QuarkXPress Reviews & Product Details

QuarkXPress, versions from 2016 onward that I have been using, have already been on the leading-edge of digital publishing innovation, recently including Flex layouts and progressive web app capability. But, the latest release QXP 2020 16.1.2 has gone beyond this by adding an exceptional, new HTML5 custom interactivity feature. As an eLearning content developer and creator of interactive web apps, coded in HTML, JavaScript and CSS, focused on stress reduction and behavioral healthcare, this new feature allows me to create, size and position a custom HTML frame and add script, layout, etc. All within the QXP GUI. When exported, the frame flawlessly displays the animation, essentially embedding a fully functioning interactive web app into the published screen. In my opinion, this is a quantum leap forward for digital publishing! Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Having been a QXP user since 2016 through multiple versions, I have become very familiar with the GUI, but this has been for me a steep learning curve. With complex and full capabilities comes a complex and deep bench of options, dialogs, controls, customization needing mastery. Sometimes requiring the support of other users and support engineers on the forum, who have been generous with their help and quickly responsive. But, make no mistake: this is a professional-level tool requiring dedication and patience to learn. Happily, the result of diligent effort to learn QXP is rewarded by professional output. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I've been using Quark Xpress for over 20 years, since before its major competitors existed. It does everything I need it to do, has rich features for implementing and adding non-destructive filters to images, saving me a step of going to a photo editing tool. It can export web an email-ready images and PDFs which are perfect for offset printing. I keep discovering advanced features in it (even after all these years) that help with my workflow. I can't imagine doing graphic design without it. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I work on a Mac and annually I'm not able to join the excitement of updating to the new version of Mac OS when it's released because Quark takes a few extra weeks to update its software to confirm conpatibility. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I’ve been QuarkXPress since 2.5. I love the control over every element, the intuitive use of tools, and the ability to key stroke just about every facet of using the program. It is my primary document development program and word processor.

I have been an avid user to the point where I taught Beginner through advanced QuarkXPress in a graphic design program for a college. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Since I have been using it since early 90s, I have a lot of old documents that I occasionally need to access. It is impossible to open old documents in a new version without a converter, and the converter may or may nit be functional. QXP should embed a converter to open old documents on the fly or at least keep the stand alone converter up to date.

While each person I speak to in Quark’s customer service group is very nice and helpful, it has been 6 years that I have tried to get my account functional. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Quark is fast, light, many controls, many panels and embedded graphics.

I have been using quark since version 6. Today I use the 2020 version and I am very happy.

Every now and then I find some bugs or malfunctions, but the assistance is very good.

When it is not resolved with an email they call me on the phone or in the remote desktop and solve it.

For the moment I am happy and will continue to use it. The export formats are complete.

Activation software is fast and simply. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

In the 2019 version the toolbar was incomplete, and commands were missing. Now with the 2020 version it has been resolved.

The style palette of the table is not easy to use, perhaps it should be simplified.

In the image box there is no longer the path to the image and the file name. It was very useful to recognize the image.

Hyperlinks are not easy to use. When creating an anchor it cannot be used multiple times.

Personal preferences are often lost after upgrades Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I started out in the late 1980's to use "Ready-Set-Go" as a desktop publishing program and then switched to Quark beginning of the 1990's. So I use Quark for about 30 years now.

I don't really know any other program to compare Quark with so I can't say what I like 'best' other then it gets my job done to create catalogues. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

1)

Back in the 1990's Photoshop did not require to add any endings on file names, for example.jpg, tif, . Consequently I created 1000's of picture and graphic files which I used up to today.

The BIG trouble is that when you created a catalogue, say, in 1997 and continued to upgrade this catalogue using much of the same graphics and pictures files you ran into a big trouble after Quark began to require a file name ending.

For a couple of years this was mitigated by if you placed the Quark file INSIDE the folder which all your graphics and pictures it would create an OUTPUT file using the existing graphics without file name ending.

This now has stopped. I now have to add a file name ending on each of graphics files of which I have over 5000. In order to do so I have to open EACH file in photoshop to first find out what the file type is, close the file and then add this suffix to the file name.

I needed to do that with my last catalogue and it took me 2 days of work. I still have 4 catalogues left with about 600 pages and thousands of graphic files which needs updating.

2)

Back about 6 years ago I had so much trouble opening existing Quark files after I got updated versions it created havoc for me. Some of which was fixed by your tech support but all this is needless time waste.

3)

Tech support used to be an arrogant corporate affair. You were treated like a criminal trying to rob the Quark company in Switzerland. You needed so much phone numbers, e-mail, passwords etc. it was extremely customer unfriendly.

It has gone better now as I did sign for tech support. But last time when I had a problem Quark support was not able to log into my desktop at all. That took me the better of 2 days to get a simple issue resolved being on the phone for hours.

4)

I have to interact with web-designers and translators (in Canada we publish everything in English and French). Because Quark had lost it's customer base nearly ALL of our contractors I work with have given up on Quark long time ago and now use In-Design. Consequently they use old and previous Quark versions so I have to downsave sometimes to 3 or 4 versions back.

The only reason I have not switched to In-Design is that I am too lazy and too afraid about problem during this process.

If it wasn't for Connie Fennell at your support I would have switched to In-Design long time ago. Kudoos to her !

