Print-Based Output

You can create print-based output in Flare by generating a target based on PDF or Word.

Step 1: Create, Edit, and Design Content

Creating and editing content for print-based output typically consists of the following tasks:

1. Create Regular Topics Some of the content in topics that you create might be used for both print-based and online output, some might be used only for print output, and some might be used only for online output. In a later step in this process, you'll use condition tags to separate which content is used for which type of output.

   Create Special Topics In addition to the regular topics that make up your chapter content, you can create special topics with a proxy (placeholder) for displaying generated content. These special topics are especially useful for print-based output and are often used for your manual's front matter and back matter. The most common type of generated content is a table of contents. Other kinds of output for which you can create topics include indexes, glossaries, endnotes, lists of elements, and lists of concepts.

   • (Optional) Topic for a Print TOC If you want your print-based output to include a table of contents (TOC), create a topic specifically for this purpose and insert a TOC proxy into it. Please note that you do not create the TOC itself in your project. Instead, the TOC is automatically generated in the output based on the heading styles that you apply to the content in your topics, or it can be based on the structure or your outline. See Creating a TOC for Print-Based Output.
   • (Optional) Topic for a Print Index If you want your print-based output to include the index from your Flare project, create a topic specifically for this purpose and insert an Index proxy into it. See Creating an Index Manually for Print.
   • (Optional) Topic for a Print Glossary If you want your print-based output to include the glossary from your Flare project, create a topic specifically for this purpose and insert a Glossary proxy into it. See Creating a Glossary Manually Using a Proxy.
   • (Optional) Topic for Collection of Endnotes If you have inserted footnotes throughout your project and want the print-based output to display all of them in one location (as opposed to, say, the bottom of each page), create a topic specifically for this purpose and insert an Endnotes proxy into it. See Creating an Endnotes Proxy.
   • (Optional) Topic for a List of Elements If you want your print-based output to include a list of certain elements that you have inserted in the project (e.g., images, tables), create a topic specifically for this purpose and insert a List-Of proxy into it. See Creating a List of Elements.
   • (Optional) Topic for a List of Concepts If you want your print-based output to include a list of the concepts that you have inserted in the project, create a topic specifically for this purpose and insert a Concepts proxy into it. See Creating a List of Concepts.

   Note Options in the Advanced tab of print-based targets let you automatically add glossary, index, and TOC proxies to output. This means you do not need to create unique topics and insert proxies into them manually. The auto-generate method is much quicker and easier than the manual method. The manual method is more flexible but requires you to perform a number of extra steps, such as creating topics, inserting proxies, and adding files to the outline TOC. So if you simply want to quickly create print output with generated TOCs, glossaries, or indexes, the auto-generate option might be best for you. But if you want more control over the placement and look of the generated TOCs, glossaries, and indexes, you should use the manual method. See Auto-Generating Glossaries, Indexes, and TOCs for Print Outputs.

2. Include Print Topics in "Outline Table of Contents" You need to make sure that all of the topics for your print-based output are added to an "outline table of contents" (TOC). The outline TOC is used to determine which topics from the project are to be included in a particular manual (i.e., target), as well as their sequence in the output.

   An outline TOC is also used for specifying chapter breaks and autonumbering flow in output.

3. Add Optional Content and Features In addition to topics (which are required), there are many optional features that you can add to your project to suit your needs, such as condition tags, images, tables, snippets, variables, index markers, cross-references, text boxes, and footnotes.
4. Design There are numerous features for designing print-based output. Styles are always preferred over local formatting. It is recommended that you use the print medium when setting style properties that are intended specifically for print-based output.
5. Create Page Layouts A page layout is used for page specifications (e.g., size, margins) and to apply certain content (e.g., headers, footers, page numbers) to many (or all) topics in print-based output. It allows for easy configuration through the use of content frames, bleeds, crop marks, registration marks, margins, padding, alignment features, and more. You might create multiple page layouts for different purposes (e.g., title page, TOC, chapters, appendix).

Step 2: Develop Print-Based Targets

Before generating your output, you need to develop a target:

1. Create a PDF or Word target.

2. Open the target and edit the settings, including any condition tags you want to include or exclude from the output. The target settings provide Flare with the information it needs to produce the kind of output you want.

   For PDF targets, there are special options that you can choose in addition to the general settings.

Step 3: Build and Distribute Output

Now you need to generate the appropriate print target and distribute it to your end users.