Ad dummying / dummy page
Ad dummying is the process of mapping out where each booked ad will sit on a page before the paper is laid out, producing a "dummy" - a page diagram that shows ad positions, sizes, and the space left for editorial content. Production and editorial teams use the dummy to plan pagination and balance ad-to-editorial ratios. Done by hand it is slow and error-prone; modern systems generate dummies automatically from booked orders. In AccountScout, PageScout reads the ads already booked in the system and places them on the correct pages, so the dummy reflects real orders instead of guesswork.
Related: Paginator / page planner, ROP (run-of-paper), Manifest
See how AccountScout handles this Electronic tearsheet / eTear / digital tearsheet
An electronic tearsheet (eTear or digital tearsheet) is a digital copy of the printed page showing an advertiser's ad exactly as it ran, replacing the old practice of physically tearing the ad out of the paper and mailing it. Advertisers use tearsheets to confirm placement, verify the ad printed correctly, and document the buy for their own records. Delivering them electronically is faster, cheaper, and easier to archive than paper. With AccountScout and the Advertiser Portal, advertisers can pull their own tearsheets and proofs online instead of waiting for staff to mail them.
Related: Legal affidavit / proof of publication, Picked-up ad / rerun
See how AccountScout handles this Legal affidavit / proof of publication
A legal affidavit, or proof of publication, is a notarized statement certifying that a legal notice ran in the newspaper on specific dates, as required by law for items like foreclosures, public hearings, name changes, and government notices. The newspaper issues the affidavit to the party that placed the notice so they can prove compliance to a court or agency. Generating affidavits accurately and on time is a recurring chore for papers that carry legals. AccountScout tracks legal notices through order entry and billing so the run dates, copy, and affidavit details stay tied to the order.
Related: Electronic tearsheet / eTear / digital tearsheet, Classified line ad / display classified
See how AccountScout handles this ROP (run-of-paper)
ROP, short for run-of-paper (sometimes "run-of-press"), refers to a display ad that the newspaper can place anywhere in the publication at its discretion, rather than in a guaranteed position. ROP is the most common and most affordable display category because the advertiser trades position control for a lower rate. Advertisers who need a specific spot pay a premium for preferred placement instead. AccountScout handles ROP alongside classified, digital, and insert orders on one order-entry screen, so reps can book any ad type from the same account.
Related: Modular ad / inch-based ad, Rate card / combo rate, Ad dummying / dummy page
See how AccountScout handles this Modular ad / inch-based ad
These are the two main ways newspapers size and price display ads. Inch-based (column-inch) pricing measures an ad by its width in columns times its height in inches, giving fine-grained control over size and cost. Modular pricing sells ads in fixed, standardized blocks - such as a quarter page, half page, or full page - which simplifies design and pagination because every ad snaps to a known module. Many papers run a mix of both. AccountScout supports modular and inch-based pricing so order entry matches however your rate card is structured.
Related: Rate card / combo rate, Agate / agate line, ROP (run-of-paper)
See how AccountScout handles this Classified line ad / display classified
Classified ads come in two formats. A line ad (or liner) is straight text sold by the line or by the word, grouped under a category heading like "For Sale" or "Help Wanted." A display classified is a larger ad in the classified section that can include borders, logos, bold type, and graphics, priced more like a small display ad. Display classifieds let an advertiser stand out within the classified pages without buying full ROP space. AccountScout and ClassifiedScout handle both formats, including online self-service ordering that syncs back to the system.
Related: ROP (run-of-paper), Agate / agate line, Legal affidavit / proof of publication
See how AccountScout handles this Picked-up ad / rerun
A picked-up ad (or rerun) is an ad that runs again using artwork already on file from a previous insertion, instead of being designed from scratch. Reps "pick up" the prior ad - optionally with a copy change like a new price or date - which saves design time and gives the advertiser a consistent look across issues. Reruns are a large share of a typical paper's volume, so making them fast matters. With SalesScout, reps can rerun an ad, request a copy change, and rebook from the field without a trip back to the office.
Related: Electronic tearsheet / eTear / digital tearsheet, Insertion order / run schedule
See how AccountScout handles this Manifest
In newspaper production, a manifest is the working list of every ad scheduled to run in a given issue, with the details production and pagination need - advertiser, ad size, section, run date, and status. Staff "run a manifest" to see what is booked, confirm everything is accounted for, and catch missing artwork or unbooked space before deadline. It is the bridge between what sales sold and what production has to build. AccountScout generates the manifest from live orders, so production works from the same data sales entered rather than a re-keyed spreadsheet.
