QuarkXPress
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| QuarkXPress | |
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 QuarkXPress 6 on Mac OS X |
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| Developed by | Quark, Inc. |
| Initial release | 1987 |
| Stable release | 7.31 (13 November 2007) [+/−] |
| OS | Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows |
| Available in | multilingual |
| Genre | Desktop publishing |
| License | Proprietary |
| Website | QuarkXPress |
QuarkXPress ("Quark") is a computer application for creating and editing complex page layouts in a WYSIWYG environment. It runs on Mac OS X and Windows. It was first released by Quark, Inc. in 1987 and is still owned and published by them. The most recent version is 7.3.1 and includes editions for publishing in English ("International and U.S."[1]) and over a dozen other languages.
QuarkXPress is primarily used by large publishing houses to produce the kinds of complex page layouts required by magazines, newspapers, catalogs, and similar printed materials. It is one of two products (the other being Adobe InDesign) that dominate that market space.
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[edit] History
The first version of QuarkXPress was released in 1987 for the Macintosh. A Microsoft Windows version came in 1992. In the 1990s, QuarkXPress quickly became widely used by professional page designers, the typesetting industry and printers. In particular, the Mac version of 3.3 (released in 1996) was seen as stable and trouble-free, working seamlessly with Apple's TrueType fonts and it remained an industry standard well after subsequent versions of the software were released.
QuarkXPress early on incorporated an application programming interface called XTensions which allows third-party developers to create custom add-on features to the desktop application. Introduced in 1989, Xtensions, along with Apple Computer's Hypercard, were the first examples of a developer allowing others to create software add-ons for their application.
Having gained a marketshare of approximately 90% in the 1990s, Quark was criticized as having overly long innovation cycles and as being too expensive. Adobe launched Adobe InDesign in 1999. The release of QuarkXPress version 5 in 2002 led to a row with Apple, as it did not support Mac OS X while InDesign 2.0, launched in the same week, did.
Quark changed its pricing levels since 2004. In December 2006, Quark licensed the Windows version of QuarkXPress 5 to be distributed free of charge on the cover of a UK computer magazine, Computer Shopper, the idea being to entice consumers to upgrade to later versions.
[edit] Use and Features
QuarkXPress allows the user to define areas of a document (called "boxes") which are to be filled with either text or graphics. Although they are called boxes, they can be created in a wide variety of shapes. The boxes can be reshaped, layered, and given varying levels of transparency and runaround.
The content placed in the text version of the boxes is provided with an array of typographic controls as required by professional typesetting businesses. In addition to the basic functionality of font, alignment, spacing, and color, the package also provides its users with professional level typesetting options like kerning, curving text along a line, and ligatures.
QuarkXPress has two distinct operating modes: content (e.g. most actions are within a text box and affect text layout) and object (e.g. box positioning and box characteristics). The two modes allow access to different menu options and alter the actions of keyboard shortcuts. The software allows both box positioning and graphic or text positioning within a box with an accuracy of one-thousandth of an inch. Color control allows the full-use of printing-press standard Pantone or Hexachrome inks, along with a variety of other color-space options. Draft output can be printed on conventional desktop printers. For printing-press purposes CMYK separated films can be produced with relative ease.
Additionally QuarkXPress offers layout synchronization, multiple undo/redo functionality, XML and web page HTML features, and support for direct PDF import and output.
Version 6.5, released at the end of 2004, added enhanced support for the Photoshop format (PSD). The PSD integration and picture manipulation features led to QuarkXPress receiving a number of awards, such as the Macworld Editor's Choice for 2004.
The current version, QuarkXPress 7, adds support for OpenType, Unicode, JDF and also PDF/X-export. QuarkXPress 7 also allows unique features, such as native transparency at the color level.
QuarkXPress 7's composition zones feature makes it the only desktop application with multi-user capabilities by allowing multiple users to edit different zones on the same page. Composition Zones pushes collaboration a step further than just simultaneous text/picture (as possible with QuarkCopyDesk since 1991), as it allows also layout and graphic elements to be edited outside the layout application.
