With the introduction of iOS devices with Retina displays, publishers are looking for efficient ways to build their folios to accommodate both the old standard-definition and new high-definition devices without having to create multiple folios. The multi-rendition feature introduced in the Sept 2012 (v 23) release of Adobe Digital Publishing Suite helps to accomplish this goal.
With DPS v23 installed, InDesign creates a folio whose content uses these new features and produces single folios that look good on both SD and HD devices. The PDF format now used as the default format keeps the file size relatively small, the images are resampled for better quality, and the type is not rasterized and remains as text, so it looks good on both devices.
It’s important to remember what is required for the multi-rendition feature to work: Your app must be Version 23, the folio must be built for use with a v23 viewer, and the article format must be PDF.
Asset management and how content is used during the development process are key to understanding how to create a multi-rendition app. If the intent is to use the multi-rendition feature, the HD content must be saved alongside the SD content. For static, non-interactive content, a folder named “HD,” with the high-resolution versions of content, can be stored within the folio’s Links folder. For interactive overlays that are resampled, such as slideshows and scrollable frames, there is now an option for how this content is converted—either to raster or vector formats in the Folio Overlays panel—and a folder named “HD” should be included in the Asset folder for each overlay.
Content that is passed through and not resampled, like that in audio, video, panorama, and image sequence overlays, must be handled the same way other interactive content is, with an HD folder of assets; however, the concern here is file size. (Note: Photoshop’s “Save to Web” command can be used to decrease the size of these files.) When using the mutli-rendition feature, it is most important to remember that assets not only need to be organized, but both sets of assets (SD and HD) must be named exactly the same.
Remember that not all of the content will need to be high-resolution to look good on a Retina display. Test to see how well content is displayed on both SD and HD devices, and make the decision from there. The goal will be to get high quality on both device types, with the smallest possible file size.
For a more detailed look at the process for creating multi-rendition apps, visit Adobe’s Digital Publishing Suite Developer Center.
Check out TFP’s DPSCreate™ Handbook or DPS Create™ App for more details about building interactive iPad apps.
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Posted by: Monica Murphy
