Tools for converting existing documents into Web content

While also choosing InfiNet to host its web enterprise, the Washington Times picked a more familiar tool for creating its web pages -- Quark XPress augmented by BeyondPress from Astrobyte USA of Denver, Colo. Times R&D Manager Gil Roschuni demonstrated how it's done.

BeyondPress converts to HTML pre-designed templates built in XPress. There is one page template per section and a directory for the stories deeper in each section. After dragging text from a print page built in XPress, the section front is tailored in XPress to look as it would on the Web. Roschuni sharpens image GIFs in Photoshop. Then BeyondPress generates a conversion. Features allow drag-and-drop from floating palates, just like applying Style sheets in the print version, and easy ways to check links on the staging site, Roschuni said. (The latest BeyondPress version, 3.0, was released Monday, June 22.)

Originally putting 12 stories a day on the web, the Times now presents as many as 40, with one person dedicated to producing the pages after print deadline and another editorial staffer devoted to writing summaries for indexes and choosing full stories and photos. Traffic is about a million "hits" per week, and about 20 subscriptions a week are attributed to readers of the site.

The Times uses SiteMill to manage its revolving door of files and Roschuni still uses BBEdit to tweak and manually build some pages. He also looks forward to trying the built-in font technology that they haven't used.

A production of The Cole Group, Copyright (c) 1997, All Rights Reserved.

Last updated: 25 June 1997.

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