MEI Uses Adobe DPS Tools to Brew iPad App for Craft Beer Maker

Jenkintown, PA (December 28, 2010) — Managing Editor Inc. (MEI), an Adobe premier development partner and a leading provider of software solutions for the publishing industry, today announced the availability of the Yards Brewing Company app for iPad. Using Adobe’s new Digital Publishing Suite (DPS) and Adobe® InDesign® CS5, MEI built a specialized interactive tablet experience for Yards, Philadelphia’s favorite hometown craft beer maker. The free app can be downloaded now in the iTunes store by visiting http://itunes.apple.com/app/yards/id411535282?mt=8#.

Working closely with Yards, MEI’s team of tablet-publishing experts created a full-featured iPad app highlighting the brewery’s award-winning ales and what goes into making them. In addition to providing a wealth of information about Yards, the project was designed to demonstrate interactive features publishers can implement using the DPS tools — video, slide shows, pinch-and-zoom images and more. It also represents one of the first corporate applications of the DPS, which is currently being used primarily by magazine and other print publishers to create electronic editions.

“When we started thinking about what would make for a great iPad experience, something we really enjoyed and something that would be different from the other apps already out there, beer just seemed like the perfect choice,” said Dennis McGuire, CEO and president of MEI. “We ended up with a great example of the DPS’s most attractive features, but more importantly, it’s a good-looking, practical resource for anyone who enjoys a pint or two.”

The app lets users interact with the stats and stories behind the full Yards lineup — the brewery’s signature ales, seasonal offerings and famous Ales of the Revolution, three beers based on original recipes from George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. The app also provides a handy overview of the beer-making process, sips of beer lore for the curious and an interview with founder Tom Kehoe.

“We’re extremely happy with the finished product,” said Steve Mashington, marketing and sales director at Yards. “It looks great and it’s very approachable for our audience. You don’t have to be an expert to appreciate this app, but serious beer fans can get a lot out of it, too.”

MEI has been collaborating with Adobe during the development of the DPS tools and recently began offering its specialized services to help customers like Yards produce rich, tablet-ready content. MEI’s experienced design and production staff can analyze a client’s publishing needs, construct a plan to get content to the appropriate formats and then take the necessary steps to optimize the app-development process. MEI also provides design services ranging from consulting to complete issue creation. In Yards’ case, MEI managed the entire project, starting with the initial concept, refining and revising it with the client and following through to App Store approval.

“I couldn’t be happier,” Mashington said. “MEI helped us create an incredible experience and a new mode of communication. It creates a connection with long-time fans, and the technology is sure to help us attract new ones.”

MEI also used the vjoon K4 Cross-Media Publishing Platform, the leading Adobe InDesign/InCopy editorial workflow system, and its tight integration with the DPS to manage the content. Thanks to K4’s powerful database and collaborative features, MEI’s designers and writers could work simultaneously on various layout and text tasks without stepping on each other’s toes. MEI is the exclusive distributor of K4 in the Americas.

For Yards and its faithful followers, the app is a handy reference and an entertaining, portable means to explore the brewery. For MEI, it’s a compelling demonstration of the company’s tablet-publishing capabilities and how they can be applied — not just for traditional publishers but also for corporate customers, advertisers, agencies, freelance designers and more.

“With this app, we’ve created an immersive, informative product, using the Adobe tools many of our customers also use,” McGuire said. “We’re looking forward to exploring even more creative possibilities for publishing to the iPad and other tablets.”

The Yards Brewing Company iPad app is now available as a free download in the iTunes App Store. Visit http://itunes.apple.com/app/yards/id411535282?mt=8# to download it today.

About Yards Brewing Company
Founded in 1994, Yards Brewing Company has quickly become Philadelphia’s leading craft brewer. Originally working out of a garage-sized brewery in the Manayunk section of Philadelphia, Yards has expanded three times in order to satisfy demand for its signature, seasonal and Revolutionary ales. Brewery tours and sampling are free and available on Saturdays from noon to 3 p.m. If you can’t download the iPad app, visit www.yardsbrewing.com to learn more.

About MEI
Managing Editor Inc. is a leading developer of quality, proven software for the evolving publishing industry. MEI specializes in providing versatile tools that manage content for any output medium — print, online, e-readers such as the iPad, mobile devices such as the iPhone, and other electronic formats. The Page Director® Series of Advertising and Classified Layout Systems, K4 Cross-Media Publishing Platform, Integrated Production Suite (IPS) and IPS AdTrac deliver automated pagination, workflow and digital asset management for newspapers, magazines and other publishing markets. MEI is an Adobe premier development partner and has twice been named a laureate of the Computerworld Smithsonian Collections. Additional information regarding MEI’s products and services can be found at www.maned.com.

Managing Editor Inc.
610 Old York Road, Suite 250
Jenkintown, PA 19046

Media Contact:
Paul Weinstein
pweinstein@maned.com
215-886-5662 x278

This release was published on openPR.