QuarkXPress 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, QuarkXPress 10, allows publishing in English and 36 other languages,
including Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, German, Korean, Russian, French, and Spanish.
QuarkXPress is used by individual designers and large publishing houses to produce a variety
of layouts, from single-page flyers to the multi-media projects required for magazines,
newspapers, catalogs, and the like. QuarkXPress once dominated the market for page layout
software with over 95% market share among professional users. As of 2010, while one
publisher estimated that US market share has fallen to below 25% and Adobe InDesign has
become the market leader, QuarkXPress still had significant marketshare.
History The first version of QuarkXPress was released
in 1987 for the Macintosh. Five years passed before a Microsoft Windows version followed
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 was seen
as stable and trouble-free, working seamlessly with Adobe's PostScript fonts as well as with
Apple's TrueType fonts. In 1989 QuarkXPress incorporated an application
programming interface called XTensions which allows third-party developers to create custom
add-on features to the desktop application. Xtensions, along with Apple Computer's HyperCard,
was one of the first examples of a developer allowing others to create software add-ons
for their application. After having released QuarkXPress 3.3, QuarkXPress
was seen as needing significant improvements and users criticized it for its overly long
innovation cycles. The release of QuarkXPress version 5 in 2002
led to disappointment from Apple's user base, as QuarkXPress did not support Mac OS X, while
InDesign 2.0, launched in the same week, did. At the same time the Quark CEO Fred Ebrahimi
exclaimed that "the Macintosh platform is shrinking," and suggested that anyone dissatisfied
with Quark's Mac commitment should "switch to something else."
Only with Version 6 did QuarkXPress support Mac OS X, however the first really adopted
version was QuarkXPress 7. Quark started to lower its pricing levels
in 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,
with the idea of enticing consumers to upgrade to later versions.
Having arrived late with a Mac OS X version, Quark took a different approach to porting
to Intel-native applications on Mac, and released its Universal Binary version 7 months before
Adobe ported InDesign. With QuarkXPress 8 and 9 the product seems
to listen more to its user base, as reviews worldwide became more positive and several
Mac magazines gave awards to QuarkXPress, even best product of the year.
Use and features In addition to the basic functionality of
font, alignment, spacing, and color, the package also provides its users with professional
typesetting options like kerning, curving text along a line, and ligatures.
A QuarkXPress document contains text and graphics boxes. The boxes can be reshaped, layered,
and given varying levels of transparency and text alignment. Both box positioning and graphic
or text positioning is allowed 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. Process color separation films can be produced for printing-presses.
QuarkXPress also offers the ability for composite work-flows, both with PostScript and PDF output.
QuarkXPress offers layout synchronization, multiple undo/redo functionality, XML and
web page features, and support for direct PDF import and output. Documents can be verified
before printing. This high-level print preview automatically identifies conflicts and other
printing problems. Since then Adobe has implemented a similar feature in InDesign CS4.
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 it allows layout
and graphic elements to be edited outside the layout application.
User-defined rules, output specs and layout specs can be used for intelligent templates
and enable resource sharing. Version 6.5, released at the end of 2004,
added enhanced support for the Photoshop format. The PSD integration and picture manipulation
features led to QuarkXPress receiving a number of awards, such as the Macworld Editor's Choice
for 2004. Version 7 added support for OpenType, Unicode,
JDF and also PDF/X-export. QuarkXPress 7 also added unique features, such as native transparency
at the color level. QuarkXPress 8 introduced a completely new
user interface, support for drag and drop, PDF 1.7 import, AI Import and a global file
format. Design grids can be assigned to pages and boxes to allow unlimited baseline grids.
Hanging characters can be applied and customized by character and amount to hang outside the
box. This is the first version to include built-in Adobe Flash authoring. Designers
can create Flash content including sound, video, animation and interactivity without
programming. In October 2008, QuarkXPress 8 won the MacUser Award for Print Publishing
Software of the Year. With version 9 QuarkXPress extended its crossmedia
publishing approach and can be used now to also export to eBooks and native apps. With
App Studio, which is shipped with QuarkXPress, designers can even create and design their
own apps. Additionally QuarkXPress 9 offers cascading styles, callouts, create complex
ad editable Bézier paths using a wizard, bullets and numbers and more.
The Mac version of QuarkXPress 9 is for Intel processors only, making QuarkXPress 8.5.1
the last choice for PPC-based Macs. The current version, QuarkXPress 10, was described
by Quark as a major re-write of the software on the Mac platform in particular to move
it from the older Carbon API to Cocoa. It also included a new, modern graphics engine,
Xenon. During the lifecycle of version 10, new features included Retina Display support,
PDF pass-through transparency, notes, redlining, increased zoom and the ability to create HTML5
animations for inclusion in App Studio tablet and smartphone apps.
Server version In the beginning of 2003 Quark released a
server version of QuarkXPress, called QuarkDDS. This enables page editing and page layout
in a web browser. QuarkXPress Server is often used for web-to-print in corporate intranets
to enable customization and ordering of printed materials, advertising automation workflows
in advertising agencies, catalog generation for retailers and variable digital printing
for personalized marketing. It enables companies to print copies digitally when they need them,
often with customized content. The system relies on XML. The server is often embedded
in print on demand software. In 2006 Quark renamed QuarkDDS to "QuarkXPress
Server". Version history
QuarkXPress 1 - Mac OS only. QuarkXPress 2 - First non-English versions.