QuarkXPress also allows the ability to pre-flight a document. It is unique as it works within the layout application itself and allows the user to jump directly to the conflicting object. Also the user-defined rules, output specs and layout specs can also be used for intelligent templates and enables resource sharing (e.g. server-based style sheet definitions).
QuarkXPress 7 is available for Mac OS X v10.4 ("Tiger"), Mac OS X v10.5 ("Leopard"), Windows XP SP2 and Windows Vista. The Mac version is a universal binary which runs natively on PPC- and Intel-based Macs.
[edit] Server version
In the beginning of 2003 Quark released a server version of QuarkXPress, called QuarkDDS. This technology enables solutions that allow page editing and page layout functionality in a web browser. QuarkXPress Server is often leveraged by 3rd parties in web-to-print solutions for corporate intranets to enable customization and ordering of printed materials, advertising automation workflows inside of advertising agencies, catalog generation solutions for retailers and variable digital print solutions for highly personalized one to one marketing. This on demand technology enables companies to print copies digitally when they need them, often with highly customized content. The system relies on XML as a core technology. The server is often embedded as an OEM technology in 3rd party print on demand solutions.
In 2006 Quark renamed QuarkDDS to "QuarkXPress Server" [2]. It is marketed as a dynamic page publishing technology, sold through systems integrators and independent software vendors. Users can demo [3] QuarkXPress Server technology online at the QuarkXPress Server Community [4] web site.
[edit] Version history
- QuarkXPress 1 (1987) - Mac OS only.
- QuarkXPress 2 (1989) - First non-English versions (e.g. French, German).
- QuarkXPress 2.1 (1989) - Enhanced typographic control, such as user-definable kerning tables.
- QuarkXPress 3 (1990) - First version with measurement palette and support for libraries.
- QuarkXPress 3.1 (1992) - First version to also support Windows.
- QuarkXPress 3.2 (1993) - First version to support Applescript and color management.
- QuarkXPress 3.3 (1996) - First version to support PPC natively. First Passport Version (optional).
- QuarkXPress 3.32 (1996) - Support for QuarkImmedia. This is the last version which works on Windows 3.x (requires Win32s to be installed).
- QuarkXPress 4.0 (1997) - First version with bezier curves. Notable interface improvements are pop-up tools and tabbed dialog boxes. Windows 3.x is no longer supported.
- QuarkXPress 4.1 (1999) - First version to also support PDF and XML.
- QuarkXPress 5 (2002) - First version to offer tables and export HTML.
- QuarkXPress Server (QuarkDDS) released.
- QuarkXPress 6 (2003) - First version to support Mac OS X.
- QuarkXPress 6.1 (2004) - First version with Excel Import filter.
- QuarkXPress 6.5 (2004) - First version to also support the Document Object Model and picture retouching features.
- QuarkXPress 7 (2006) - First version to support OpenType, Unicode, PDF/X, Shadows/Transparencies, Job Definition Format and Composition Zones.
- QuarkXPress 7.01 (8 August 2006) - First native version for Intel Macs (Universal binary), plus PPML support.
- QuarkXPress 7.02 (2006) - Additional language support in Passport.
- QuarkXPress 7.1 (2007) - Performance update.
- QuarkXPress 7.2 (2007) - First version to support Windows Vista, additional languages.
- QuarkXPress 7.3 (2007) - Increased UI localization and PDF support, improved performance and stability.
- QuarkXPress 7.31 (2007) - Certification on Windows Vista, support for Mac OS X v10.5 ("Leopard"), enhancements to spell checking.
- QuarkXPress 8 (2008) - New UI, drag & drop support, direct image manipulation, customizable optical margin alignment, multiple baseline grids, East Asian support, Flahs authoring built-in.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
Comparisons with InDesign:
Conversion tools with InDesign:
QuarkXPress Tutorials:
