[yugyug]

anyone know of anyway to either open quark 6.0 files in indesign, or open/convert them to quark 5.0 (we have a pc copy of quark 5.0 only) ?

sorry if this has been covered before, if so please point me inthe direction of the thread...

any advice is much appreciated!

[zerostar]

Not without Quark 6, How many files do you have, perhaps someone can convert them to Quark 5 for you?

[yugyug]

well we resolved the initial problem by requesting readable files from the designer, but we lost a day on a time-critical job ; so for the future we want to be in a better position to handle quark 6 files when we get them (without having to pay all that money for a program we otherwise never use).

so I suppose there are no shareware coverters out there somewhere!

[mitchell_pgh]

Originally Posted by yugyug

well we resolved the initial problem by requesting readable files from the designer, but we lost a day on a time-critical job ; so for the future we want to be in a better position to handle quark 6 files when we get them (without having to pay all that money for a program we otherwise never use).

so I suppose there are no shareware coverters out there somewhere!

Nope... no converter.

[KeriVit]

Just upgrade the friggin program, you run a business don't you? So you lost a day- was that worth the cost of the upgrade? (Max $700 if you don't actually own it, much less if you do.

[tpicco]

Originally Posted by KeriVit

Just upgrade the friggin program, you run a business don't you? So you lost a day- was that worth the cost of the upgrade? (Max $700 if you don't actually own it, much less if you do.

well it depends... I freelance at places that still run Mac OS8 and they couldn't upgrade to Quark 6 unless they replace all their computers...

RE: The initial question
Tell all designers that work for you to save it back to Quark 5.

[KeriVit]

I guess I disagree. I think if you own a company that charges for your services and you accept files and charge the customer, you need to make sure your software is up to date. Saving files back is fine for a while. But if a customer is using new features of any given program, saving them back can totally mess up the file.

Plus my customers get annoyed if I tell them to save it back- especially with Illustrator and InDesign.

If places are still running OS 8.5, that's preposterous. We have 3 machines running OSX and 2 running 9 and 1 running 8, so we can meet the needs of all of our customers.

We have only bought one new computer in the last 4 years. The highest one we have is a Dual 867 G4.

[mitchell_pgh]

Originally Posted by tpicco

well it depends... I freelance at places that still run Mac OS8 and they couldn't upgrade to Quark 6 unless they replace all their computers...

RE: The initial question
Tell all designers that work for you to save it back to Quark 5.

Still using OS 8... that says a good bit.

Telling your designer to save back to Quark 5 is normal.

Whenever I do a project, I create a high res PDF, save the original quark 6 file and then save a quark 5 file (just in case). Adding color lasers makes it almost fool proof.

Almost.

[budster101]

BUY Adobe CS. Indesign will take your Qwark file just fine...

You can get the entire suite for less than Quark 6.5 (Full)

Mitchell_pgh: Exactly. The best thing you can do.

[tpicco]

InDesign doesn't open Quark 6 files..

[tpicco]

KeriVit... we don't really know what kind of a company the initial thread starter works for... SURE a printer or a pre-press shop has to have all the software up-to-date, but try freelancing at some fly-by-night publishing companies... some business pubs are so cheap, you're lucky if they use electricity, much less computers...

[mitchell_pgh]

Originally Posted by tpicco

KeriVit... we don't really know what kind of a company the initial thread starter works for... SURE a printer or a pre-press shop has to have all the software up-to-date, but try freelancing at some fly-by-night publishing companies... some business pubs are so cheap, you're lucky if they use electricity, much less computers...

Bingo... many freelance designers are still zipping along with Quark 4.1, Photoshop 5 and Illustrator 8... and they aren't planning on updating anytime soon.

[yugyug]

well, so you know, I work for a small design and print shop (we send out most print jobs but have a gto52 for spot color work). Most of our jobs are sub$1000 australian. Quark 6 costs $1600 australian here, and we would only really use it 3 or 4 times a year, so there is little economic incentive to buy it. Plus I don't really like the idea of paying money to a crap company for a crap product. I hated learning quark at university, and according to threads I've seen on this forum, quark 6 is worse than the version I learnt.

