BlackLining 3.0

This manual

This manual is designed to achieve three main purposes: to give quick overview of what BlackLining 3.0 does; to explain how to use it; and to suggest different ways in which it might be used. The manual covers both QuarkXPress and QuarkCopyDesk as the functions are generally the same. Where there are marginal differences (e.g. in wording or names) the QuarkXPress version is used.

To get an immediate idea of how BlackLining 3.0 works, you might find it useful to look at the sample files provided [Go to SAMPLE documents ]. These show a new document and then how it might look after a couple of sessions of revisions using BlackLining 3.0.

Introduction

BlackLining 3.0 is an XTensions™ module to QuarkXPress™ and QuarkCopyDesk™ which allows you to retain a complete audit trail of all changes made to the text of a QuarkXPress/CopyDesk document.

This process of recording all insertion and deletions, known as ‘blacklining’, was a feature of some of the the old, dedicated typesetting systems used in financial printing. BlackLining 3.0 now, uniquely, adds this facility to QuarkXPress and QuarkCopyDesk.

The original version of BlackLining has been widely adopted by major companies involved in preparing such documents as Report & Accounts, Share Issues, Bond and Debt Issues, and statutory reporting to US (EDGAR), UK and other stock exchanges. Indeed, for certain types of document, maintaining an audit trail of changes is a mandatory requirement of such regulatory bodies as SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) in the US, LSE (London Stock Exchange) and FSA (Financial Services Authority) in the UK. The original version of BlackLining has also been adopted for use in non-financial areas such as the legal profession.

BlackLining 3.0 adds a range of new features [see New Features in 3.0 , page 4] which have increased its value in a wide range of non-financial sectors such as legal documents, Disclaimers, Terms & Conditions, and government reporting. And many non-financial industries are also now stringently regulated so BlackLining 3.0 can also be used for documents relating to pharmaceuticals, health and safety, food labelling, etc.

In these specialist (and often fiercely competitive) markets, the ability to offer the security of blacklining can help when pitching for business.

BlackLining 3.0 also provides particular benefits for the production of consultative documents. A good example might be a committee which is preparing an industry standard or specification. Typically, the members of such committees are in several different countries. Using BlackLining 3.0, amendments can be clearly indicated and the revised draft circulated as a PDF [see BlackLining 3.0 and PDF , page 5] for the next round of consultation.

Overview

BlackLining 3.0 allows you to retain a complete audit trail of all changes made to the text of a QuarkXPress/CopyDesk document. It marks insertions with an underline and deletions with a caret. The marks are shown in colour with a user- defined colour for each new ‘session’ or revision.

Additionally, BlackLining 3.0 highlights changes with a side bar on printed output.

The changes made in any particular session, or sequence of sessions, can be ‘Shown’ or ‘Hidden’ both on screen and on printed output.

The QuarkCopyDesk version of BlackLining 3.0 will only display marks in WYSIWYG view (due to limitations in the XT API) although all changes are tracked in all views.

Sample documents

The clearest way to see these features is to take a look at the sample documents provided:

SAMPLE 1 - First draft of document in QuarkXPress

SAMPLE 2 - First BlackLining session with the changes shown in magenta

SAMPLE 3 - Second BlackLining session with the changes shown in cyan

SAMPLE 4 - Showing changes from both sessions at the same time

What’s new in version 3.0?

Version 3.0 of Blacklining is a major upgrade to an established product which makes it a highly sophisticated solution that combines all the features of traditional blacklining with the power of QuarkXPress/CopyDesk to create a professional tool which surpasses the capabilities of traditional blacklining methods.

The main features introduced in version 3.0 are:

• Cross-Platform

BlackLining QXP 3.0 is now available for Macintosh OS and Windows/Windows NT (MacOS only for the CopyDesk version).

• Additional printing options

When printing with registration marks, preferences enable the BlackLining level(s) to be shown in the same line as the document name and a "checksum" to be generated and printed on the same line as the document name. This checksum is a unique number generated for the page. If items on the page differ from one print session to the next then the number will be different.

• Exporting text

A menu item has been added to export all text from a document. The export scans for paragraphs containing BlackLining marks. If a paragraph contains BlackLining marks these are not exported but instead replaced with a <R> and </R> at the start and end of the paragraph indicating that some BlackLining was present. The user has the option to export all text without marks, export all text with marks as above and export all text with full marks, that is the XPress tags version. When the user is prompted to save the file the usual options of file type are presented.

• Removing BlackLining marks

In previous versions, Remove BlackLining removed all BlackLining marks at all levels. BlackLining 3.0 allows the user to decide which levels to remove by presenting a dialogue box to "Remove levels x to y”. The default is to remove from the 1st level to the last, and there is an option to remove all.

• Document Information

Document Information provides details of BlackLining activity such as who made a new session and when. This now includes the session number, e.g. User Mac 1 made new session 3 at Date/Time, and this information can be printed.

BlackLining and PDF

The printing options available mean that all the power of BlackLining can be faithfully represented in PDF files— that is, Portable Document Format, the native format of Adobe® Acrobat®. This provides a whole range of possibilities in the way in which BlackLining 3.0 can be used. Let’s look at some of the potential benefits of using BlackLining 3.0 with PDF.

• PDF is a universally readable format

PDF can be read, and printed, by anyone using the free and freely distributable Acrobat® Reader.

• PDF is cross-platform

This addresses the common problem that whilst you are using BlackLining 3.0 on a Mac, the data is likely to come from and go to a different platform. PDF files can be read on Mac, Windows 95, Windows 97, Windows NT and UNIX.

• Application independent

A copy of QuarkXPress/CopyDesk is required to read a blacklined QuarkXPress/CopyDesk file whereas a PDF file can be read by anyone with the free Acrobat® Reader or a copy of Adobe® Acrobat®. And…

• Document integrity

PDF files contain all the required components such as fonts, images and graphics unlike a QuarkXPress/CopyDesk file where these need to be supplied to ensure accurate representation of the original document.

• Smaller file sizes

PDF files are smaller than their equivalent application files and considerably smaller than other delivery formats such as PostScript (which has no preview) or EPS (which needs to be ‘placed’). For example, this manual was a 1.3Mb QuarkXPress file but is less than 560k as a PDF file.

These smaller file sizes make PDF an ideal format in which to distribute blacklined files to be proofed (by e-mail, ISDN or ftp), to archive files (to provide an electronic audit trail), to deliver files for printing, and to provide files for distribution via Internet or intranet.

• Annotation and security

In addition to being easy to distribute, PDF files combine two other valuable attributes. They can be annotated using Adobe Acrobat but can be password- secured so that they cannot be changed.

It is worth giving some thought to ways in which you may be able to build PDF into your workflow for delivering, disseminating or archiving files.

Planning your use of BlackLining 3.0

Successfully integration of a new piece of software into your workflow can require some planning. Here are some things you might like to consider.

Archiving

Revision levels can be ‘archived’ in a number of ways. BlackLining 3.0 allows you to print out each revision, or sequence of revisions, so that you have a printed history.

We have already discussed how PDF files are an ideal electronic format for archiving [see BlackLining 3.0 and PDF , page 5].

Another option is to create an audit trail by setting BlackLining 3.0 to create a new document for each session [see Setting up your Preferences , page 10].

Working with Preferences

The Preferences are stored in the QuarkXPress/CopyDesk folder. If you want to set a uniform house style for blacklining, these Preferences can be distributed to other BlackLining users in the workgroup. This can be particularly useful in making the session colours consistent across a project where several users are working on several component documents.

It is also possible to have different Preference settings so if, for example, a particular client requires certain session colours or underline weights, you could create the appropriate Preferences and keep them somewhere in a folder called “ABC’s BlackLining Prefs”.

Secure distribution

BlackLined documents are frequently distributed, either internally or externally, for checking or proofing. As we have seen, PDF provides a format which allows comments to be made in the form of annotations while the content of the document is password-secured to prevent editing.

Setting up your preferences

The Preferences for BlackLining 3.0 are found in the Application Preferences of QuarkXPress/CopyDesk.

BlackLining 3.0 adds three new tabs to the Preferences dialog.

The “BL Setup” tab is where you set your preferences for working and screen display.

The “BL Print” tab is where you can set your printing preferences.

The “BL Keys” tab is where you choose the key combinations for starting BlackLining and for making a new session.

You can use the small arrows towards the top right corner of the dialog to navigate between the different tabs.

BlackLining Setup preferences

The BlackLining Setup Preferences dialog box contain the options for working with BlackLining 3.0 and viewing it on screen. They are all fairly self- explanatory but the notes below might be useful.

When selected, BlackLining 3.0 will create an new document whenever either “New Session” is chosen from the BlackLining Palette or “Create New BlackLining Session” from the Utilities menu. The new document will have the same name but with the addition of an incremental number (e.g. Document.1, Document.2, etc).

Automatically starts a new session when the file is opened. This option should be used with care because a BlackLining ‘Session’ — that is, a new revision cycle — may be spread across several QuarkXPress/CopyDesk sessions.

This determines whether word spaces are underlined (like this) or just the words (like this).

If selected, this will show imported text (i.e. using File— Get Text…or E) as an insertion. If not selected, then only typed insertions will be blacklined.

This determines the line weight in points. Remember that this only applies to the the underlines as displayed on screen; the line weights for printing are set in BlackLining Print Setup [see page 13 ].

In the same way, this sets the size at which the deletion caret is displayed on screen.

The final panel in the BlackLining Setup dialog, is where you set the colours you want to use to differentiate each session. Again, this only refers to the screen display, not to printed output.

Simply specify the Session number, choose the colour from the pull-down colour menu, and then click “Set”.

To add colours

Extra colours can be added to the pull-down menu. With no document open, go to Colours… in the Edit menu of QuarkXPress/CopyDesk and click “New”. Added colours will then be available for selection in the BlackLining Setup preferences.

BlackLining Print Setup

The BlackLining Print Setup dialog is where you specify how the blacklining marks are displayed on printed output. Underlines, carets and sidebars all print in their specified colours on PostScript print devices and in PDF files.

These options specify the line weight in points and the vertical offset (or distance from the baseline of the text) of the underlines.

These specify the line weight in points and the horizontal offset (or distance from side of the text block) of the sidebars.

These specify size of the carets and their vertical offset from the baseline of the text.

These preferences enable the BlackLining level(s) and a checksum to be shown in the same line as the document name when printing with registration marks. The checksum is a unique number generated for the page. If items on the page differ from one print session to the next then the number will be different.

The final panel in the BlackLining Setup dialog, is where you set the colours you want to use to differentiate each session on printed output or in PDF files.

Simply specify the Session number, choose the colour from the pull-down colour menu, and then click “Set”.

To add colours

Extra colours can be added to the pull-down menu. With no document open, go to Colours… in the Edit menu of QuarkXPress/CopyDesk and click “New”. Added colours will then be available for selection in the BlackLining Print Setup preferences.

BlackLining Keys Setup Preferences

These preferences allow the user to set keyboard shortcuts for starting/stopping (toggle) BlackLining and for making a new session.

The BlackLining palette

Once you have set up your Preferences, the BlackLining Palette will be your principal interface when working with documents.

As with most things in BlackLining 3.0, the use of the various buttons in the palette is self-evident.

These functions require no explanation.

These buttons allow you to manually underline text or insert a caret. This is useful where for example you wish to highlight a style change such as Bold or a different font which would not be blacklined since there is no change to the textual content.

Manual BlackLine becomes available when text is highlighted; Manual Caret when the cursor is inserted into the text.

This removes all blacklining marks from a selected portion of text.

These are important options since they not only Show/Hide blacklining marks, they also govern what is printed. The rule is that what you see is what you print.

“Current” only shows the blacklining marks for the current session.

“Composite” shows either all sessions by default or a selected sequence of sessions if these are specified in “View from/to…”.

Again, these are important as they can be used to select what is printed. BlackLining 3.0 allows you to print either the marks for a single session or for a sequence of sessions with each differentiated according to the colours selected.

BlackLining Menu Items

Utilities Menu

Some of the functions available under the Utilities menu are the same as those in the BlackLining Palette (page 16 ). Additional items are as follows:

Save BlackLining Text

Allows the user to export all text from a document. The export scans for paragraphs containing BlackLining marks. If a paragraph contains BlackLining marks these are not exported but instead replaced with a <R> and </R> at the start and end of the paragraph indicating that some BlackLining was present. The user has the option to export all text without marks, export all text with marks as above and export all text with full marks, that is the XPress tags version. When the user is prompted to save the file the usual options of file type are presented.

Remove BlackLining

Allows the user to remove all blacklining marks from the Document, Story or Selection.

Merge BlackLining

Allows the user to merge all consecutive blacklining marks in the Document or Story.

Check Document

Check Document does a check on all the BlackLining Tags to see if all is well. It can be useful if a document gets confused, but is rarely needed now.

View Menu

Three BlackLining Items are listed in the View Menu:

Document Info

Document Information provides details of BlackLining activity such as who made a new session and when. This now includes the session number, e.g. User Mac 1 made new session 3 at Date/Time, and this information can be printed.

Show/Hide BlackLining Palette

A toggle to show and hide the BlackLining Palette.

Show/Hide BlackLining

A toggle to show and hide the blacklining marks.

Other Features of BlackLining

• Up to 95 revision levels

The ability to retain up to 95 revision levels is particularly valuable for standing documents which are ongoing rather than intended for a single, specific publication date.

• Side bar highlighting

Side bars appear down the side of a text box at the point where any amendments have been made. This makes checking and quicker and easier — and more reliable since small corrections do not get missed at proofing time.

Side bars were a feature of ‘traditional’ blacklining systems which had been precluded by the ‘box based’ construction of QuarkXPress/CopyDesk content (i.e., all content such as text and images is held in its own bounding box — a Text Box or a Picture Box). BlackLining transcends this barrier.

• PostScript® Level 2/3 printing of blacklining marks

All the markup provided by BlackLining, including individual session colours and side bars, can now be printed to Level 2 and 3 print devices. There is also another major benefit of this feature…

• …Accurate representation of BlackLining markup in PDF files

Since BlackLining can now print the blacklining marks accurately to a printer, it can also ‘print’ it to file as a PostScript file — which can then be distilled into a PDF. The implications of this are enormous.

• Fully native QuarkXPress/CopyDesk 4.0X/4.1X/5.X code

Native code not only provides faster working and quicker screen redraw but also gives better continuity of upgrade and support for the future — vital when you have built working practices and workflows round the software’s capabilities.

System requirements

Macintosh

BlackLining 3.0 requires a PowerMacintosh; it does not run on 68K Macintoshes. It ships in a version which is compatible with QuarkXPress 4.04/CopyDesk SE 2.09 or higher. It has no particular Operating System requirement beyond whatever QuarkXPress/CopyDesk itself requires. Although BlackLining 3.0 does not need a particularly high performance machine, obviously the faster the machine you are using, the more responsive BlackLining 3.0 will be — it’s doing a lot of work behind the scenes.

Windows

BlackLining 3.0 has no particular Operating System requirement beyond whatever QuarkXPress itself requires. BlackLining 3.0 is not currently available for QuarkCopyDesk for Windows. If you are interested in using BlackLining with QuarkCopyDesk for Windows please contact us.

Installation

BlackLining 3.0 runs in either demo mode or as the full, unrestricted product. The XTension should be loaded into the XTension folder within the QuarkXPress/CopyDesk folder as shown below.

In demo mode, it consists of just BlackLining QXP 3.0. In the full production version, it also has a second XTension called BlackLining Key 3.0 which also goes in the XTension folder. This turns it into a fully functional version.

The Demo version

IMPORTANT: Never use live production files when using the the Demo version of BlackLining 3.0. Always work on copy files or dummy files and be sure to remove the Demo version before resuming live production work.

It is important to understand that the Demo version of BlackLining 3.0 will print DEMO across all printed output (including PDF files). This ‘watermark’ is added to the file by the Demo version and cannot be removed, even by upgrading to the full version.

To upgrade from the Demo version

It is very easy to upgrade from the Demo version to the full product as this only requires the provision of BlackLining Key. This is a small file and can be delivered electronically.

To upgrade, please contact your supplier.

Electronic Memory Services Ltd

Disclaimer and copyright information

Grant of Licence

Electronic Memory Services Ltd grants to the end user a non exclusive non transferable licence to use the software on the number of workstations that end user purchased the software licence for which is stated on the master disc. It may not be duplicated or otherwise distributed outside of the end users premises. It may not be copied onto other additional workstations.

Warranty

Electronic Memory Services Ltd warrants that the product will be of merchantable quality and if during the first 90 days of ownership is found to contain an error or malfunction will be replaced free of charge. Electronic Memory Services Ltd will not be liable for any other claim made against it for reasons such as, but not limited to, damages, or consequential loss. The end user should satisfy themselves, by thorough and complete trial of the software, that it meets their needs and is of satisfactory performance to enable it to be used in production or in conjunction with their business.

Disclaimer from Quark Inc.

QUARK, INC. MAKES NO WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, REGARDING THE ENCLOSED COMPUTER SOFTWARE PACKAGE, ITS MERCHANTABILITY, OR ITS FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. QUARK,INC. DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF THE DISTRIBUTORS, RETAILERS AND DEVELOPERS OF THE ENCLOSED SOFTWARE.

WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL QUARK, INC. BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES IN ANY WAY RELATING TO THE USE OR ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF THE ENCLOSED SOFTWARE. QUARK,INC.’S LIABILITY SHALL IN NO EVENT EXCEED FIFTY U.S. DOLLARS (USD 50.00).

THE EXCLUSION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES AND/OR THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES IS NOT ALLOWED IN SOME AREAS, SO THESE EXCLUSIONS AND LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

Trademarks

Quark, QuarkXPress QuarkCopyDesk and XTensions are registered trademarks of Quark, Inc. Adobe, Acrobat, Distiller, PostScript and PostScript 3 are all trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated. All other trade marks are the property of their respective owners.

Copyright

This manual © Electronic Memory Services Ltd 2002