The Seybold Report on Desktop Publishing articles from February 1993

The Seybold Report on Desktop Publishing archives from February 1993

Authoring systems for creating CD-ROMs: a look at the products. (summary of the featured article; includes index) (Brief Article)
February 1, 1993... The process of creating a cd-rom disc involves two classes of software. First, text and other files must be imported, organized and indexed by an "authoring" system. Second, a retrieval program reads the index files and locates the sought-after...

Apple strategy, fonts for electronic documents. (summary of a feature article on Apple's product strategy as discussed at the MacWorld Expo and No Hands Software's new Common Ground electronic document viewer) (Brief Article)
February 1, 1993... The annual Macworld show gave us an opportunity to see how well Apple's strategy is holding up against the onslaught of low-priced clones running Windows. Our take: it's doing pretty well. Apple still commands premium prices for its cpus, which...

Ofoto for color. (preview of inside article on new Ofoto scanning software from Light Source) (Brief Article)
February 1, 1993... The latest innovation from Light Source is a color version of its Ofoto scanning software. With automatic color correction, it makes scanning a one-step process. It won't replace Photoshop, but it handles auto focus, separations and calibration.

Cool scanning from Nikon. (summary of inside article on Nikon's new Coolscanner color slide scanner) (Brief Article)
February 1, 1993... Cool scanning from Nikon. Nikon's newest color slide scanner uses an led light source, enabling it to run much cooler than other scanners and, therefore, to fit in the floppy disk bay of a computer. The Coolscanner supports 2,700-dpi resolution...

Folio Views for Windows, Mac. (summary of inside article on new versions of Folio's text-retrieval software) (Brief Article)
February 1, 1993... Folio Views for Windows, Mac. Folio is adding Windows and Macintosh versions of its text-retrieval software.

FontChameleon mimics fonts. (summary of inside article on Ares's new master font software) (Brief Article)
February 1, 1993... FontChameleon mimics fonts. Ares's latest font product uses one master font to create thousands of other fonts, serif and sans serif, using attributes to modify the master. It could be useful in delivery of electronic documents.

Five years ago. (excerpts from an article on output quality factors in the Feb 8, 1988, issue of the newsletter) (Brief Article)
February 1, 1993... Our feature article, called "Beyond Resolution: Other Output Quality Factors," was adapted from a presentation by David Spencer at the Seybold Desktop Publishing Conference in September 1987. We'll highlight a few key comments. "Resolution...

Creating a CD-ROM: overview of the product field. (CD-ROM authoring and data retrieval software packages; includes company directory and related article on resources for doing research) (Buyers Guide)
February 1, 1993... Last August, we published a broad overview of the cd-rom publishing process. This month, we continue that discussion by characterizing some of the specific software tools, called authoring systems, that prepare and index text, data and graphics...

Macworld: mid-winder shopping for the rest of us. (Apple lays outs its product and market strategy for the 1990s at the Macworld Expo; a new solution for ensuring fonts are transferred with documents is No Hand's Common Ground; the software is compared to Adobe's Acrobat)
February 1, 1993... What Comdex is to all true-blue pc fans -- the annual pilgrimage that the faithful must make -- Macworld Expo is to Macintosh users. They come from all corners of the world to see the latest neat computers from Apple and the innovative software...

Color version of Ofoto arrives: auto correction with manual overrides. (new version 2 of Ofoto software from Light Source makes color scanning and correction a one-step process) (Product Announcement)
February 1, 1993... Light Source has done it again. Ofoto version 2 has automatic color-correction features that make color scanning a one-step process, just as version 1 did for monochrome scans. In effect, Ofoto is an "expert in a box" for color correction. And...

Nikon shows Coolscan personal slide scanner: as easy as popping in a floppy disk. (new $2,100, 2700-dpi LS-10 Coolscan personal scanner from Nikon Electronic Imaging is not fast but is small, cost-effective and easy-to-use) (Product Announcement)
February 1, 1993... Interested in adding a personal color slide scanner to your arsenal, but concerned about cost and the space it would take on your desk? Nikon may have the answer in its new Coolscan Personal Scanner, an inexpensive slide scanner that fits into...

Folio rewrites Views for Windows, Mac: multiuser editing, WYSIWYG display, multimedia support. (Software Review) (new version 3.0 of Folio Corp.'s Views text-retrieval software offers improved appearance and functionality over previous MS-DOS-only version)
February 1, 1993... Folio Corporation, supplier of Folio Views text-retrieval software, has introduced a Windows version of Folio Views that is substantially better in appearance and functionality than Folio's previous dos-based product. It also announced that a...

FontChameleon mimics thousands of fonts: parametric rendering from one master. (Software Review) (new font designer from Ares Software Corp. is fast and easy to use)
February 1, 1993... Larry Applegate and the Ares gang (creators of FontMonger, and of Letraset's FontStudio before that, see p. 44) have come up with another amazing program. FontChameleon consists of a set of generic character outlines, plus a set of...

FontMonger 1.5 adds outline editing: supports Corel, Intellifont, Nimbus Q. (Software Review) (enhancements in the new version of the easy-to-use font conversion and editing software from Ares Software)
February 1, 1993... Although the big news from Ares Software is Font Chameleon (see p. 43), the company has also been busy updating its other products, FontMonger and FontHopper. It has shipped FontMonger 1.5 for Macintosh, which adds significant new features to...

Cheap, cheerful and powerful multimedia: Windows-based authoring tool offered by UK developer. (new PictureBook Interactive Multimedia software package from Digithurst) (Product Announcement)
February 1, 1993... For publishers looking at developing multimedia titles, a new authoring system can prove useful for creating, prototyping and developing the product. One such product is PictureBook Interactive Multimedia, developed by UK-based Digithurst in...

French firms offer fault tolerance for Unix PCs. (Brief Article; new Twinix fault-tolerant UNIX system from Tolerance Computer SA is based on Chorus Systemes SA's Mix distributed multiple-server implementation of UNIX) (Product Announcement)
February 1, 1993... Tolerance SA and Chorus Inc. have announced the first pc-based fault-tolerant Unix system, Twinix. Fault-tolerant computers are designed to continue functioning in the event of failures such as software errors, power outages and human mistakes....

Symbolics ports Genera environment to Unix: object-oriented development system used in information technologies. (Brief Article: the UK's Symbolics Ltd. introduces NXP1000 system for delivering Genera on a networked UNIX environment) (Product Announcement)
February 1, 1993... UK-based Symbolics Limited is one of the original suppliers of object-oriented systems. It recently announced NXP1000 to deliver its Genera object-oriented software environment on to commercial Unix platforms. Genera is an...

Aldus picks KEPS for its color management: PageMaker, other applications to make use of Precision color management. (Aldus will integrated KEPS's Precision Color Management System into the PageMaker desktop publishing software and other Aldus applications) (Brief Article)
February 1, 1993... Countering Quark's deal last fall with EFI, Aldus has struck a deal with KEPS to integrate the KEPS Precision Color Management System into PageMaker and other Aldus applications. KEPS, formerly Kodak Electronic Printing Systems, sells its...

Syquest's 88-MB drive better supports old 44s: reads from, writes to 44-MB cartridges. (Brief Article)(new SQ5110C 88Mbyte removable cartridge drive from Syquest Technology available as DP88C through OEM Mass Microsystems) (Product Announcement)
February 1, 1993... Syquest Technology has announced a new 88-mb removable cartridge drive, the model SQ5110C. (The important part is the C suffix.) What makes this one interesting is that Syquest claims the new drive can both read and write (but not format) the...

Calendar correction: Siggraph dates, phone. (Brief Article: 1993 Siggraph trade show will be Aug 1-6, 1993; correct phone number is 312-644-6610) (Correction Notice)
February 1, 1993... It has been called to our attention that the 1993 Siggraph show will be held August 1-6, rather than August 2-6, as appears in our 1993 Calendar of Events. We also published the wrong area code for the Siggraph contact. The phone number should...

Kai's PowerTools: spiffy Photoshop effects: fractals, gradients, grime, noise. (Brief Article)(new Kai's Power Tools from HSC Software add a wide array of special effects to Adobe Photoshop image processing software) (Product Announcement)
February 1, 1993... At the recent Macworld exhibition, HSC Software unveiled a collection of Photoshop plug-ins that provide an amazing array of special effects for the creative artist. Written by Kai Krause, Kai's Power Tools is a group of 33 filters that...

UK's Synergy unveils color PhotoScript RIP: RIP boards for Mac or PC. (Brief Article)(new PhotoScript-24 raster image processor cards includes color PostScript-compatible interpreter) (Product Announcement)
February 1, 1993... Synergy, a British development firm, has introduced a Nubus rip card called PhotoScript-24, and a color PostScript-compatible interpreter called PhotoScript. We ran across it at Macworld, where it was being shown in the booth of its U.S....

Monotype-ITC jury finds no breach: damages hearing next, appeals likely. (mid-Jan 1993 decision says Monotype Typography did not breach contract with International Typeface Corp. in licensing TrueType fonts to Microsoft) (Brief Article)
February 1, 1993... Following a three-week trial in Seattle Federal District Court, an 11-member jury ruled in mid-January that Monotype Typography had not breached its contract with International Typeface Corporation. This ruling appears to mark the winding down...

Fiber-fan scanning patent. (Advanced Technology Consortium receives patent on the fiber-optic fanout technology used in Photon's Laserfan printer) (Brief Article)
February 1, 1993... Fiber-fan scanning patent. ATC, which developed the fiber-optic fanout technology used in Photon's Laserfan printer (see Vol. 6, No. 11, p. 24), reports that it has received its patent. ATC uses a multibeam light source that is swept across a...

Stock cartoons. (Sandhill Arts sells floppy disks containing digitized cartoons by well-known cartoonists) (Brief Article)
February 1, 1993... Stock cartoons. Sandhill Arts puts out a series of floppies containing cartoons by well-known artists. (You may have seen their work in The New Yorker, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, etc.) You may choose eps format on Mac disks or cgm...

Rebus ships Recollect. (Brief Article)(new image-based information management software includes Caere's OmniPage optical character recognition tools) (Product Announcement)
February 1, 1993... Rebus ships Recollect. Rebus has begun delivering its Recollect image-based information management tool that includes the Caere OmniPage ocr engine. The list price is $795. For highlights of Recollect's functionality, see Vol. 7, No. 2, p. 44.

Donnelley deal with Apple PIE. (new alliance between R.R. Donnelley and Apple's Personal Interactive Electronics will develop information products, including Donnelley's GeoSystems map/travel data software, for Apple's Newton portable information technology) (Brief Article)
February 1, 1993... Donnelley deal with Apple PIE. R.R. Donnelley announced a strategic business relationship with Apple's Personal Interactive Electronics (PIE) division. The intent is to develop a wide range of digital information products for Apple's Newton....

International stock photos. (stock photo house Digital Zone introduces $599 Photo CD sampler of 50 images) (Brief Article)
February 1, 1993... International stock photos. Digital Zone, a stock photo house that owns 1.2 million images covering 150 countries, has released a sampler album of 50 images on Photo CD. It is priced at $599 (plus shipping) and includes advertising-use rights...

PowerPage upgrade. (Pipeline Assoc. offers 50-percent licensing fee and 10-percent royalty rate discounts on the PowerPage Level 2 printer software through Feb 26, 1993) (Brief Article)
February 1, 1993... PowerPage upgrade. Pipeline Associates has announced discounts of 50% off its licensing fees and 10% off its royalty rates for its PowerPage Level 2 product. The discounts, valid through Feb. 26, 1993, are open to any company that holds an oem...

Treacyfaces moves. (PostScript typeface vendor moves to larger West Haven, CT, quarters and adds two new faces ) (Brief Article)
February 1, 1993... Treacyfaces moves. Treacyfaces, supplier of original PostScript typefaces for the Macintosh, has moved to larger quarters at the address below. It has about 50 faces in its library. Treacyfaces also announced completion of two new faces and...

EFI supports TruMatch. (new agreement will result in integration of Electronics for Imaging's EfiColor with TruMatch's ColorPrinter Software and, later, TruMatch 4-Color Selector with EFI's Cachet color editing software) (Brief Article)
February 1, 1993... EFI supports TruMatch. Electronics for Imaging has signed an agreement with TruMatch under which EfiColor will be integrated with TruMatch's ColorPrinter Software for defining the output of PostScript-compatible printers. In addition, in the...

ZSoft ships PhotoFinish 2. (Brief Article)(enhancements in the new version of the Windows-based image editing software package) (Product Announcement)
February 1, 1993... ZSoft ships PhotoFinish 2. The new version of the Windows-based image editor includes an AutoEnhance feature that straightens, crops and filters images automatically. It also includes jpeg compression, ole support, device calibration, new...

Ventura signs with Hamlet. (Ventura Software licenses Hamlet Software Systems APS's Windows-based image editing technology) (Brief Article)
February 1, 1993... Ventura signs with Hamlet. Ventura Software has licensed the Windows image editing technology developed by Hamlet Software Systems APS, of Aarhus, Denmark. It plans to use the code in a series of professional color graphics products. Ventura...

Bitstream offers upgrades. (Brief Article)(new version 2.0 of FaceLift for WordPerfect) (Product Announcement)
February 1, 1993... Bitstream offers upgrades. Bitstream is offering a new release of FaceLift for WordPerfect (version 2.0) and an upgrade to its Mosaic Network Print Services software. FaceLift for WordPerfect, to be available soon for $99 (upgrades: $40),...

Agfa font disc upgrade. (Brief Article)(new version 3.1 of the AgfaType CD-ROM collection of typefaces also includes two utility programs) (Product Announcement)
February 1, 1993... Agfa font disc upgrade. Agfa has announced version 3.1 of its AgfaType cd-rom product. The latest version expands the number of typefaces available, adding more than 200 typefaces for a total of more than 2,000 available styles. Richard Black's...

Font mixing made easy from Monotype. (Brief Article)(new FontMixer software package facilitates mixing of different fonts to simplify document production) (Product Announcement)
February 1, 1993... A few years ago, a cacaphonous mixture of typefaces on one page was considered the epitome of all that is most horrid in desktop typography. Now Monotype has introduced a tool, FontMixer, to make that horror even easier to achieve. In the right...

Vintage stock photo series on disc: high-quality images, no royalties. (Brief Article)(each of the new Vintage Quality Photographic Images series of CD-ROM discs from Seattle Support Group features the works of one photographer) (Product Announcement)
February 1, 1993... Seattle Support Group plans to offer a series of cd-rom discs called Vintage Quality Photographic Images. Each disc will feature the works of a different photographer. Interestingly, the disc publisher requires no royalties for commercial...

LaserMaster offers 11"x17" printer. (Brief Article)(new $6,995 1200XL Personal Typesetter 1200-dpi laser printer employs a Toshiba print engine) (Product Announcement)
February 1, 1993... LaserMaster offers 11-inch x 17-inch printer. LaserMaster has introduced an 11-inch x 17-inch, 1,200-dpi laser printer called the 1200XL Personal Typesetter, based on a Toshiba print engine. Supporting Macintoshes and pcs, it includes...

LSI adds single-chip JPEG engine: function cores for custom chips. (Brief Article: new $45 L64702 compressor-decompressor integrated circuit from LSI Logic available for a variety of applications, including as core for custom chips) (Product Announcement)
February 1, 1993... LSI Logic, which makes the MIPS processors used in several Adobe rip designs, has announced a single-chip jpeg compressor-decompressor. Although it does not provide as high performance as LSI's three-chip jpeg board (which can keep up with...