MMS roundtable highlights on design automation

The discussion covered design automation as a necessity solution for pre-media, package designing and data management. Pratik Shah  imposed an example of a designer in Pune who reconfigured the Corel Draw software in such a way that the corrections such as cutting marks, colour corrections, ups, image corrections and overflowing text, are done automatically. 

The discussion covered design automation as a necessity solution for pre-media, package designing and data management. With automation compatible with the design, the designing cannot go wrong and cost can be reduced. 

The discussion  highlighted the importance of database management and how it can be accessible at once place. The emphasis on product information management (PIM) and digital asset management (DAM) was done and how such type of automation can help the design community.

All of the files in the design space can be rectified and corrected by implementing  scripting which saves time and works efficiently. The scripting is a form of developing a code for action, record and repeat; and eliminates half of the QC processes.

Shah said, “A high-end Corel Draw file can be opened in a low-end version and basic graphics are not meant for complex designs.” 

Hoshedar Irani spoke about the fonts in a design file, which may not be visible  if opened on a different device. But Shah gave a solution to this problem through Corel Draw. He said, “In Corel Draw, a feature of ‘variable fonts’ is given in order to embed new fonts in the document.” An automation area in this would be to create a cloud platform of all the fonts for all designers, which can give access to anyone.

Sachin Tipnis of Simkraft Digital Technologies observed that a web sharing platform can be developed within an organisation where everything remains at once place and the data cannot be tampered with. The changes and processes will get updated as files will be accessed by many users along with the track of history. He said that the files can be updated and downloaded on the local server and hence, with a scripted code, all the files can be checked for errors like dimensions, colour spacing and resolution. This reduces half of the QC involvement and therefore the process is automated.