X-cago PDF Conversion
Written by Benji Weiser
Updated at August 9th, 2024
Table of Contents
X-cago provide a conversion service where they take PDFs and turn them into structured content. The structured content gets imported into Pugpig Express and delivered as either responsive HTML editions, or enhanced PDF editions. We have more information about the different reading experiences we support in our PDF experiences and importers article.
Workflow ownership overview
Please note that the workflow overview is expanded in more detail in the steps below. This section summarises where the responsibilities lie for the key parts of the conversion > publishing process - Pugpig, X-cago, or the client.
Pugpig provides the pubcodes and helps to clarify the required naming convention for sending PDF files, if needed. We also setup the FTP workflow between X-cago and the editorial person in charge of uploading PDFs on the client side.
The client is responsible for providing a publishing schedule & sending PDF files to X-cago according to this schedule. X-cago will then return converted editions based on this. The client must ensure they are sending PDF files according to their schedule to stay on top of turnaround time and avoid any publishing delays, especially if editorial tweaks are expected post-conversion.
If needed, the client can provide PDF clipping notes to X-cago. This is often shared in a document or sheet with screenshots clearly referencing the PDF page as well as the converted html article in order to clarify any clipping rules that need to be consistently followed. X-cago can follow certain clipping rules, dependent on how elements are included in the PDF file, which they can clarify during this process.
How the X-Cago process works
- Your Pugpig Customer Success Manager will discuss your content workflow needs, and if you are interested in using responsive HTML or Enhanced PDF editions.
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You set up a contract with X-cago outlining a schedule at which your PDFs will be delivered and the approximate number of pages in each of your PDF editions. Please provide your schedule in .csv or Excel format with your publication name or X-cago pubcode in the file name and list either the date you plan to deliver the PDF or the “on sale date” when you plan to push the edition live on your app (if you can provide both that’s best) Delete
Your relationship with X-cago as a third party provider
You will need to have a direct relationship with X-cago as a third party service provider, there will be an additional cost for their services, you will have a contract and be billed by them, and you will need to provide a service email to them for any support issues that arise.
- You deliver your PDF by uploading it to an FTP server. X-cago will provide you with login details and you can access the server using an FTP client such as Cyberduck. Please make sure your PDFs abide by the X-cago file naming conventions outlined below.
- X-cago receives the PDF and processes it within the time frame agreed upon in your contract. *NOTE: If the PDF is delivered after the date set in the schedule, the turnaround time is no longer guaranteed and there may be a delay in processing your files.
- If an edition has not arrived when you expect it, you'll need to contact X-Cago support about this. Pugpig are unable to help to speed up processing of the editions.
- Once the conversion is complete, you should receive an email from XCago, and the HTML edition is automatically uploaded to your Pugpig Express site as a draft.
- We recommend that you review the edition before publishing it to make sure everything looks the way you want it. You can manually make any adjustments, and we can also pass on feedback to X-Cago for future PDF conversions.
- Click the blue “publish” button to push the edition live!
Editing after conversion
Note that while you can manually edit or fix articles after they arrive into Pugpig Express, please be aware that if you need to reprocess the PDF again for whatever reason, your changes will be overwritten by the new import.
Note all that the XCago conversion contains cross references between the PDF pages and the HTML article pages. You can NOT delete, merge or change the URL of any HTML pages as this will break the linking.
X-cago file naming conventions
When you upload your PDF to the server, please make sure to use this format for the file name: <pubcode>_<on-sale-date>[_<optional ID>].[zip|pdf]
Pubcode: A short code for each title to be selected by X-CAGO, your onboarder will provide this. On-sale-date: The date on which the feed should be published, preference YYYY-MM-DD Optional ID: An optional file ID for use in your systems. ZIP or PDF: The file should either be a zip containing a PDF for each page or a PDF containing all the pages.