Illuminations
In this issue:
- Coming soon: Paths from DITA to PDF
- Webinar shuffle
- Things to consider when moving to DITA
- Aloha O'Keefe
- LavaCon: Register now to get free consulting from Scriptorium
- A strategic alliance
Coming soon: Paths from DITA to PDF
There are several choices for rendering PDF output from DITA content, and each choice comes with its own trade-offs in sophistication, ease of use, automation, and costs.
In August, we'll release a publication that evaluates the PDF-producing capabilities of several tools and technologies that support DITA, including XSL-FO, FrameMaker, Arbortext, MadCap Flare, XMetaL, and more. Check our blog and next month's newsletter for more information.
Webinar shuffle
We have rescheduled two webinars for August:
- How to Build a Business Case (August 4, 11 a.m. Eastern time)
Presented by Jack Molisani - Beyond Documentation (August 5, 11 a.m. Eastern time)
Presented by Ellis Pratt
For $20, you get an hour-long presentation and 15 minutes of Q&A with an industry expert. Attendees also receive a free recording of the session.
If you can't attend a webinar but would still like to view the presentation, you can purchase a recording for $20. You can find previously recorded webinars in our online store.
Things to consider when moving to DITA
Two of the upcoming free webinars hosted by JustSystems and presented by Scriptorium's Simon Bate have been rescheduled.
Converting Unstructured FrameMaker to DITA has been moved to August 25 at 2 p.m. Eastern time. This webinar covers the best practices for converting unstructured FrameMaker to structured, topic-based DITA content.
Converting Microsoft Word to DITA is now on September 1 at 2 p.m. Eastern time. This webinar covers the best practices for converting Microsoft Word files to structured, topic-based DITA content.
Getting Started with Reuse is still scheduled for September 17 at 2 p.m. Eastern time. After your documentation is in DITA, you'll want to start taking advantage of the reuse capabilities of topic-based content. There are many things to consider as you start to create and maintain content that is genuinely reusable. Attend this webinar to learn guidelines and best practices to help your team move to an environment that supports reuse.
Check our blog and later editions of this newsletter for information about registration, which will open about three weeks before the events.
Aloha O'Keefe
Sarah O'Keefe is currently enjoying the beautiful weather and scenery in Honolulu, Hawaii, for the 2009 International Professional Communication Conference. She has already offered her presentation on What Do Movable Type and XML Have in Common?, a look at how publishing technologies have revolutionized and changed the way people access and consume information. If you were unable to attend the presentation, you can read Sarah's article on the subject.
LavaCon: Register now to get free consulting from Scriptorium
It has become a Scriptorium tradition to offer free chocolate and printed versions of our white papers at conferences. This year, we're going a step further and offering free workflow consultations at LavaCon 2009 in New Orleans, Louisiana, from October 25–27.
To get the free consultation, register and book your room in the conference hotel by July 27 (next Monday). Only one consultation will be offered per company. There are a limited number of slots available, so register soon.
A strategic alliance
Scriptorium Publishing and SDI Global Solutions have entered into a strategic alliance to cross-market each other's services. The new partnership will allow us to offer SDI's documentation services as a complement to our workflow consulting services.
Read the press release for more details.
Comments? Questions?
We welcome your suggestions for newsletter topics. Drop us a line at comments@scriptorium.com.
If you know colleagues who could benefit from our services, please let them know about us. They can also contact info@scriptorium.com.