Monday, November 23, 2009

New Enhancement: Materials Id in Thumbnails view

For all of the people who wanted to see the materials id on the thumbnail view, it is now available.
You must be signed in as a publisher to view this option and if there is no materials id, the item will not show up.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Manual file delivery

SendMyAd now allows manual, user-driven deliveries of completed ads.

The best part is that you can rename the file for the manual deliveries to whatever you wish.

Watch the screencast for a quick tutorial.

Digital Ad Portal Proves Effective for St. Joseph Media

A great story about how SendMyAd helped St. Joseph media advance their ad production workflow.

http://www.pubexec.com/article/digital-ad-portal-proves-effective-st-joseph-media/1?sponsor=newsletter/pe-inbox

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Download Ad Specs

Our recent upgrade includes a new feature in beta testing. This feature provides a way for advertisers to download your Ad Sizes as InDesign documents.

We currently do not create the InDesign file for the ad sizes automatically. If you wish to make this feature available for your users, you must edit each ad spec individually. You can edit any field in the ad spec to trigger the .INX file generation. An easy way to do this is to edit the ad size code field, hit tab or click another field to save the change, then return to the code field to restore the original code value.

You'll then see the button to download the .INX file in the ad size viewer:

downloadSpec.png

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Customizable message for upload form

Responding to numerous feature requests, we've added a new feature that allows you to create a customizable message for each of your publications. Whenever a user uploads an ad, they will see this message, depending on the publication they select.

You control the message in the publication setup.

The best part is that you can post HTML links so you now have a way to present your own media kit or schedule PDF files right where the advertiser will see them.

View tutorial here.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Revamped advanced search

We have completely revamped the advanced search window to simplify the options and to provide quicker search results.

Look for an upcoming how-to video in the site.

It's still accessed by clicking the magnifying glass in the Quick Search widget.

search.png

Saving text templates

Saving text and email templates is now working correctly. One slightly new feature with this is that there is now a confirmation message returned to you after you save a template, or a warning if the template could not be saved for some reason.

Hiding publications from advertisers

You may wish to temporarily hide a publication so that advertisers cannot upload ads to it.

We've introduced a new feature that will allow you to do this easily. Simply go to the Manage Publications > Publication Settings and look for this new option:

Allow advertisers to upload to this title

Simply uncheck this "Allow advertisers to upload to this title" option to hide it from advertisers.

Publisher users will still be able to access the title normally.

This new setting is turned on by default so you don't have to do anything unless you wish to use this new feature.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Simple advertiser sign-up for multiple portal sites

As part of tonight's upgrade, we are simplifying the user experience for when an advertiser visits multiple SendMyAd sites from different publishers.

As long as the URL is a valid publisher URL, the user's account will automatically be granted access for any new publisher site visited. They will no longer have to select the "Click here if you already have a SendMyAd account" link.

If the user types in the wrong URL, like "www.portalname.sendmyad.com", they will be redirected to "portalname.sendmyad.com" and the login should work fine.

Only if the URL doesn't match a known publisher URL, will they be shown the portal redirector that allows them to choose one of the sites they have visited in the past.

We hope this will remove a source of confusion for advertisers visiting your portal for the first time.

Dashboard improvements

After tonight's upgrade, we hope you'll take a look at the new Dashboard for publishers. We've expanded the range of charts and statistics and improved the presentation of this important information.

Both advertisers and publishers will now also be able to keep up to date more easily with SendMyAd news - the latest articles from this blog now appear right in the Dashboard.

We hope you'll find these features useful.

New Flash uploader

Our latest version of SendMyAd (scheduled for upgrade tonight at 7PM Central) will include a feature that we hope you might not otherwise even notice.

We are switching our file upload code to use a Flash applet to handle the file name checking and upload processing.

We expect this new Flash uploader to be more reliable and a bit faster.

From an end user perspective, there really isn't anything different except now a very small Flash applet loads when you click "Step 3" in the send ad form.

Users have always needed Flash installed to use the trim applet. Over time we will be expanding the functionality of the site, some of which may also require Flash.

If you're unsure of your installed Flash version, you can check it easily. We require version 9 or higher.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Unlocking advertiser accounts

Publisher administrators may now unlock their customer's accounts.

Accounts get locked for 30 minutes if the user has tried unsuccessfully to log in 5 times in a row.

To unlock an advertiser's account, simply click their user name under the Manage > Customers list. When viewing the user's information, if their account is locked out, a button will be available to unlock it.

See video for a demonstration.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Hachette Increases Production Efficiency by 30 Percent with SendMyAd

New article at Folio describes how Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. increased their efficiency by 30 percent by using SendMyAd for their ad production.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Expanded bleed preflighting

Another upcoming feature being tested now: better preflighting of adherence to your bleed specifications.

Previously, SendMyAd was always warning if an ad did not contain bleed according to the ad specification used.