Indesign is guilty of this too, but I don't like it when companies design software that produces output that cannot be read on former versions. Why do they need to do it? Is the underlying software structure so different? When you open a newer Illustrator file in an older version, you just get a warnming saying some features cannot be read. Fine, why can't quark be like that? Or are they just exploiting their (increasingly less) captive market?

[Macola]

Originally Posted by yugyug

Plus I don't really like the idea of paying money to a crap company for a crap product.

Crap company, yes. Actually I found Quark 4.1 to be a pretty decent product as long as you ignored the clunky interface. I still keep it around, but have been using ID for a while and don't really miss Quark at all.

[mitchell_pgh]

I use quark 100% of the time, but every release of ID... I consider switching. The interface of Quark is still stuck on OS 7. Quark keeps thinking it can be a web design tool.

[micahgartman]

[idea]

Here in the US, there is a franchise of stores called Kinko's. They "specialize" in photocopying and digital output, but they also have computers in the stores that you can rent by the hour. Of course, the macines are loaded with all the latest-and-greatest design softwares...

Instead of buying a copy Of QuarkXpress 6, maybe you have a similar place 'down under' where you can rent a computer for a few hours and do the conversion. Here, they charge about $15 an hour...

[/idea]

[mitchell_pgh]

Originally Posted by micahgartman

[idea]

Here in the US, there is a franchise of stores called Kinko's. They "specialize" in photocopying and digital output, but they also have computers in the stores that you can rent by the hour. Of course, the macines are loaded with all the latest-and-greatest design softwares...

Instead of buying a copy Of QuarkXpress 6, maybe you have a similar place 'down under' where you can rent a computer for a few hours and do the conversion. Here, they charge about $15 an hour...

[/idea]

Not a bad idea... you could also hire a designer (with all the latest and greatest software) to convert them for you... but I'm sure it's more expensive.

[yugyug]

[idea]

Here in the US, there is a franchise of stores called Kinko's. They "specialize" in photocopying and digital output, but they also have computers in the stores that you can rent by the hour. Of course, the macines are loaded with all the latest-and-greatest design softwares...

Instead of buying a copy Of QuarkXpress 6, maybe you have a similar place 'down under' where you can rent a computer for a few hours and do the conversion. Here, they charge about $15 an hour...

[/idea]

yesh we have Kinko 'down under' , and whether or not you meant your comments to be drippin with sarcasm or not micah, its actually not a bad idea. However the thought of going back into kinko makes my stomach churn with a mish mash of pre-university freelance memories, stagnating in a fine syrupy mix of stale carpet smell and frozen computers.

plus, a friend of mine recently got fired from kinko's for locking a customer in after he went home (picture a freaked out german backpacker desperately trying to talk to emergency services at 12.05 at night while the kinko's alarm wails in his ear...)

so whose side are you on anyway?

[budster101]

It's FED EX KINKO'S now and they suck. The only thing good about them, well actually nothing really.

They always f*ck up a job you give them to print, they are very expensive. $.25 I think per minute to use their computers, and UP... If you spend 2 hourse their using a machine, and it doesn't crash, you've paid, $30.00 US.

If you can get a freelance job done in that amount of time, great. What if you need 4.00 hours?

Not to mention the idiots that work their asking you if you need any help even though you've been in every day for a week... I just asked them if they needed any from me in reply.

I cannot state how much they suck.

[micahgartman]

so whose side are you on anyway?

Yours, of course!

And the sarcasm, well... that's just my way of saying "I like you."

Getting back on track: if you'd like, I can open your v6 files and back-save them to v5. Let me know if you're interested...

[yugyug]

Quote:
so whose side are you on anyway?



Yours, of course!

cheers, I think i was being rhetorical, but I'm not sure, my memories of kinkos had somewho distorted my perception of things at the time....

and genuinely thanks for the offer of converting those files, though we have sorted it for now.

[KeriVit]

Sorry for being so critical yugyug....