Content delivery
Technology and media
Technical writers know how documentation is published, the manufacturing process from hard copy material to digital and intelligent content delivery.
Technical writers need to understand the functioning of platforms for publishing and to use them.
This topic explores the process of publishing content.
- Know about specifications for printing (formats, paper quality, bindings)
- Know about printing methods (offset, digital printing, etc.)
- Know about manual processes (e.g., finishing, collating)
- Publish content
- Deliver a version-specific document
- Integrate supplier's documentation
- Integrate a document into a multilingual product
- Set up parameters for creating PDFs (resolution, compression)
- Integrate illustrations (linking vs. embedding)
- Integrate non-printable elements (animations, video)
- Create navigation aids to link PDF pages and PDF documents
- Compose formulas and formula fields in PDF
- Integrate PDF security, e.g. signature, copy protection
- Know the requirements on content for digital delivery (e.g., online help, web pages, displays)
- Assemble contents already delivered digitally (e.g., online help, web pages, apps, displays, e-books, HTML5, PDF)
- Integrate information into products (mouseover, tooltips, online help)
- Create metadata for controlling publication
- Use backup systems
- Create multichannel publishing
- Create dynamic content delivery
- Create metadata for intelligent content delivery
- Create interactions between various systems in multichannel publishing (CMMS) and translation memory systems
- Know the specifics of publication media (e.g., print, Internet browsers, viewers, audio, sensors)
- Choose output devices (e.g., PC screen, smartphone, tablet, data medium, loudspeaker, projector, glasses, headset, paper) and their characteristics for integrating information products, e.g., in terms of storage, archivability, readers, mobility, availability, usage environment (e.g., dust, temperature, soiling, humidity, mobility, online connection)
- Assess and select the medium for technical writing output (e.g., according to the target group)