We now allow you to set this check just like other preflight checks - ignore, warn or error.

See the video for further details.

Note that this feature is retroactive for any ads that were preflighted with the profile you adjust to use this feature.

The default setting is to warn, so if you do nothing the behavior you see will be the same.

Custom publication information field in upload form

We're testing a new feature that will allow you to create a custom message for each publication. This message will appear on the upload form once an advertiser selects a publication.

See the video for a demonstration.

Note that if you do not add anything in the custom message field for a publication, this section will not appear.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

New feature: re-deliver an ad

You may at some point want to resend a finished ad to your delivery locations. Or, it occasionally happens that an ad fails to deliver for a variety of reasons. (A temporarily unreachable FTP or MassTransit server, for example). This will result in the "Ad Received by Publisher" status, and the download buttons don't appear.

Up to now, you've had to contact SMA support to re-deliver the file for you.

We've just enabled this feature for publisher users now. Watch the video for a demonstration.

This option will not appear for every ad. To be available, the following conditions must be met:


  • You must be a publisher user with the "Can Manage Ads" permission.

  • The ad must have been approved by the uploader (advertiser, usually).

  • If you are using publisher approval cycles, these must have all been completed.

  • The ad must have been either delivered or at least delivery was attempted.



We hope you find this new feature helpful.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

New Feature: Manage proofing options

There is a new feature that was just released which allows publishers to manage the proofing options that show up the upload and pickup forms.

See the video here
http://screencast.com/t/kBXL0577o

Friday, August 7, 2009

More new features

A few more new features of note included in last night's upgrade:

1. Delivered PDF files now support the Ghent Workgroup and AdsML namespaces for metadata.

2. Better support for PDF files that have been rotated and/or have positive / negative media boxes.

3. Numerous improvements in PDF file processing.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

August 2009 Update

We've just rolled out a new update for SendMyAd. Among the new features and improvements:

1. Added a new right so that it is now possible to manage publications but not be able to edit or add issues. You may need to adjust your administrative groups to add the new rights "Can manage issues" and "Can manage domain level issues." Note that for a group to manage issues they must also have the right to manage publications.

2. New publisher preference in General Settings that lets you turn off public registration for advertisers. If you use this feature, advertisers must be invited - there won't be any links to register on your landing page.

3. If you have enabled the notification for when new ads are uploaded, you will now also receive an email when an advertiser submits a file for a revision.

4. Improved history messages for ad pickups: the source ad will reference the new ad, and the new ad references the old one.

5. Advertisers should be redirected to the proper URL if they enter an incorrect address in their browser or if they come to the generic SMA landing page.

6. Advanced Search is now available for Publications, Users, and Customers in addition to Ads.

7. Many other small improvements and fixes.

If you have any questions about this update, please email us.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Browser notes

There have been some recent major updates in the standard browsers: Safari 4 and Firefox 3.5. Both of these browsers had significant overhauls of their internal JavaScript engines.

To be sure you have the best possible experience with SendMyAd, please be sure that if you're using these new versions, you apply the latest patch updates for both. Safari's current version is 4.0.2 and is available in the Apple Software Update program. Firefox's current version is 3.5.1 and can be accessed from within the Firefox program itself.

Friday, June 26, 2009

Disable advertiser sign-ups from your home page

Normally your ad portal's login screen contains a button or link where advertisers can sign up for a new SendMyAd account without having received an invitation first.

If you prefer to remove this feature, it's now possible to do in your publisher preferences. Just go to the General Settings & Information > Site Settings area. The new preference is called Allow advertisers to sign up for an account themselves from your SendMyAd homepage.

Friday, June 12, 2009

Announcing digital ad support in SendMyAd (beta)

SendMyAd is pleased to announce a major new feature - support for digital ads. This is a beta feature and you must contact us at SMA if you would like it enabled on your site.

Phase 1 of SendMyAd's digital ad processing includes support for image ads in GIF, JPEG, and PNG formats and rich media ads in Flash format. We are planning to support other ad types and file formats in future releases, based upon user feedback.

Our digital ad support includes:

  • Creation of a variety of digital ad specifications per publication

  • User uploads of GIF, JPEG, PNG and Flash SWF files

  • Preflighting of these files against your specifications

  • Revisions through new file uploads or changing the ad spec

  • Approval workflow

  • Automated file delivery (via FTP) of approved ads

We've tried to ensure the the SendMyAd digital ad workflow process is as close to the print ad workflow you and your users already know.

New feature available on June 15, 2009

New feature: Reserve an ad, invite a new user

You can now invite a new user to SendMyAd at the same time you reserve space for their ad. The invitee gets a link to join SendMyAd and is taken directly to the ad after they sign up on the site. Easy for you and easy for your advertisers - watch the demo for details.

