Preparing A Source File

Work environment

Wedia is compatible with the current Adobe InDesign CC versions.

Since Wedia version 10.5 , files should be saved in .Wedia file format, which is a zip file of an IDML file and links / font resources, to make sure the Wedia servers gets all the needed resources to render the file.

File types

The following file types are compatible with Wedia:

• Adobe InDesign

  • .wedia (Wedia’s archive format property containing the indesign file, with its resources and complementary information needed by the platform)

The following file types are not compatible:

• Adobe InDesign

  • .indt (InDesign template)

  • .inx (Exchange file format between different versions of InDesign)

  • .idms (InDesign extract)

  • .idnl (Adobe InDesign library)

  • .indb (Adobe InDesign book)

• Wedia can support .indd in a certain extent, but with imply that images and fonts are properly loaded on the server, and that the server is running the same version as the desktop. Please contact Wedia before inserting .indd in the server.

Source file version

With each desktop-publishing software released, comes some file structure changes. When you are about to upload a file created with older Adobe InDesign versions, you must first convert your document in the current and compatible InDesign version.

To convert an old document, open the file which was created in an older version of InDesign (1.0, 2.0, CS, CS 2 or CS 3) with your current version of the software.

Generally, after opening the document with the current version of InDesign, you just need to save the file under another name to rebuild it.

If this it is not enough (dysfunction remains, bug, damaged file), export your file:

• either in IDML format in Adobe InDesign CS4 version (and higher)

• either in INX format in Adobe InDesign CS3

• then reopen the IDML or INX file in the current InDesign version

• and save it again in Adobe InDesign format

This method will solve most of usual dysfunctions and bugs due to older version of the software by rebuilding entirely the file.

InDesign extension

The moment you will decide to work on a file you will use in Wedia’s platform, you must install the appropriate InDesign plugin on your software.

Length of the files: Four pages maximum

Generally, Wedia recommends not to exceed four pages files when you upload a document to the editorial platform. Beyond, you may experience slowness in the process of composition. Beyond 4 pages, you should be working with the flat plan system of Wedia.

We strongly recommend you to split long files into small files. To do so, you can use InDesign scripts to automate the process.

In some cases, depending on the content of the document, the four pages limit can be exceeded. Then, you will need to run preliminary tests to check the quality of your internet access and the response time of the servers. A pre-production will be required in such a case.

For more information about the file-splitting scripts or about the possibility to create a pre-production, please contact Wedia technical support.

Thread texts / automatic frames on more than four pages

If you thread text on more than four pages, or if you use the "smart text reflow" function, you must unthread your frames each four pages.

Different methods will allow you to cut a thread without damaging your lay-out:

• In InDesign, the default script “splistory” will help you do so. You will find it int the Scripts' palette:
  Scripts > Application > Samples > JavaScript > SplitStory.jsx

Feel free to ask our technical support or to consult our knowledge database for updated information.

You can also refer to the following sections of this guide:

• Layout of a document > handling frames > Text frames

• Contents preparation > Texts > Thread text

Reasonable image size

Image file sizes must be optimized, as they directly impact the rendering time of the page layouts. Static graphics should be scaled appropriately to their designated frames, allowing for a margin to accommodate any page scaling features utilized.

Saving source files

File name convention

Please respect the following instructions when naming a file you will upload to the platform:

• never use accented characters

• never use special characters

• never use the symbols "<" or ">"

• never insert spaces (" "); replace them with underscores ("_")

• make a preference for lowercase

File extension

Always save your files with their extension (.wedia, .tif, .psd …). If a file doesn’t have an extension, it won’t be read by the platform.

Source file or linked images path

The path (folder’s name) of files which will be uploaded to the platform must respect the following conventions:

• never use accented characters

• never use special characters

• never use the symbols "<" or ">"

• never insert spaces (" "); replace them with underscores ("_")

• make a preference for lowercase

Example

The following file path is not correct:

You can notice the path has spaces, accented characters, special characters (•) or punctuation signs (":" or ".").

The image path must be changed to: