Hanna Bugla
Automated production of print media with database publishing
Database publishing is a process for the automated creation of print and digital publications through the use of structured data sources. Information from PIM, DAM or ERP systems is linked with layout programs such as Adobe InDesign or special publishing tools. This allows complex documents such as product catalogs, price lists, brochures or technical data sheets to be generated efficiently and error-free. Automation significantly reduces the amount of manual work required, while ensuring that the content remains up-to-date and consistent. This makes database publishing particularly valuable for companies with extensive product information or frequently changing content.
How does database publishing work?
Three essential components are required for the production process:
The role of the data source in database publishing
The data source is the basis on which all publications are created. After all, without the product details, images and prices, a catalog would have little chance of success, let alone sales appeal! For the large, complex production processes, PIM (product information management) systems are especially beneficial. These manage large volumes of product data, all kinds of texts and media assets, such as images, videos and audio from a central location. For this reason, PIM systems are often enhanced by a media asset management (MAM) system. They offer the benefit of collecting massive volumes of product and marketing-related content in a single location.
In addition to having a data source such as PIM, it is essential that data is structured clearly and uniformly, and that it is regularly maintained. If new products and articles are added to a product range, the relevant information must be entered in the system. When there are changes to key data like price, color or size, the data must be updated. If these requirements are met, it lays the foundation for successful database publishing.
Use of layout programs in database publishing
To transfer the structured data to a print medium, a layout program such as Adobe InDesign is needed. The layout program is used to fill the individual pages with content. The product images are then manually added to the pages along with product descriptions, charts, prices and any additional information. Database publishing makes these steps unnecessary. The desired content is exported to the program at the push of a button. This is made possible by first defining a customized layout and creating appropriate templates for products and pages. These are added to the layout document as placeholders and linked to the data source. This allows critical product information (price, article number, order number, etc.) to be updated from the database shortly before the file goes to print. By updating the placeholders in the document, precisely these changes are identified and implemented. This makes the catalog production process more accurate, quicker and less expensive. If a catalog is produced in multiple languages, these benefits multiply many times over, which results in enormous long-term savings in terms of time and cost.
A plugin is required for database publishing
A connection, known as a plugin, is required so that the data source and the layout program can communicate with each other. Plugins are used, such as priint:suite projects to create the templates and placeholders that are required for database publishing. Production is planned online in priint:planner; products and structures are categorized. The plugin’s various components allow a customized export of data with a high degree of automation.
Video: What is database publishing?
6 benefits of database publishing for companies
- 1. Quality
A high level of quality can be ensured as long as the database is consistently kept up to date and the project was successfully implemented. The data is imported precisely and last-minute changes to, e.g. prices, can be made at the push of a button. This is particularly helpful when a project includes hundreds of pages of price lists — in these cases, manual proofreading is a truly Herculean task. The catalog and price list production processes become extremely reliable. - 2. Time savings
What do people so often want more of? That’s right — time. After an intense period of project planning and implementation, the content manager will benefit from immense time savings. Even large print publications can now be produced at the click of a mouse, which frees up time and budget for additional marketing efforts. In addition, it creates a competitive advantage by allowing companies to respond more quickly to market demands. - 3. Long-term value
After the initial setup, the infrastructure, place holders, product templates and page templates are available for use in all future publications. Product data is maintained by all users in one central location, which means that data sets no longer need to be looked up, copied and pasted from old emails, Excel lists, Word documents etc. every time a catalog needs to be produced. - 4. Always up to date
Shortly before finalizing the print media, an update can be carried out to ensure that all data is up to date. This makes it possible to update product information at the last minute without needing to search the entire document and potentially introduce typos. - 5. Easy to use
Database publishing simplifies the production process immensely. Automation plays a very important role — page-long lists and references within the document are created and filled in automatically. The intuitive user interface makes production at the push of a button a reality. - 6. Multilingual
Producing content in multiple languages is child’s play with database publishing, because neither the templates nor the structures need to be adjusted. The only requirement is that the multilingual content is entered and available in the database.
Conclusion
Database publishing is a powerful tool that enables the efficient and fast creation of digital and printed publications. The technical connection to systems that act as a “single source of truth” (such as PIM) ensures a high level of data security and quality. Database publishing can also be found under the term dynamic publishing, which describes a broader approach with a clearer inclusion of digital processes and products.
If you are looking for a fast, resource-saving and secure process for your own publications, please get in touch with us:
