Digital viewer technology for magazines

Created with Adobe InDesign CS5 and additional Adobe publishing technologies, the WIRED Reader showcases how the technology is enabling magazine and other publishers to deliver groundbreaking experiences across tablets, smartphones and other devices.

"This work has resulted in a digital magazine format that creates an immersive experience, allowing a publication's unique content, look and feel and advertising to stand out in the digital realm," said David Burkett, vice president and GM, Creative Solutions at Adobe.

"We aim to make our digital viewer software available to all publishers soon and plan to deliver versions that work across multiple hardware platforms. Users already working in InDesign CS5, will be well on their way to producing a beautiful digital version of their publication."

Content engages readers

With engaging, interactive features and a fresh navigational metaphor, the Wired Reader showcases the capabilities of the technology, allowing readers to experience video content, slideshows, 360-degree images and rotate content in vertical and horizontal modes. Designed by the award-winning print team, this edition takes advantage of the tablet form factor and enabling readers to explore magazine content using touch gestures, including a zoomed-out browse mode, to see the content of the issue at a glance. Readers are able to experience the design fidelity of a print magazine, with the dynamic interactivity of digital media.

New ad capability

The viewer technology also promises a new advertising paradigm. With it, major corporations are already using the new interactive features to deliver high-impact brand campaigns. These advertisements encourage readers to interact with each brand, integrate seamlessly with the content and keep readers within the magazine experience. Adopting this new digital magazine medium, publishers have the opportunity to expand their advertising inventory and, by reaching readers in new ways, increase circulation and deliver incremental digital revenue.

"Our partnership allowed us to re-imagine and rebuild a print issue into an amazing digital magazine experience on iPad," said Thomas J Wallace, editorial director of Condé Nast. "The visionary execution of this technology expands the potential of this new medium for all our magazines. Our work is just beginning and we expect to use this technology to deliver more of our publications over the coming months."

Future developments

The company plans to deliver software on Adobe Labs that will help publishers transform InDesign CS5 layouts into compelling applications like this. Because this digital magazine solution integrates tightly with Adobe Creative Suite 5, publishers can expect to leverage their existing workflow investments and designer skills.

To view a video of the WIRED Reader on iPad, go to http://tv.adobe.com/watch/xd-inspire/introducing-wired-on-ipad or download from Apple iTunes App Store for $4.99. For more about the digital publishing platform for magazines, eBooks and newspapers go to www.adobe.com/go/digitalpublishing.