Publishing with XML

STIX Fonts Released

This is a gush. I am probably one of the few people in the world really, really excited about MathML fonts!

For those into mathematics in general and MathML in particular, and getting it into e-books and print; a giant leap forward has been taken with the announcement on the 28th May 2010 (a day I was not sure would ever arrive); STIX fonts Ver 1 has been released. We have been using the mysterious, hard to find betas for what seem forever, but birthdays do arrive.

My/our/world's deepest gratitude (I think that is the best word) to the STIX team for completing this Herculean job. 10 years seems a long wait, but now the wait is over. The crowning glory is the MathML using/rendering technology is poised, ready, available and usable to exploit the font work to its fullest.

Image Control XHTML and CSS

I was asked for a code snippet the Using ePub blog, on controlling image size and positioning with CSS. This is more correctly an XML question, than ePub, so I have given the answer here.

We have a defined and controlled grammar XHTML we call IGP:FoundationXHTML, or FX for short. This delivers content strategies that are consistent, simple, reusable and processable. FX is the heart that allows the same XHTML to produce sophisticated print PDF, eBook formats, packages and other files easily and instantly.

The real need for publishers of content of all types is not ePubs - ePub is as terminal a format as paper,  especially once DRM is applied. Publishers need a current and future-value digital content strategy. FX delivers that.

On to the snippet!

It's the XML Not the Format

While we have been having some fun over on the Using ePub Blog, the real value blog (yes this one) has been a bit neglected. All the magic of image alignment in formats, and interactive ePubs for iPad work easily because of a rock-solid XHTML foundation.

The superior CSS rendering and behaviour of iPad has meant a radical rethink on the format production options from IGP:FLIP. There is little doubt that richer ePubs will emerge sooner rather than later and their is so much talk on typography.  I have been thinking of taking the Trade Master print presentation template, make a few font changes and add it directly to a ePub for iPad to see what happens. 

Currently working on the release of IGP:FLIP Portals, bringing advanced digital content strategies to small and medium publishers