QuarkXPress 2023 User Guide

About this Guide

You do not need to read the QuarkXPress® documentation from beginning to end. Instead, use this guide to quickly look up information, find out what you need to know, and get on with your work.

What we're assuming about you

In writing this guide, we assume that you are familiar with your computer and know how to:

  • Launch an application

  • Open, save, and close files

  • Use menus, dialog boxes, and palettes

  • Work within a networked computing environment

  • Use the mouse, keyboard commands, and modifier keys

Consult the documentation provided with your computer or other resources if you need more information in any of these areas.

Where to go for help

If you're new to QuarkXPress, or if you want to explore one of its other longstanding features, consult the following resources:

  • Third-party books

  • General books about desktop publishing

If your issues are at the system level — saving files, moving files, activating fonts, for example — consult the documentation resources provided with your computer.

Conventions

Formatting conventions highlight information to help you quickly find what you need.

  • Underline type style: The names of all dialog boxes, fields, and other controls are set in Underline type style. For example: "Click OK."

  • References: In descriptions of features, parenthetical references guide you in accessing those features. For example: "The Find/Change dialog box (Edit menu) lets you find and replace text."

  • Arrows: You will often see arrows (>), which map out the menu path to a feature. For example: "Choose Edit > Style Sheets to display the Style Sheets dialog box."

  • Icons: Although many tools and buttons are referenced by name, which you can see by displaying ToolTips, in some cases icons are shown for easy identification. For example, "Click the button on the Measurements palette to center text."

  • Cross-platform issues: This application is quite consistent across operating systems. However, some labels, buttons, key combinations, and other aspects of the application must differ between Mac OS® and Windows® because of user interface conventions or other factors. In such cases, both the Mac OS and Windows versions are presented, separated by a slash, with the Mac OS version presented first. For example, if the Mac OS version of a button is labeled Select, and the Windows version is labeled Browse, you are directed to "Click Select/Browse." More complex cross-platform differences are mentioned in notes or parenthetical statements.

Technology note

Quark has developed QuarkXPress for Mac OS and Windows to give publishers control over typography, color, and collaboration. In addition to unique typographic controls, QuarkXPress offers comprehensive font support, including support for TrueType®, OpenType®, and Unicode®. Designers can use PANTONE® (the PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM®), Hexachrome®, Trumatch®, Focoltone®, DIC®, and Toyo to add color to page layouts.

QuarkXPress acts as a hub for collaborative publishing environments because it allows you to import and export content in multiple file formats, and to share design components with other users. You can import files from applications such as Microsoft® Word, Microsoft Excel®, Adobe® Illustrator®, and Adobe Photoshop®. QuarkXPress supports copy paste of content from external applications, and allows the user to convert the imported vector picture data to Native Objects. You can output content as PostScript® or in PDF format for Adobe Acrobat® Reader®. QuarkXPress supports export of digital output in ePub, and HTML5 Publications. The ePub file is compatible with all prominent ePub Readers and Google Chrome. You can also export files that can be viewed using Safari®, Google Chrome®, Firefox®, Microsoft Edge® and other compatible browsers. Using features such as Job Jackets® and Composition Zones®, you can be sure that multiple people share specifications to produce consistent publications, even while working on a single publication simultaneously. 

The QuarkXPress software architecture lets you and software developers expand publishing capability. Through XTensions® software technology, third-party developers can create custom modules for QuarkXPress.

QuarkXTensions® (Quark® XTensions software) also provides a modular approach for meeting your particular publishing needs. And if you can write AppleScript® or JavaScript® scripts, you can use this scripting language from Apple® and JavaScript® to automate many QuarkXPress activities.

 

If a quark – in science – is the basis for all matter, then Quark – the company – is the basis for all content. The company revolutionized desktop publishing and today provides content design, automation and intelligence software for end-to-end content lifecycle management. Customers worldwide rely on Quark to modernize their content ecosystems so they can create complex print and digital layouts, automate omnichannel publishing of mission-critical documents, and analyze production and engagement insights for the greatest return on their content investments.

© 2023 Quark Software, Inc. All rights reserved. All trademarks, trade names, service marks and logos referenced herein belong to their respective owners.
This content is informational and does not imply any guarantee or warranty.