Issue: Quark

[vrmille]

I am beginning to learn graphic design. Does ANYBODY have any words of wisdom? I am signed up for Photoshop and Quark....yesterday someone said Quark was a waste-- you should just use InDesign......any thoughts???

thanks so much!
v

[PrintDriver]

Be more marketable.
Learn both.

[aid4design]

quark isnt nessarily a waste of time, if you are trying to obtain as much knowledge as possible. However Indesign is far superior. ALSO learn Illustrator & Acrobat.;) ...and then there's the web applications...

[PrintDriver]

Trying to keep the dead horse unbeaten by offering other aspects of the age old Q vs InD debate.

Either works. Quark just has a really bad reputation it may never recover from.

Some companies use Quark, some use InDesign. You limit yourself to being hired by one or the other if you only know one of the programs. If you work on contract as a freelancer you have to use whatever the hiring company uses. If you are a freelancer, one or the other will do. In which case I do recommend the full Creative Suite which does include Indesign only because I'm a cheap bastid who would rather get 6 programs for the price of one. :D

[Vikia]

Quark is definitely not a waste. It is a comparable layout program to Adobe InDesign. And as long as companies continue to use it (and they do) as their layout program, graphic artists will need to learn to use Quark or disregard a significant client base (or potential employers).

Many of the companies I do contract work for, use Quark and have for a very long time. To abandon Quark for them, represents a major cost to change software and convert files that they have archived.

I personally use InDesign because it was bundled with Photoshop when I bought Adobe Creative Suite, so it was cheap for me to put on my computer. InDesign has some great features, but I do still love and use Quark as well. I find that having the ability to use both simply gives me alot of tools to be able to win clients. It doesn't have to be either/or, it can very good to learn both so that you can give your clients/employers the best skill set.

[mac.FINN]

If you learn one (Quark or InDesign) you should be able to pick up the other very quickly. They're very similar. InDesign just works better and has a better reputation.

[SharkFinStudios]

I agree with mac.FINN, once you learn one the other comes along very quickly. I started out using the first version of InDesign back in 1998, then learned Quark and now I am back into the latest and greatest InDesign. I wouldn't have made it where I am today if I didn't know them both.

Learn as much as you can and test them out. If you do one technique in ne prgram, try it in the other. Have fun with them.

Cheers!

[naydies]

I use Quark all day long. Learn both.

[Navian]

Actualy there is no reason to even have Quark, and why Quark is dying (not just because of the reputation, well that too), it mostly that the people who also use other software in the CS package, see that the creative suite has all the programs they need, and they get a layout program with it, (a good marketing stratagy for adobe), and well there are quite a few companies that have dropped Quark all together, and are switching. Quarks uses verses its cost doesnt justify it enough. In my opinion.

Its so expensive not to switch, even if it seems like its more for the whole CS package.

Adobe Web bundle:

Adobe Creative Suite Premium - combines full versions of:
Adobe Photoshop® CS2
Adobe Illustrator® CS2
Adobe InDesign® CS2
Adobe GoLive® CS2
Adobe Acrobat® 7.0 Professional
Version Cue® CS2
Adobe Bridge
Adobe Stock Photos

Macromedia Studio 8 - combines full versions of:
Dreamweaver® 8
Flash Professional 8
Fireworks® 8
Contribute™ 3
FlashPaper™ 2

$1,899 total, or $146.00 per program

Say your starting out. even though the CS package is more, each program is less. and you just creative suite?
(full version)
Adobe Photoshop® CS2
Adobe Illustrator® CS2
Adobe InDesign® CS2
Adobe GoLive® CS2
Adobe Acrobat® 7.0 Professional

for $1,199.00 or $239.80 each.

Or just stand alone Indesign for 146.00 / 239.80 or you can buy it seperately for $169.00

QuarkXpress 7 - Full version:
$749.00

This is where Indesign also beats Quark. Indesign for $169.00 or Quark for $750.00? This isnt rocket science. Lets not forget the ease of importing of other adobe software into each other. Quark has a coniption fit, and siezures.

BUT why not, learn quark, because indesign comes easy afterwards (you will pick it up quickly), but if you have to buy it, just go for the educational version (if your in school). That way when the industry changes, and Quark is finally put to rest, your ready.

[amnesia]

"Learn the concepts of design first as the software you use becomes transparent"

"It's not the hammer you use, it's the house you build"

If I were to start again, I'd learn indesign first and then learn the basics of quark. As stated before, once you learn one, the other is easy to pick up.

