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December 10, 2019

Improved Custom Layout – PA 6.1

Publishing Assistant 6.1 will provide a significantly improved and more flexible interface for creating and configuring custom page layouts.

This update focuses on 2 major areas: 

  1. An improved interface for creating and defining the content for page frames.
  2. More flexible options for organizing multiple marker types within a single frame.  
[Read more…]

Filed Under: PubAssist Features Tagged With: feature, v6.1

December 10, 2019

USFM 3 Support – PA 6.1

Scripture translation projects working in Paratext 9 can choose to use new and updated USFM markup available in USFM 3. Publishing Assistant 6.1 has added support for USFM 3.

This article presents a summary of new USFM 3 markup which you may encounter when typesetting a project from Paratext 9 (or newer). It is not an exhaustive summary of USFM 3 changes, but focuses on the changes and additions which will be of particular interest to a Bible typesetter.

For a complete list of changes in USFM, please refer to the release notes found in the online USFM documentation.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: PubAssist Features Tagged With: feature, usfm, v6.1

May 1, 2017

What’s New in Publishing Assistant 6.0 and 5.1

Publishing Assistant 5.1 and 6.0 contain identical features. Publishing Assistant 6 is required for working with Paratext 8 or newer projects. Publishing Assistant 5.1 works with Paratext 7 projects. Both versions can safely coexist on your computer.

Here is a comprehensive list of what you can expect if upgrading from version 5.0:

General Improvements

  • Major refactor of the code used to convert the Paratext project files into InDesign format. This code in previous versions of PA was written in Python 2.4 and it has all been converted to C# .Net version 4.
  • Numerous unit tests added to improve the integrity of PA before it is released to the field.
  • Numerous bug fixes, enhanced exception/bug reporting.
[Read more…]

Filed Under: PubAssist Features, PubAssist News, Release Notes Tagged With: v5.1, v6.0

March 21, 2017

Verse Numbers in the Margin

Invisible verse markers inside Bible text

Reading the text is a complex activity for one’s eyes and brain. It is a part of designer’s work to make the reading experience effective, enjoyable, smooth, and helpful to the message that the text aims to convey.

One of the ways to do this is to remove obstacles which the eye might encounter while moving along a line of text.

What does this have to do with Bible publishing?

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Filed Under: PubAssist Features Tagged With: v6.0

February 3, 2017

2 in 1: Merging footnotes and cross-references in a single frame with a single click

Standard Layout Merged fnotes and xrefs

Whether one holds on to the Sola Scriptura principle, or to Prima Scriptura, we all agree that Scripture is the best means to interpret Scripture. And using this means of interpretation became easier and more efficient when in the 16th century Christians agreed to divide text of biblical books into chapters and verses. Very soon after that the great-great-grandparents of modern hyperlinks came to be — cross-references (xrefs).

Geneva Bible 1599

One of the first English Study Bibles — the Geneva Bible (1560) uses xrefs extensively. Since that time xrefs are an indispensable part of many printed and digital Bibles.

By default a basic Bible layout produced by Publishing Assistant will display any footnotes or cross-references at the bottom of the page, with all of the footnotes presented first, followed by the collection of cross-references.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: PubAssist Features Tagged With: feature, fnote, xref

Quick Support Links

  • Scripture Typesetting Training – Sept-Oct 2022 (Online)
  • Getting Started
  • What’s New in PA 6.1
  • User Documentation
  • Scripture Markup (USFM)

News and Updates

  • Scripture Typesetting Training – Sept-Oct 2022 March 23, 2022
  • What’s New in Publishing Assistant 6.1 August 25, 2020
  • What’s New in InDesign 2019–2020 December 10, 2019
  • Improved Custom Layout – PA 6.1 December 10, 2019
  • USFM 3 Support – PA 6.1 December 10, 2019

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