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headbirth · Feb 20, 2007, 08:11 PM

Anyone have any experience with this scenario? Does Quark 6.5 run O.K. on the Mac Intel platform?

mitchell_pgh · Feb 21, 2007, 11:14 AM

Yes, it works OK.

headbirth · Feb 22, 2007, 06:29 AM

Thanks for the reply Mitchell. Any troubles with PPD files? My printer(s) require specific PPD drivers (CREO?) for ps and pdf generation.

art_director · Feb 23, 2007, 09:11 AM

Originally Posted by headbirth

Thanks for the reply Mitchell. Any troubles with PPD files? My printer(s) require specific PPD drivers (CREO?) for ps and pdf generation.

Not on my end. That said, I'm trying (and succeeding) in leaving Quark in the dust.

Viva la InDesign!

mitchell_pgh · Feb 23, 2007, 01:49 PM

I'm a Quark die hard... but am starting to see the writing on the wall.

art_director... how long did it take you to switch? I'm guessing many of the concepts are similar. What has me thinking of the jump is great transparency.

art_director · Feb 23, 2007, 03:58 PM

Originally Posted by mitchell_pgh

I'm a Quark die hard... but am starting to see the writing on the wall.

art_director... how long did it take you to switch? I'm guessing many of the concepts are similar. What has me thinking of the jump is great transparency.

I had a few major clients switch at the same time. One big project was my baptism. It was a long, diificult month but I felt somewhat comfortable by the end of it. Granted, I'm not as proficient in ID as I am in Quark, having been a longtime QXP user. That said, given my history with Adobe products, it hasn't been too bad. There are still those moments where I say ' how the devil do I xxxxx?' but the info comes with time.

If I were you I'd just rebuild a few projects in ID. That will get your feet wet and make it less tense than what I went through.

Don Pickett · Feb 26, 2007, 11:29 PM

Originally Posted by mitchell_pgh

I'm a Quark die hard... but am starting to see the writing on the wall.

art_director... how long did it take you to switch? I'm guessing many of the concepts are similar. What has me thinking of the jump is great transparency.

I found switching to be relatively easy one I figured out the few things ID does differently. However, I still find ID to be seriously lacking in some areas.

art_director · Feb 27, 2007, 08:13 AM

Hey Don:

What do you see as shortcomings of ID? I'm still learning and would love your perspective.

Thx.

a_d

Macola · Feb 27, 2007, 09:31 AM

I was a Quark user for almost 10 years before I switched to ID about 2 years ago (I'm still using CS, not CS2). Setting ID to use Quark-like keyboard shortcuts really helped. Probably the only thing I miss about Quark is automatic text flow when importing large documents, but I've learned to live with it.

Don Pickett · Feb 27, 2007, 09:38 AM

Originally Posted by art_director

Hey Don:

What do you see as shortcomings of ID? I'm still learning and would love your perspective.

Thx.

a_d

Two big things, really. One is that ID is a resource hog: it was using 800 megs of memory yesterday just to display a 115 page document, and that's with hi-res image previews turned off. So, on the same equipment I find ID runs more slowly and is more prone to crash. YMMV.

The big thing, for me, is that ID's interface is horrible for production work, where you need to be quick and accurate. It may rock for designers, but anything which makes designers really happy makes me nervous. Because it's palette-based, you don't have the speed you have with Quark. Fr'instance, to change the space before a paragraph on Quark, you just hit Shift-Apple-F, then hit shift-option-tab twice, enter the new value and hit return. It's very quick and doesn't require you to take your hand off the keyboard. In ID, you have to 1) either use the mouse to select the text box in the Paragraph palette and then type in the new value, or hit the keyboard shortcut twice to hide the palette and then make it visible again. If you want to change the font size in Quark, you just hit Shift-Apple-backslash, type in the new value and hit return. To select the first item in the measurements palette, you hit Option-Apple-M and start typing, etc. Although it may seem like a little thing, all those extra keystrokes take time. In addition, ID is missing keyboard shortcuts which Quark has, like a quick way to change type size.

Beyond that, ID's interface is destructive. If I am in a text box in ID and wish to change the tool I'm using, I have to take my hands off the keyboard and use the mouse, because all of the to click outside of the text box, because the tool shortcuts will type something in my text box. To use the eyedropper tool I need to type "I". To make a rectangle I need to type "M", etc. From a UI point of view, in a program which is used to edit lots and lots of text, this is a uniquely poor decision. Worst. Interface. Ever.

ID does have some nice features, and has some advantages over Quark, but it also has its share of shortcomings. All that said, if you know Quark you shouldn't have too much trouble switching. Both programs do that same thing. They just have some different ways of doing them.

art_director · Feb 27, 2007, 09:46 AM

Don:

Thx for the input.

It's only natural that we'd ask for what we know and love from QXP. But, in time, I figure the change will be accepted as progress.

Thus far I'm quite happy w ID CS2. Sure, it has some wonk to it but I prefer using it to QXP.

Now, when QXP the company sends me promo email about their Q-fest visits to Minneapolis I giggle as I delete the messages. That company ignored and abused us for far too long. Good riddance.

art_director · Feb 27, 2007, 09:46 AM

Macola:

Thx for throwing in your 2¢.

I think all us longtime QXP users are in the same boat.

Don Pickett · Feb 27, 2007, 11:13 AM

Originally Posted by art_director

Don:

Thx for the input.

It's only natural that we'd ask for what we know and love from QXP. But, in time, I figure the change will be accepted as progress.

Thus far I'm quite happy w ID CS2. Sure, it has some wonk to it but I prefer using it to QXP.

Now, when QXP the company sends me promo email about their Q-fest visits to Minneapolis I giggle as I delete the messages. That company ignored and abused us for far too long. Good riddance.

I don't dislike ID. I dislike to hype surrounding it. I also don't want to see a world in which ID is the only DTP program, because I trust Adobe about as far as I can throw them, and I'm pretty sure they will turn around and screw their users should Quark disappear altogether.

Macola · Feb 28, 2007, 09:39 AM

Originally Posted by Don Pickett

... I trust Adobe about as far as I can throw them, and I'm pretty sure they will turn around and screw their users should Quark disappear altogether.

Well said. I think Quark has to stay alive just for this reason. There are still enough big users (magazine publishers, old-school print houses) that Quark won't be going away any time soon.

art_director · Feb 28, 2007, 09:59 AM

Yep, competition is in the best interests of the users.

I wouldn't be shocked to see Apple jump into the fray. After all, they've been making inroads to our industry in other ways. (ie. Final Cut, Shake, Aperature) DTP is the next logical step.