QuarkXPress 2.1 - Enhanced typographic control, such as user-definable kerning tables.
QuarkXPress 3 - First version with measurement palette and support for libraries.
QuarkXPress 3.1 - First version to also support Windows.
QuarkXPress 3.2 - First version to support Applescript and color management.
QuarkXPress 3.3 - First version to support PPC natively. First Passport Version.
QuarkXPress 3.32 - Support for QuarkImmedia. This is the last version which works on Windows
3.x.
QuarkXPress 4 - 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 - First version to also support PDF and XML.
QuarkXPress 5 - First version to offer tables and export HTML.
QuarkXPress Server released. QuarkXPress 6 - First version to support Mac
OS X. QuarkXPress 6.1 - First version with Excel
Import filter. QuarkXPress 6.5 - First version to also support
the Document Object Model and picture retouching features.
QuarkXPress 6.52 - Bug fix release, released after release of Quark 7.
QuarkXPress 7 - First version to support OpenType, Unicode, PDF/X, Shadows/Transparencies, Job
Definition Format and Composition Zones. QuarkXPress 7.01 - First native version for
Intel Macs, plus PPML support. QuarkXPress 7.02 - Additional language support
in Passport. QuarkXPress 7.1 - Performance update.
QuarkXPress 7.2 - First version to support Windows Vista, additional languages.
QuarkXPress 7.3 - Increased UI localization and PDF support, improved performance and
stability. QuarkXPress 7.31 - Certification on Windows
Vista, support for Mac OS X v10.5, enhancements to spell checking.
QuarkXPress 7.4 - non public release, only for QPS customers.
QuarkXPress 7.5 - Bug fix release, released after release of Quark 8.
QuarkXPress 8 - New UI, drag-and-drop support, direct image manipulation, customizable optical
margin alignment, multiple baseline grids, East Asian support, built-in Flash authoring.
QuarkXPress 8.01 - Spellchecker enhancements QuarkXPress 8.02 - Five new languages and
new Pantone libraries. QuarkXPress 8.1 - Numerical scale, native
transparency and layers in PDF, improved spell checker and other feature improvements. Supports
Snow Leopard and Windows 7. QuarkXPress 8.12 - Bug fix release.
QuarkXPress 8.15 - Fixes activation issues on certain Apple hardware.
QuarkXPress 8.1.6 - Speed optimizations QuarkXPress 8.1.6.2 - Bug fix release.
QuarkXPress 8.5 - Bug fixes, auto updater, DOCX import.
QuarkXPress 8.5.1 - Bug fixes, last Universal Binary version.
QuarkXPress 9 - Nested Styles, callouts, bullets & numbers, shape wizard, multi image import,
ePub Export. QuarkXPress 9.0.1 - Bug fix release
QuarkXPress 9.1 - Addition of "App Studio", which allows to export multimedia apps for
iPad out of QuarkXPress. First version to officially support Mac OS X Lion
QuarkXPress 9.2 - Export to ePUB 3.0, plus ability to create ePUB files from scratch.
Improvements to App Studio, including iOS5 support.
QuarkXPress 9.2.1 - Fix "missing icons" bug caused by Lion 10.7.3
QuarkXPress 9.2.1.1 - Added support for exporting to the Retina iPad
QuarkXPress 9.3 - Export eBooks directly to Amazon Kindle format, plus other minor fixes
including EPS and PDF color management. QuarkXPress 9.3.1 - Compatibility with the
OS X Mountain Lion Gatekeeper feature. QuarkXPress 9.3.1.1 - Fixes a spellchecker
crash. QuarkXPress 9.5 - Allows the creation of 100%
HTML5-based content on native apps and platforms such as Android.
QuarkXPress 9.5.1 - Adds page stacks, bugfixes QuarkXPress 9.5.1.1 - Bugfixes
QuarkXPress 9.5.2 - Download manager, bugfixes QuarkXPress 9.5.3 - Fixes known issues with
PDF export QuarkXPress 9.5.4 - Support for OS X Mavericks
QuarkXPress 10 QuarkXPress 10.0.1 - Support for OS X Mavericks
and Windows 8.1 QuarkXPress 10.1 - 8000% zoom, smart guides,
HTML5 based animations, image export, new book function
QuarkXPress 10.2 - Speed Improvements, Notes, Redlining
QuarkXPress 10.2.1 - Bug fixes QuarkXPress 10.5 - Support for OS X Yosemite
QuarkXPress 2015 QuarkXPress 2015 Release 1 - 64-bit for Mac
OS X and Windows, 4x larger page sizes, fixed layout interactive eBooks, footers and end
notes, text variables, custom paper sizes, relink any picture in the Usage Dialog, Collect
for Output and Usage for complete Project, User-definable shortcut keys, Table Styles,
Format Painter, Palette enhancements. Quark announced on Oct 28, 2014 that it will release
in early 2015.
See also Quark Publishing System
References
External links Quark Inc.
QuarkXPress QuarkXPress Server
Quark User Blog (French) xpresslife.net
Conversion tools with InDesign: Markzware InDesign to Quark Converter
QuarkXPress Tutorials: QuarkEd free e-learning files on quark.com
Plug-ins / Add-ons for QuarkXPress QuarkXPress XTensions