Managing Editor Inc. (MEI) has released Ad Layout System (ALS) v4.2, a Mac OS X-native version of their software that also runs on Mac OS 9. Ad Layout System is designed as a workflow solution for publications that paginate advertisements using Adobe InDesign and QuarkXPress.
ALS provides tools for building dummies and runsheets, and can be used to create ad stacks based on specific page gravity. It generates reports based on cost and issue information, and helps to manage related issues like advertising ratios and color press information.
In addition to native Mac OS X support, ALS 4.2 employs a bevy of new features including the addition of the Free Space Palette, which show users available ad and edit space page-by-page. Printing has been reworked in the new version, and a new Lock palette and Align palette have been added.
The Layout palette replaces the Layout Manager, and new Edit Ad dialog adds new fields and reorganizes information into tabs. The new Sections palette helps to let users apply and edit sections and formats, and a new Templates interface exposes a graphical view of the actual template and the ability to alter it on the fly before applying to a page.
More details about Ad Layout System v4.2 are available from the Managing Editor Web site. This upgrade is free for current Premium Site Support Agreement (PSSA) members; contact MEI for further pricing information.
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