Sotheby's, one of the world's two largest auctioneers of fine arts, antiques and collectibles, has selected Atomik Roundtrip software from Easypress Technologies as a key element of its new global catalog system. Atomik Roundtrip is XTensions software for cross-media publishing. The software enables users to import XML data into Quark XPress documents, and then faithfully re-export it. Users can update the Quark XPress document if the source XML files change, and update the source XML files if the Quark Xpress documents change.
Sotheby's produces over 300 different catalogs each year and is developing a global system to replace the eight other systems currently in use. Atomik Roundtrip will enable Sotheby's to use XML as the content format for both their print and web catalogs. The XML (eXtensible Markup Language) file format can deliver content from Sotheby's Oracle database to Quark XPress for the print catalogs.
“XML enables us to separate the structure of the content from its presentation, but still have the flexibility to include basic styling information in the XML if we choose,” says Steve Spink, Sotheby's content systems program manager. Then, “All of the advanced styling and layout control can happen in Quark Xpress.” According to Spink, Sotheby's catalogs require a high degree of design input and are particularly tactile and visual: “It was important that the design was in no way compromised by the new XML workflow.”
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Easypress Technologies is based in London, UK has provided cross-media publishing software to publishers such as Jane's Information Group, Harvard Business School Publishing, and Centaur Communications. (Easypress Technologies: www.easypress.com)