Basis for Design Templates

What should I consider when I create documents to send to Mediaflow for programming?

With Mediaflow Design Templates, you can easily and efficiently create locally adapted and brand-secured communication material. The templates can be accessed from within Mediaflow or from a Mediaflow Portal.

We help you create the templates

To use design templates, these need to be programmed by us at Mediaflow. The templates are tailored based on your needs and documents.

The work process for developing templates

Design templates are handled by the Mediaflows Professional Services department. The process of programming the templates begins after the start-up meeting when we have received your documentation. We start by analyzing the data and feedback to you with any questions. We help you with good advice on how the templates can be designed in the smartest way based on the conditions.

We start work on the template only after we have received approval from you for the time estimate / cost estimate we have sent based on the data. Because we help our customers in turn, the time until the template is ready can vary, but normally it is a couple of weeks.

When the template is ready for the first test, you will find it inside Mediaflow in the folder "Design templates". In order for the process to be as efficient as possible, we want you to compile a written response. Then the templates are adjusted with any corrections.

Once a template has been approved by you, you publish it in your Mediaflow Portal. After publication, you can contact the support regarding general issues or the Professional Services department if you want to change your templates or want new templates. The process then begins again.

Basis

In order for the process to proceed smoothly, we would like the information from you to be as clear as possible. What we want from you is the following for each template:

1. Graphic background

We need an Adobe InDesign document with associated linked material such as fonts and images in a zip file for each template. In order to be able to easily collect all the elements, there is a function called Indesign Package/Paket.
Read here how to create an indesign package

You can easily upload the zip file in Mediaflow in a folder called "Template specifications" which we have created under the folder "Design templates". You can also include the Order Specification (see below) in the zip file of course.

2. The order specification

The order specification contains instructions on what can be changed and any other comments regarding colors, choices, etc.

This can be done by using Indesign, where you can add several pages with versions of layout options and write comments.

Or by using pdf comments.

Checklist / Guide for order specification

Here is information on what you need to think about when you complete the documentation.

General about the template

• What do you want the template to be called?
• Which elements should be able to be replaced in the document?
• Are there different variants / layouts in the template? Please specify.
• Should the template be used for printing, printing or both. The choice affects how we technically generate the pdf file.

Pictures

You can let users select images. If an image is to be exchanged, this is usually done by the user selecting images from Mediaflow, however, only the images you allow should be displayed in the Design Generator. All allowed images are available in all templates. Here the user cuts the image freely but a low resolution warning ensures quality.

Read more about how to control which images can be selected in Design templates

• Should the user also be able to choose from a number of default images?
• Should the user be able to choose to upload an image from their computer and use it in the template?
• Should it be possible for the person using the template to hide the image? Should there be a penalty in the template in that case?

Color plates

You can make color plates, circles and other graphic elements selectable.

• Should it be possible for the person using the template to hide the element? Should there be a penalty in the template in that case (eg that something else disappears)?
• Should you be able to change color? In that case, which colors, please specify color values in CMYK.
• Should it be possible to move the element e.g. between right and left? In that case, include an example in your Indesign document.

Single-line text fields

• Should you be able to hide the text line completely? What will be the consequence? Should something else be turned off or moved?
• What should it say in the field when the template is opened (feel free to insert this text in your document)?
• Should you be able to change color? In that case, which colors, please specify color values in CMYK.
• If the text size can be changed, we can either make sure that the text size is reduced automatically when the text does not fit in the box, in which case specify the minimum degree. Alternatively, specify which text sizes can be selected in points, eg 12, 14, 16 pt.

Multi-line text fields (text blocks)

• Should you be able to hide the text line completely? What will be the penalty? Should something else be turned off or moved?
• What should it say in the field when the template is opened (feel free to insert this text in your document)?
• Should you be able to change color? In that case, which colors, please specify color values in CMYK.
• Should the text size be able to be changed? Specify which text sizes can be selected in points eg 12, 14, 16 pt.
• Should the text block be adjusted at the top, bottom or centered in height, ie. should it grow up, down or centered as new rows are entered?
• How big can the text block be? We can specify the maximum number of rows or be limited to a certain height in mm.

Dynamic text blocks

This works as a multi-line text field above but with the addition that we can define several different paragraph formats that the user can choose from. This means that we provide flexibility to those who use the template to choose how the text sequence should be. Typically, you are given the opportunity to enter intermediate headings and bulleted lists.

• Same questions as for text blocks above.
• Specify which paragraph formats can be selected in the block and what you want them to be called. Include examples of these in your Indesign document.

Other selectable graphic elements

It is possible to let the user change other elements, such as images, tiles and texts.

• Specify which elements can be selected in between and include these in your document, for example in different layers or on different pages.

Smart choices

With smart choices, we can make the template more dynamic by hiding and showing different elements

Some examples:

• Choice for different layout variants (large image / small image ...)
• Choice of language
• Placement of an element (right, left, centered ...)
• Choice of number of collaboration logos

Colors

We also need to know which colors we should relate to in the template, especially if these are to be selectable. These are unique per template and can be included in the material in the document or in text.

Example:

Media flow-blue

CMYK: 70, 28, 5, 0.
HEX: #4698CB