The Méthode edition-building workspace now features a fully integrated AI pagination engine
The AI engine takes the text and image files prepared for the print edition and assembles them into a set of optimized layouts in accordance with the publication’s design vocabulary and visual branding.
The front page is excluded from the automated pagination process because its branding and promotional importance means that it will normally require manual design.
AI-driven print page layout is now in production at German daily Nordwest Zeitung.
Read the case study.
Behind the automated layout skills is an AI engine created by Canadian developers Sophi.io. This is a cloud-deployed SaaS (Software as a Service) application, It receives story and page data in JSON format from Méthode and returns complete pagination data to fill the edition plan.
No further copyfitting or adjustment should be necessary, but staff can make manual adjustments to the layouts if they wish.
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The AI engine is first prepared by configuring it with the graphical and typography parameters that define the title’s visual identity and branding.
There then follows a period of training using existing manual layouts, allowing the model to extract the underlying rules that govern the creation of a suitable layout.
The training process continues even after the system enters production as the model ‘learns’ from the manual adjustments made to its layouts by editorial staff.
Page designers, too, are likely to benefit. Freed from the pressure to create large volumes of routine layouts in what is often a stressful race against the clock, they can now devote more time to the front pages, features and special layouts where their creativity can really add value.
By bringing digital productivity benefits to print processes, page automation can make a significant contribution to the productivity and profitability of print publishing operations - particularly for those publishers whose print advertising and subscriptions continue to be important source of revenue.
AI-driven page automation uses artificial intelligence to automatically assemble text and image files into optimized print page layouts that match a publication's design vocabulary and visual branding, significantly reducing manual layout work.
German regional daily Nordwest Zeitung (NWZ) is currently using AI-driven print page layout in production, automating layouts for multiple local editions daily. Other Eidosmedia customers in Germany and France are currently deploying the system.
The page automation is powered by an AI engine created by Canadian developers Sophi.io, deployed as a cloud-based SaaS application that integrates completely with the Méthode edition-management workspace.
No, front pages are excluded from automated pagination because their branding and promotional importance typically require manual design where creativity adds the most value.
The AI engine receives story and page data in JSON format from the editorial workflow and returns complete pagination data to fill the edition plan, with the entire process taking under two minutes for a 10-page section.
Yes, staff can make manual adjustments to automated layouts using normal design tools like copyfitting and picture resizing. This contrasts with some systems that return uneditable PDF pages.
The engine is first configured with graphical and typography parameters that define the publication's visual identity. It then trains using existing manual layouts to extract underlying layout rules, and continues learning from manual adjustments made by editorial staff.
Page designers are freed from creating large volumes of routine layouts under time pressure, allowing them to devote more time to front pages, features, and special layouts where creativity adds real value.
Yes, the reduction in layout times shifts print deadlines later, allowing pages to include more up-to-date story content in breaking news situations.
By bringing digital productivity benefits to print processes, page automation makes significant contributions to productivity and profitability, particularly for publishers whose print advertising and subscriptions remain important revenue sources.
Eidosmedia is a global supplier of advanced content-management and digital publishing systems.
Its products are used by large news-media groups for print and digital publishing.
Customers include business dailies The Financial Times and The Wall Street Journal , as well as generalist news publications like The Times of London, The Washington Post and Le Figaro .