New feature available on June 15, 2009

New feature: Email notification groups

SendMyAd introduces a much-requested feature: email notification groups that you can assign per publication. No more wrangling with IT to set up mail server distribution lists!

New feature available on June 15, 2009

Easier editing of ad specifications

A brand-new feature that will make it much easier for you to add or edit print ad sizes - particularly if you use the U.S. imperial measurements.

SendMyAd now understands fractions when specifying trim, bleed, and safety. A couple of other improvements have also been made to this form.

So don't worry if you lose your favorite fractions-to-decimal cheat sheet - SMA will take care of it for you.

New feature available on June 15, 2009

New feature: Product Search

Here's a fun new feature: built-in web search from an ad's metadata.

New feature available on June 15, 2009

New feature: Ad Sharing

Sometimes you just need to show an ad to someone but they don't have a SendMyAd login. Now you can let anyone view an ad.

New feature available on June 15, 2009

Downloading tip: Ad bundles

Did you know that you can download one or more ads now directly from the ad browser window? In either list or thumbnail view, just select one or more ads and from the Actions menu, Download.


Thursday, April 9, 2009

How To: Create a print ready PDF from adobe illustrator

See this video tutorial on how to create a print ready PDF from Adobe Illustrator CS

http://screencast.com/t/73SINymJZ

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Fixes and Enhancements (Weekend of April 5)

Enhancements
1. Publishers can now skip size checking on individual size specifications in their publication setup.
2. New Ads per user report available in CSV reports area for publishers.
3. New Customer downloadable customer list in customer view area
4. New filters on customers list for time created by year and month
5. New advanced hover view in ad list view for publishers only (beta).
6. New ability as a publisher to stop advertisers from revising files after the file has been delivered.
7. New delivery type option allows publishers to create approval based delivery hooks.
8. New bulk download feature for publishers.
9. New option for publishers to page through older ads and advanced search and issues filters return more rows.


Fixes
----------------------------------
1. Better font in safety detection
2. Fixed bug related to incorrect trim size tracking on preflight profiles.
3. Bug fix, you can now remove custom proofing locations
4. Publication validation better, more proactively marks publications as inactive when missing issues.
5. Fix for ad list approval view now supports quick ad previews and and all custom table column options.
6. Fix for relationship creation, found way to creation secure connection automatically on advertiser login.
7. Charts view fixed miscalculated upload dates on publication charts.
8. Fixed bug with upload notifications to publisher not working if custom email template was not defined.

Friday, February 27, 2009

Fixes and Enhancements (Weekend of Feb 28)

Enhancements
--------------------------------
1. Users can now revise ads from the actions menu item in the ad list screen
2. New XMP Injection standard adopted, allowing easy customization of xmp data
3. New Adobe custom panel available for new XMP job data, by request only.
4. New calendars popup on editing issues views
5. Official support for millimeter units throughout portal.
6. Issues list was added back to ad list view due to popular demand.
7. Reports on dash board show top 50 publications by ad traffic in last 5 weeks. This will turn into a publication selector that allows user to choose a specific publication, instead of printing all publications to screen.
8. New tutorial videos added in help area explaining how to clear cache.
9. Approval cycles can now notify next group that they need to approve the ad.
10. Publishers now have a setting allowing them to allow or disallow advertisers from seeing the publisher's ad history.
11. Login security now locks users out after five times of trying for 30 minutes.



Fixes
--------------------------------
1. Trim tool now accounts for rotation even when the media boxes are a negative offset
2. Trim tool now supports carry over of PDFX1A 2001 and 2003 tags
3. Trim tool now dynamically ads white space to ads that are too small when trim tool is in keep excess data mode
4. Visual Data truncation problems in digital receipt and website corrected.
5. Security Breach issue fixed, prevented users from adding approval cycles.
6. Trim tool had display bug that caused live area to be displayed incorrectly.
7. All unit displays now show up to 4 places behind the decimal.
8. Ad list view speed increased
9. Small fixes and additions to preflight profile standard.
10. increased ability to detect bad file names and paths on file upload.

Monday, February 9, 2009

Quick Fixes and New Features

NEW FEATURES
1. New Advertiser Dashboard
2. Advertisers can now signup for multiple publishers through invitation form
3. Advertiser number field on upload can be made required now.
4. Publisher graphic chart now more acurate bar chart
5. Help Area revamped

FIXES
1. Lockout added insufficient browsers
2. Fixed bug allowing files named abc.pdf.pdf to cause errors.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Todays Quick Fixes and Enhancements

Fixes
1. IE Bug fixed: This bug caused the trim ad button from within the trim tool not to work while in Internet Explorer.

2. Advanced search bug: This bug prevented advertisers from using the advanced search feature.

3. Colorants preflight warning clarified.


Enhancements
1. New Lock out feature. Now once an ad is approved, it can no longer be edited by the advertiser. If there are still publisher approvals to be done the ad will remain editable for the publisher until all approvals are done. If no approvals remain the ad will be locked and delivered.

