Flatplan presents the page layout in the magazine, which shows where articles and ads should be distributed. Flatplan is essential for the accurate planning and organization of magazines, especially printed. There are various ways to create a flat plan, you can draw it on paper, use software such as Word, Excell or Keynote, or use professional software designed for flatplane creation and magazine production.
These are some of our recommendations:
1. Collaborate
The Collaborate is part of the ISSUU, an online platform for publishing digital editions. It’s much more than just a flatplan creator, it’s a platform for making a complete magazine. You can create flatplan, assign articles and place ads, communicate with writers and designers, check the layout, and much more. Prices go from $39 for Collaborate Starter plan, to $299 for Collaborate Unlimited plan.
2. Intelligent flatplan
Intelligent Flatplan offers to publishing companies solution to planning and managing newspapers and magazines. User can create a flat plan, move, update, add and delete pages and objects, manage issues, and collaborate with teams. The pricing plan is based on “Pay as you go” solution. For publishing less than 1,000 pages per year price is £0.35p per page. Enterprise plan is for companies that publishing over 1,000 pages per year, and the price is £0.25p per page.
3. Flat-plan
Flat-Plan software is online flatplan tool. It is designed for publications, especially magazines. By using it, you can create a sheet which immediately displays your plan (articles, ads, titles, page numbers). It’s very easy to use, even on your first try you’ll be able to create a flatplan within a minute. Month to month subscription is $7/month for Basic plan, $9/month for Premium plan.
4. Blinkplan
Blinkplan is an online tool to help you quickly edit and move pages, and share your flat plan with your team. There are many options, like post comments on each page, drag&drop pages, export a PDF of flatplan, upload thumbnails of finished pages, etc. Plans go from Tiny, with a $15/month price, and 90 pages per flatplan limitation. Big plan is $69/month, and it allows 1024 pages per flatplan.
5. Magmanager
MagManager is flat plan software and magazine management software, it has many options that will help you to run your business in one complete package. With flatplan software you can easily build and change your magazine by dragging, dropping and moving any size of ad or content. Magazine management software gives you full control over your publications, bookings, customers, invoices, users, task management, rate cards and flat plans. For up to 5 magazines price is £35.00 per magazine, per month.
6. Runmags
Runmags is much more than just a flatplan software. They offer control over CRM, production, circulation, customer self-service, billing and payments. Given that this is a complex solution for the production of the magazine, prices are higher than just for the flatplan. The price goes from $300/month for Team plan, $600/month for House plan, to $1100/month for Enterprise plan.
There are many options, everyone needs to find the best for their own needs. One thing is certain, a flat plan is essential for a good planning of the magazine content.