But it also has its HyperPublishing Solution, a comprehensive online and multi-channel publishing software that takes its design expertise into the Web-to-print world.

The result is a publishing interface that is really intuitive, and when it comes to repurposing a design across multiple media, it's as easy as changing a drop-down menu.

Here are a few things that really stuck with me.

Three 'Sticking' Points

First, if a template is designed by corporate and can be tweaked by users to create marketing collateral, advertising, or other materials, the elements will automatically resize and refit.

Lots of Web-to-print solutions do this, but GLUON does it in a unique way. Instead of cropping the images, GLUON allows the user to select a reference point that will always be the focal point of the image. As the image is resized and the other elements change, you may see more or less of the outer edges of the image, but the focal point will remain the same. Furthermore, instead of cropping the image each time, creating multiple images and hogging up your storage space, there is only the single image.

I had fun playing with these features using the drop-down menu for a Pearle Vision ad. First, I selected the output type (.jpg). Then I played with the page width and height. I could select from four sets of store addresses, from just a few to dozens, then I hit "render document." As I changed the size of the ad, sometimes the image showed only the woman smiling. Other times, the image broadened so I could see her boyfriend or husband, but no matter how many addresses I used or how I adjusted the width or the height of the ad, her smile remained the center focus of the picture.

Next, I played with a Carnival Cruiselines ad. This showed the ability of the software to give the user flexibility to change elements, including pictures. Want to change the image? Drag another image from the workpad and drop it into the ad—done. Want to change the offer? The headline? The price? Double click on the text you want to adjust, then type over the text that's there. In the demo I participated in, the text flowed along a curve like a wave, an unusual feature I haven't seen before.

I was also struck with how easy it was to repurpose the design across multiple media. You'll hear Web-to-print software vendors talk about the ability to create a common database and common business rules, but I hadn't seen the element of common design. Want to repurpose across media? Simply change the drop-down menu selection from "direct mail" to "e-mail" or "poster." The elements resize and reposition, even adjust resolution, automatically.

Common Internet Logic?

After absorbing the basics and settling into enjoying the demo, I realized that it was starting to look very familiar. Just days earlier, I had been creating a photo book online using Kodak Gallery. I chose the style of photo book I wanted. I selected the color and the background. Then, on a page-by-page basis, I selected the desired layout. I could switch from three horizontal images stacked on top of on another. I could switch to vertical images side by side, a single 8x10- or a 5x7-inch with smaller images around it, or any of nearly a dozen layout combinations.