Mindener Tageblatt Automates Mobile Newspaper Production with Agfa Eversify

Rob van den Braak/23/02/2017/Production/Technology, Publishing

German newspaper publisher, Mindener Tageblatt, has streamlined production of the mobile version of its newspaper using Eversify, the mobile content publishing software from Agfa Graphics. The cloud-based solution has automated the entire production and publication process, enabling the publisher to deliver content optimized for smartphones and tablets.

Mobile requires different approach to print and web

J.C.C. Bruns-owned Mindener Tageblatt produces various versions of its newspaper, with a printed circulation of 32,000 copies and a website that gets up to 25,000 visits per day. The publisher began developing in-house a version for mobile devices, as part of its multi- channel strategy. However, the growing diversity of viewing platforms complicated production, as the processes became too complex and labor intensive.

Christoph Pepper, editor-in-chief, realized a different solution was required: “Producing a mobile newspaper is a completely different ball game. Our page layout systems are optimized for printed newspapers, not for producing dynamic content for mobile devices. We needed an automated solution that could blend XML data from our editorial systems into an optimized layout for a variety of mobile devices and operating systems.”

The Mindener Tageblatt five-step mobile publishing strategy

Adopt ‘Responsive Design’ philosophyAll content was customized for an optimal viewing experience on all digital-display media, such as monitors, tablets or smartphones. This was crucial for making production and process structures more lean and cost-effective. The publisher also redesigned its website and related digital content according to this philosophy.
Assess the publishing optionsMindener Tageblatt wanted to bring all versions of its ePaper together on one production platform, including the web versions. This left the publisher with two options – create its own solution or adapt its own setup. Both options would be costly, either from a capital investment or labor perspective.

Reach for the cloud

Mindener Tageblatt has a long-standing partnership with Agfa Graphics. One of the main reasons the publisher chose Eversify was because it didn’t need to invest in any additional hardware or software. Eversify is a cloud-based solution, hosted within Agfa Graphics’ secure infrastructure. Also, updates and new functionality are added automatically.

Maximize use of existing resources

Eversify integrates easily with newspaper editorial and production environments, enabling Mindener Tageblatt to make best use of its existing editing and production resources. It automatically creates appealing ePapers, which can also be edited via an easy-to-use back-office when needed. The final app presentation is created using full HTML5 functionality, making it suitable for various digital output devices.

Test the output

During the production process, Eversify can simulate how the final content will be presented on various virtual media, such as tablets or smartphones. Currently, Mindener Tageblatt isn’t using these options to produce its ePaper+, but Pepper plans to exploit it in future: “It will play an essential role when we develop additional products. It’s all part of a unified publishing workflow that combines print, digital products, and publication apps, to create a premium reading experience, whatever platform the reader is using.”

For Pepper, the partnership between Mindener Tageblatt and the Eversify team has proved very successful: “They were very professional in terms of product conception, design and support. We were able to develop our ePaper+ edition in a record time. Believe me, it doesn’t get much better than this.”

Rainer Kirschke, Business Manager Mobile Publishing for Eversify, Agfa Graphics, comments: “The software is really easy to integrate, whatever the platform. It has enabled Mindener Tageblatt to cost-effectively produce an optimized mobile version of its newspaper, and offer its mobile-device readership a highly engaging experience.”

Read Christoph Pepper’s blog on mobile publishing via this link.

Rob van den Braak

Printer’s devil (1964), phototypesetter, offsetprinter, teacher of graphic techniques, salesmanager, productmanager, trade journalist, founder of BlokBoek e-zine (2011). But above all husband, father, friend and lover of life in southern Spain (since 2010).