Apr 11
Quark XPress 7 a rematch on Indesign?
2005 at 02.16 am posted by Veerle Pieters
Latest news regarding Quark reveals that Quark Xpress 7 is still due for release this year. Something pops up in my mind that Quark hasn’t the best track record for fulfilling release dates in the past.
Let’s get on to the interesting parts. The interface of Quark hasn’t changed since it birth. Quark 6 were the first baby steps in at least mimicking the Mac OS X interface. Quark XPress 7 will include a new interface that will as the company claims, be “much more modern.“ A new feature of this modern look is something called palette groups, which will allow users to group palettes together, attaching, detaching and collapsing individual palettes within the group as required.
You will be able to define palette sets-groups of palettes associated with particular tasks, such as color work, layout, or text editing - and switch between them quickly through user-defined menus.
The Measurements is one of the most significant changes and will become a context-sensitive palette that will allow users to access many features that have previously been available only through dialog boxes.
When you hover the mouse over the top of the new Measurements palette, tabs will appear that make different functions available depending on which objects are selected on the page, including items like a text tab, frame tab, runaround tab, and even a tab allowing tabs to be set directly on the page.
The re-engineered graphics engine will support transparency. As may know Indesign already has transparency but according to Quark “is not the first, but we want to be better than anyone else.“
As part of the work on the graphics engine, Quark will introduce X-Draw, a cross-platform graphics layer that sits between the graphics engine and either Quartz (on Mac OS X) or GDI+ (on Windows).
In XPress 7 transparency will work at the same level as color, allowing users to apply a transparency effect wherever they can apply colors. This means, for example, that transparency effects can be applied to any object, including tables. The transparency features in XPress 7 also include drop shadows, alpha channel masks and opacity.
They also said that the transparency feature will work with a wide variety of RIPs, to ensure that the effect seen on-screen is replicated well in printing. Included in the product are intelligent flattening options, including the use of spot colors to make transparency effects work well. (source Publish)
To me it sounds just like they are catching up at last but I doubt if it will be enough to get me to switch again. Too many factors come to mind such as update costs, first see in action before believing all the above etc. I’m pretty content with Indesign as it is and you Quark will have to make me a killer deal to even consider updating.
11served
1
Sounds like playing catch-up to me. InDesign already has all these things (granted I’ve only read your post and not been to Quark’s site) but also has tight integration with the other Adobe applications, which increases productivity. I use GoLive rather than Dreamweaver for this exact reason (amongst others).
Additionally, InDesign is part of Adobe CreativeSuite, which makes it ‘free’ if you need Photoshop and Illustrator anyway. (Based on CS price being less than Photoshop price + Illustrator price)
This is (part of) what happened to Lotus 123: MS-Office was cheaper than two (or more) applications separately. Users then already had a spreadsheet and couldn’t justify the extra cost for 123.
It will be interesting to see what the new release brings, and what happens afterwards.
2
Indesign is good, but not good enough.
To many problems with flattening, rastering. Also odd trapping-problems when you use words above transparency. There are enough bugs.
And above all, it is f***ing slow!!!
What hits me, is that actually both programs claim to be the best, but that both programs needs soms serious re-programming.
For the moment, I stick with Quark. Main reason: speed and less RIP-problems.
3
“X-Draw, a cross-platform graphics layer that sits between the graphics engine and either Quartz (on Mac OS X) or GDI+ (on Windows).“
More slowliness and re-rendering to come, hence. I can guarantee this will mean a lot of rainbow mousing on OSX, unless using 1GB of RAM on a G5.
4
While Indesign could stand picking up it’s feet a bit in terms of speed, it still stands heads and shoulders above Quark.
In addition to what’s mentioned above, Indesign’s ability to export near bullet-proof PDF and EPS files is what really makes it stand alone.
I’ve lost enough time from Quark files that won’t open at the printers, or from a font missing in Quark PDF to know I’m not going back.
5
Most institutions are no longer conducting workshops on Quark.
6
A new version of XPress sounds good to me. I’m working with XPress about 8 years since version 3.11 on an old Mac with a portrait-styled monitor. Now I get some sentimental mood….
7
To François: that depends. The upgrade race will eventually bring you to Tiger (if you’re on the Mac platform), which has a much speedier Quartz engine.
To kMikaZu: yes, flattening can be quite tricky. But like with everyhting else, there are some rules to be respected and that will not be any different in Quark 7 or even InDesign CS2 (or InDesign 4, whatever they choose to name it).
8
Off course there are some rules. That’s with everything. It’s not the point. I’ve enough experience with Indesign CS, to know that flattening, trapping en transparency can be very unpredictable!!! Even if rules are applied!
9
The only thing left to losers and makers of low-quality products is just that.
Be stubborn and sink slowly.
10
@Calrion: The tight integration is one of the main reason I love working with Indesign.
@kMikaZu: I never had any issues with transparency or trapping in Indesign. I always deliver PDF’s to my printer. So maybe the problems you are having has something to do with the workflow of your printer. I never had any problems so far but my print shop is using very up to date stuff. Seems to me that you hate Indesign… I know Quark since version 3 and I can safely say that Quark has had a lot more issues then Indesign. Adobe has done a great job on such a relativity short time. Quark is so old and still doesn’t get it, that should tell you something….
11
I suppose it’s OK to get all vaporous over In Design; and it is a nice application. Can’t beat those PDFs, either. But most designers like me grew up with Quark, and we’re most reluctant to change. It’s almost like another appendage. The back-shop people at my biggest client still use Version 3x. But I use Quark 6.5 only when I have to. Otherwise, I restart in OS9 and use Quark 5x, because the GUI on 6.5 is just crappy. When I pull back from a block of type, it looks like a box of chicken bones. Many, many designers have complained about this to the momsers in Denver, but they (Quark) act like we’re pesky lunatics and not a huge part of their core market (as we always have been). I’d love to switch completely to OSX—and buy one of those haul-ass G5s—but I won’t until Quark addresses this problem. Does anyone know if this will be resolved by Quark 7? I hope so.