Even Photoshop doesn’t create the smallest web images possible.
I typically recommend a service like TinyPNG because it can shrink your images by as much as 50% (and more in some cases).
Smaller images mean faster loading and less waiting, which makes for happier readers (especially on mobile devices).
But it does require adding an extra step to your workflow.
With in5 (InDesign to HTML5) version 3.1, all you will have to do is check a box when you export from InDesign, and in5 will automatically optimize the images for you!
See it in action in the video below.
The optimization setting will compress PNGs and JPGs automatically as your HTML5 document is being published and saved to your computer.
Subscribe to be notified when version 3.1 is available.
The team at Hal Leonard publishing has created an amazing digital experience for music teachers and students.
Music Express magazine is in its 18th season and is available as a private download.
The team shared a recent issue with me and I’ve created the video below to show you what’s inside.
The publications includes
Embedded audio
Object states
Student slides
Demonstration videos
Links to support files
and tons of fun stuff to engage students
How They Did it
The interactivity was created visually with Adobe InDesign and exported using in5 (InDesign to HTML5).
The artwork is created by 5 in-house designers and assembled into the digital format by Production Team Leader, Nicole Julius.
The team started producing PDFs with limited interactivity years ago when learning management solutions started popping up in classrooms.
“We had often wished that we could offer HTML5 files, but didn’t have the in-house programmers or knowledge within our art department to be able develop what we wanted.”
“We also knew that outside programming would be cost prohibitive for the volume of items we wanted to create.”
“Our IT department is primarily devoted to maintaining the corporate websites, and this technology allows us to do some development for consumers that would not be possible otherwise.”
-Nicole Julius, Production Team Leader
The team bought in5 and put together a prototype of an all-inclusive digital magazine for teachers to try out.
The response from the teachers was overwhelmingly positive!
Now the team at Hal Leonard is producing regular digital issues.
Watch the video above to see their magazine in action.
Matthew Goodman of FunLab, LLC has created some really cool Nature Soundsapps for kids.
Check out the video below to see the apps in action.
The apps were built visually in InDesign using buttons, multi-state objects, and imported audio.
Matthew used in5 (InDesign to HTML5) to export the content for use with the Baker Framework, which he used to publish the content for the iPad and the iPhone..
If you can design content with InDesign—then you could be creating mobile apps, too…
