Jenkintown, PA -- Managing Editor Inc. (MEI), an Adobe premier development partner and a leading provider of software solutions for the publishing industry, today announced the release of Page Director Classified Layout System 3.8 and ClassForce 3.8. The two releases represent the latest versions of MEI's popular programs for automated and semi-automated classified layout.

CLS is MEI's customizable rules-based classified layout solution. The program reads advertising text and image files, builds a runsheet of the classified items, examines the liners and display ads against user-defined rules, and then flows them to pages. Based on the same technology, ClassForce is MEI's cost-effective, semi-automated classified layout system for small to mid-size publications.

While the two products are tailored to different levels of electronic classified pagination, each includes the same new features in version 3.8. Both CLS and ClassForce are now Intel-native applications; contextual menus have been added to enable users to quickly and easily make changes to individual pages, runsheet items or the entire issue; a new Measurements dialog allows users to edit the points-per-unit value and accepted abbreviations of the measurement systems within the software; and CLS and ClassForce now support multiple column models in a single document.

CLS and ClassForce 3.8 come packaged with CLS XT for QuarkXPress 7.x and a new version of MEI's Ad Import plug-in that is compatible with Adobe InDesign CS2, CS3 and CS4. These tools allow users to import dummies and final classified ad content into QuarkXPress or InDesign editorial pages. QuarkXPress 8 compatibility will be available in the coming weeks.

"Publishers will always need tools that improve efficiency and drive down production costs," said Steven Haught, vice president of sales at MEI. "With CLS and ClassForce, classified page layout doesn't have to be an unprofitable, time-consuming process."

Availability

CLS 3.8 and ClassForce 3.8 are available now. Upgrades are free for customers in MEI's Premium Site Support Agreement program. Other customers should call their MEI salesperson for upgrade pricing. For more details, contact MEI at 215-886-5662 or an authorized MEI distributor. More information can be found on Managing Editor Inc.'s Web site at http://www.maned.com.