Related: Ad dummying / dummy page, Paginator / page planner, Insertion order / run schedule
See how AccountScout handles this Rate card / combo rate
A rate card is the published price list for a newspaper's advertising - covering display, classified, color, position premiums, and frequency or volume discounts. A combo rate is a bundled price for running the same ad across multiple products or properties, such as print plus the website, or two papers in the same group, sold together for less than buying each separately. Combo rates encourage advertisers to buy across channels. AccountScout supports complex rate cards and combo pricing so quotes and orders reflect the real deal instead of manual math.
Related: ROP (run-of-paper), Modular ad / inch-based ad, Billing cycle / aging
See how AccountScout handles this Agate / agate line
Agate is a very small type size - traditionally about 5.5 points - used for dense listings like classified ads, sports box scores, stock tables, and legal notices, allowing the most information in the least space. An agate line is a historic unit for measuring and pricing ad depth: one column wide by one agate line tall, with roughly 14 agate lines to the inch. While most papers now price by the column inch, the term still appears in older rate cards and contracts. AccountScout can price line and classified ads however your rate card defines them.
Related: Classified line ad / display classified, Modular ad / inch-based ad
See how AccountScout handles this Broadsheet / tabloid / Berliner
These are the three common newspaper page formats. A broadsheet is the large, traditional format, typically around 22 inches tall, used by many daily papers. A tabloid is roughly half that height, easier to hold and read, and common for weeklies, alternative papers, and inserts. The Berliner is a mid-size European format between the two. Page format determines column structure, ad sizing, and how pagination is set up. AccountScout and PageScout work across formats so ad sizing and page layout match the product you actually print.
Related: Modular ad / inch-based ad, Paginator / page planner
See how AccountScout handles this Paginator / page planner
A paginator (or page planner) is the person, or the software, that assembles a newspaper's pages - deciding where ads and editorial go and producing print-ready pages that meet the ad-to-editorial ratio and deadline. Historically a paginator worked from a paper dummy and placed elements by hand in a layout program. Pagination software automates much of this by reading booked ads directly. PageScout is a pagination engine embedded in InDesign that reads ads booked in AccountScout and places them on the correct pages, so the layout starts from real orders.
Related: Ad dummying / dummy page, Manifest, Broadsheet / tabloid / Berliner
See how AccountScout handles this CMYK / spot color
CMYK and spot color are the two ways color is reproduced in print. CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, key/black) is process color, where those four inks are layered to create a full range of colors and is standard for photos and most color ads. A spot color is a single premixed ink printed on its own, used for an exact, consistent color - often a brand color - or to add one color economically to an otherwise black-and-white page. Knowing which an ad uses affects pricing and how it is prepared for press. AccountScout tracks color specs on the order so production and billing stay aligned.
Related: ROP (run-of-paper), Rate card / combo rate
See how AccountScout handles this Insertion order / run schedule
An insertion order is the agreement that records what an advertiser is buying - the ad, the sizes, the dates, the rate, and any special instructions - and authorizes the paper to run it. The run schedule is the calendar of dates the ad is set to publish, whether a single insertion or a recurring flight across weeks or months. Together they tell sales, production, and billing exactly what runs and when. AccountScout captures the insertion order and run schedule at order entry, then drives production and billing from the same record.
Related: Picked-up ad / rerun, Manifest, Billing cycle / aging
See how AccountScout handles this Billing cycle / aging
The billing cycle is the recurring schedule on which a newspaper invoices advertisers and sends statements - commonly monthly. Aging is the report that groups outstanding balances by how long they have gone unpaid, usually in buckets like current, 30, 60, and 90+ days, so the billing team can see who owes what and how overdue it is. Aging drives collections decisions and credit holds. AccountScout's billing and statement tools, paired with the ARZero approach, help papers send statements, track aging, and collect faster.
Related: Rate card / combo rate, Insertion order / run schedule, ARZero
See how AccountScout handles this ARZero
ARZero is the Fake Brains approach to driving advertiser accounts receivable toward zero - shrinking the gap between when an ad runs and when the paper gets paid. It combines recurring billing, payment scheduling, ACH and card payments, credit holds, and self-serve payment through the Advertiser Portal so balances get collected sooner with less manual chasing. The goal is fewer aging invoices and steadier cash flow. ARZero is built into AccountScout's billing and payments stack rather than bolted on from a third party.
Related: Billing cycle / aging, PET (Personal Email Tracking)
See how AccountScout handles this PET (Personal Email Tracking)
PET, short for Personal Email Tracking, is a Fake Brains feature that tells reps whether the emails they send - proofs, quotes, statements, follow-ups - were opened and which links were clicked. Instead of wondering if a prospect saw the message, a rep can see the engagement and time the follow-up accordingly. It turns ordinary outbound email into a sales signal. PET is included with AccountScout and works alongside SalesScout so reps can act on opens and clicks from wherever they sell.
Related: Picked-up ad / rerun, ARZero
See how AccountScout handles this