Should I publish online or offline? What is multimedia? Where can I get information about the European Union's preferred style of publication? What are the skills required?

These are some of the questions which this guide, the Vade-mecum of multimedia publications, seeks to answer. It is not a definitive set of instructions but rather an overview of the subject. The document covers various issues that should be considered before publishing a document:

• the type of publication (online, offline, hybrid...) and data support (CDROM, DVD, Tape...)
• the multimedia tools (video, audio, animation...) and the implications of their use in terms of cost effectiveness, advantages and disadvantages etc.
• technical considerations which may dictate the choice of publication
• standards which are available
• the quality control process
• sales and dissemination strategies
• and more...

The Vade-mecum should be consulted before any project, as the first step along the decision making process.