[PrintDriver]

As far as actually using the tool, it's relatively easy to pick up one after learning the other...
But,
There are production and output issues particular to both. It would be far better if you knew what those issues were BEFORE you design with the software.

[MD]

Has anyone here used Quark 7 yet? Only one of our customers so far have upgraded and they say they like it a lot more than 6.o. More features, more stability.

A big thing I hate about the CS package is you cannot just upgrade 1 program, you have to come up with $500 - $800 to upgrade them all depending on what package you have.

[aid4design]

not exactly true. I have JUST the upgrade to Indesign CS2. I still use CS1, on all others, in my prepress workflow. I still mainly use Indesign CS1 for press layouts, but have the upgrade for those few files I get that arent already .pdf. and all I do is use CS2 to open and export.;)

As for Quark 7,

http://www.prepressforums.com/ftopict-6896.html

http://www.prepressforums.com/ftopict-6925.html

http://www.prepressforums.com/ftopict-6919.html

to name a few. There are lots of others on the quark site. This program has caused nothing but headaches thus far for those pioneers daring to test the waters. Be very careful about upgrading to 7 due to the fact that it corrupts your 6.xx license and Tech at Quark isnt easy to deal with.

...just my piece.

[MD]

But did you buy the full version of InDesign CS2 or did you buy the upgrade version and use the CS1 package serial number. It was my understanding that if you bought the Creative Suite Package you needed to upgrade it as a package.

Upgraded software always comes out with a few kinks in it - Thats why we always wait for at least 2 updates before sticking it in our workflow.

[aid4design]

The Indesign CS2 I have is the Upgrade version. The CS1 I have is Creative Suite Professional Premium full version...

It was my understanding that quark isnt working to fix the licensing issue. I could be misunderstanding though.

[MD]

Okay, my turn: for some reason we haven't been able to explain the deal when people are considering upgrading to the Creative Suite. I've seen lots of confusion in forums, emails, etc. lately, so, here goes:

Q. Can I upgrade from Photoshop to the Creative Suite?
A. Yes.

Q. Which versions?
A. All versions.

Q. If I upgrade Photoshop to the Suite, and later I decide I want to upgrade just Photoshop, can I do that?
A. Yes. As long as you still own that earlier copy (say, PS7) and have the serial number, you're golden.

Q. What if I get an application (say, InDesign) for the first time as part of the Suite, and later I want to upgrade just that application (not the whole Suite). Can I do that?
A. No. For various legal reasons, a Suite isn't a collection. So, you can't upgrade just one piece of it.

To recap, if you owned Photoshop previously and want to upgrade to the Suite, you will have a choice of upgrades in the future. And if you owned InDesign, Illustrator, etc. on their own, you could upgrade them on their own in the future, even after upgrading the Suite. It's only apps that you didn't own outside of the Suite that need a Suite upgrade to move forward. Make sense?
http://blogs.adobe.com/jnack/2005/09/speaking_plainl_1.html

As for quark fixing the licensing issue I don't know ... but earlier I was checking out the Quark forums and there is a section devoted to using Quark's web features :eek:
170 topics=170 idiots

[aid4design]

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Adobe allowed me to upgrade.

[doubting_thomas]

not exactly true. I have JUST the upgrade to Indesign CS2. I still use CS1, on all others, in my prepress workflow. I still mainly use Indesign CS1 for press layouts, but have the upgrade for those few files I get that arent already .pdf. and all I do is use CS2 to open and export.;)

As for Quark 7,

http://www.prepressforums.com/ftopict-6896.html

http://www.prepressforums.com/ftopict-6925.html

http://www.prepressforums.com/ftopict-6919.html

to name a few. There are lots of others on the quark site. This program has caused nothing but headaches thus far for those pioneers daring to test the waters. Be very careful about upgrading to 7 due to the fact that it corrupts your 6.xx license and Tech at Quark isnt easy to deal with.


As a side note to this discussion, and these links, remember that these are
sites people frequent for troubleshooting advice. Nobody should be suprised
if the majority of the threads are problems.

/unhijack

[MD]

Adobe allowed me to upgrade.
how nice of them.

but that is their official stance. the blog is on the adobe site and written by John Nack, Senior Product Manager, Adobe Photoshop. I think he knows what he is talking about.

[PrintDriver]

Premium upgrades are only $500-$600.
Nobody says you have to upgrade.
What did you get from CS to CS2? Not a whole heck of a lot you couldn't live without for a year or two. Make the upgrade worth your financial trouble.