2. New Fancy Buttons on the final ad screen. Once the ad has been completely approved there is a panel that displays several buttons allowing the user to download and pickup the final ad. These buttons have had an overhaul to match the rest of the ad action buttons.

3. Enhanced security on abilities for advertisers with multiple publishers. Advertisers with more than one publisher using the portal can now log in to each portal using the same credentials and be prevented from seeing and using ads from other portals.

New Publisher Dashboard

Some of you may have noticed the new publisher dashboard, although not nearly complete, the new dashboard does contain some new information about what your advertisers are doing and a new google chart to show you a history of the ads uploaded, revised and picked up.

Let us know what you think about it, we are really open to suggestions here and would really like to make the publishers dashboard a better piece of SendMyAd.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

New Features

1. There is now a new optional field on the upload form that allows advertisers to put in a custom internal tracking number. To turn this item on. You must be a publisher and go to your company profile and select "Show advertiser number field."

2. There is also a new optional ad view column that shows if someone at the publisher has downloaded the final ad. To view this column you may be a publisher or an advertiser, just go to your users preferences area and turn on the "Ad downloaded column"

Monday, February 2, 2009

New Feature: Ad pickup now part of action menu

We've had a feature request to make advanced search available from the Ad pickup form. We've flipped that around a bit, and made Pickup an available item from the action menu you see in Manage > Ads. In addition, the actions menu is now available when viewing your search results. Put it all together and the ad manager screen is now even more powerful.

See the video for a quick (2:01) tutorial on how this works.

New Ad Pickup method

Friday, January 30, 2009

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Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Todays Quick Fixes and Enhancements

Fixes
1. Publication now validate against better rules
2. Advanced search option moved to "Magnifier Glass Icon" in quick search area. This resolves an overlap issue when the window is 1024 by 768
3. Fixed bug with delivery system not delivery correct file type.
4. Altered ads by issue report to no contain no money column, since this item was incalculable on this report


Enhancements
1. Color profiles can now be duplicated
2. Terms of service added to Login screen and main site footer
3. It is now possible to send a midres jpg through the delivery system
4. It is now possibele to have a 7 digit unique material id
5. Hide ad and unhide actions now part of ad history

Monday, January 26, 2009

Quick Fixes and New Features

Bugs

#1. We found a bug in the drop down menus when in the site if you click more than one drop down menu, the others became unusable.

#2. There was a bug when adding issues.

#3. There was an IE bug when searching for items in the quick search

#4. There was an IE bug in the main ads list ad filter drop down

#5. There was a bug in the issue importer that caused filed with colons and files with spaces in the names not to be imported.

#6. Fixed bug in pickups not defaulting to use existing proof.

#7. Fixed IE bug in ad upload area preventing some users from uploading ads.

Features

#1. Added country and Company Type on user registration form

#2. Added new reposition tool option to allow a popup to confirm any custom text to appear right before an advertiser repositions an ad. This can be used force and advertiser to view specific information before repositioning an ad. This text is customizable in the company templates area.

#3. Added support for on sale date in issue importer.

#4. Added extra password securities. Passwords can no longer be account names and no longer equal the word password

These items will be present on the production portal today.

Quick Fix

Messaging fixed.
After our recent upgrade we experienced a network issue that cause the email notifications to fail. This problem has now been resolved.

Quick Fix

Recently we found files were staying in queue for long amounts of time. This was due to an internal file not being renamed properly. This problem has now been corrected.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

New SendMyAd version released

Tonight we are releasing the latest version of SendMyAd. This one is packed full of new features, many of them the result of feedback from our users.

Here's an overview of the main features:

  • Uploading an ad stays in same window (much faster, no popup window)

  • New Issues list manager for more efficient handling of multiple issues

  • CSV issues importer for bulk issue creation from a spreadsheet

  • Option to retain extra trim data on ad trim

  • Customizable text within the web application

  • New Rich Text Editor is easier to use and more compatible with all
    browsers.

  • Issues column removed from ad list, replaced with issues filter dropdown

  • Color Profiles managed at publisher level now.

  • Display order of ad specifications can be changed

  • When adding a user right group can be selected

  • General settings on company has better details on what is being affected

  • New alphabetical publication selector on upload and ad pickup screen

  • New publication searcher on ad upload

  • New Product and headline fields on ad upload

  • Ad contact confirmation and management on ad upload

  • Trim tool option to disable scaling of ads

  • New option for showing or hiding the initial quick preview on ad uploads

  • Limit publisher users to work with specific publications

  • New customers list area

  • New invitees area

  • Re-invite advertisers option

There's surely more features to discuss and more videos to come soon, so stay tuned, and enjoy the new SendMyAd.