5)

Then there is this little problem of H&J's which after more than 30 years is still a miracle to me. Over the years tried several times to get help but I think this question is too stupid that your support always refers me back to the instructions which does not make any sense to me. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The completeness to create very sophisticated documents. Once you get the hang of it, it's really quite perfect. I figured out how to use it by myself. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Not too many people use Quark so if you are sending a Quark document, you should make sure that person also uses Quark, or it would be best to convert it to another format. It will save you time emailing back and forth! Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

This software is equipped with so many features that it’s hard to describe all. It provides me full support to automate my sales processes through its AI and ML driven engine. I am in a better position to create quality content with easy tracking and also I can design new social media, mobile applications. It is helping me to manage my sales assets and also to handle the marketing department has become very easy as I can handle the content Hubs and mange the distribution. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

One of the drawbacks is that it is quite expensive. In addition the regular and most cheap plan lack many basic features so it restricts its usage for the small organizations. Sometimes I found its customer service to be ineffective. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I love that essentially, this program has remained the same for 26 years that I have been using it. The tools work well and I go do layups quickly and precisely. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I have 2 things that I would like to see improved, one thing is that often when I try to select text, I'll instead put a new text box. It's one of those little aggravations that end up taking up time. The other thing I would like it to see previews of documents in the open window. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Quark is extremely flexible, and allows very precise control over text, graphic elements, spacing, etc. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Edit: Quark Xpress is not Big Sur compatible. They are not anticipating a Big Sur compatible version until well into 2021. What a pain in the a$$.

If I had known this when I first submitted this review, I would not have been nearly as complimentary. I'll say it now: Find a layout program with better, more responsive, customer service.

The price is a bit high, but there is nothing more frustrating than realizing that a lesser layout software package does not allow you to accomplish what you want to do. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

It's still basically the Quark of old which I loved. I like that I can use it across more platforms now. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I miss "Command M." I also miss the cool borders Quark used to have. Some of the icons are confusing which makes it difficult to figure out. I also miss the Format. Indent is very difficult to find. It's like the more changes Quark makes, the more user friendly things they take away. I was just put pretty much out of business for a month while Quark was trying to catch up with OS Big Sur. They kept telling me the update would be ready two days later then three days later then ten days later. Cost me a lot of money sitting around waiting for them to get it together. I ended up muddling through a few things with InDesign but it was a learn as you go so it wasn't very effective for me. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Quark has good support. I bought into the advantage plan and they are there for you when you need it, and they are qualified. I started out with QX, and I work alone with no need to share files, and they have always upgraded with the trends, so why switch. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

That it is not as mainstream as InDesign. it is a definite requirement to know InDesign if I want to obtain new freelance clients but I have no need to. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

QuarkXPress 20230 is the easiest way possible to create a website.

This means that, for the first time, you can go straight from your print dfesign using your brand and your fonts and colours, to fully functioning, clean web content.

Quark have been developing the advancements in print design to digital since 2016 to stay well ahead of the competition. They have buiolt theior own PDF engine which does away with the need for another application to make PDF's and the ability to manage and edit PDFs on screen is a godsend.

Plus easy export to PDF, EOS, Android and seamless integrations with print document to digital is simply amazing. A quark user sonme the old 4.1 version, I'm glad I stuck with the programme throughout. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Not publicised enough in comparison with Adobe products, for me QuarkXPress was, and still iusb the leading industry standard for design, make-up and book production straight from a print document to digital.

The Advantage package means fdree updates for the length of the package, and always owning the software is a big plus compared to leasing or renting, but expensive to sign up to. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Better usability than InDesign, but only up to version 2017 Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Since version 2018, the removal of the pop-ups for "Character Attributes", "Formatting Attributes" and "Modify" (Ctrl D, Ctrl F, and Ctrl M), since Quark 2018, and their replacement with a ribbon that is a disaster.

That is the main problem. but I can refer several more, much less importants:

--With Quark 2017, problems when working with layers (ghost layers). Quark 2020 solves that problem, but I don't work with Quark 2020, due to the lack of the pop-ups I mentioned.

--Quark does not save the layout of my windows. It should be possible to set which window layout Quark documents open by default

--Quark's cell tables are infinitely worse than InDesign's Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Quark gives you precise control over text, images, shapes, colour, opacity, and it's compatible with a wide range of file formats, allowing you to always find a way to convert to what require. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I honestly can't think of anything I don't like ☺️ Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

QuarkXPress is now the easiest way to create a website—far easier than wading through endless WordPress templates, or going on Wix or other template-based sites. This means that, for the first time, you can go straight from your print using your brand and your fonts and colours, to fully functioning, clean web content without intermediate steps.

This is in addition to the industry-leading print and design features, which Quark has been aggressively developing since 2016 to stay well ahead of the competition. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

QuarkXPress is less known than it used to be, and dramatically less known than it deserves to be. It needs a higher social media profile. I am now regularly seeing people who are asking how to convert Quark files into that other package, because they have large legacy libraries. They are discovering that the costs of conversion are dramatically more than any savings they might have made. Sometimes it's best to stick with the best package for the job, rather than going with a subscription-based bundle that can't open your files. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I like the depth of detail you can manipulate and specify, whether it's dimensions, spacing, colors, etc. You can manage a ridiculous amount of specific things down to fractions of a degree. The ability to import multiple photos and have it create a box for each one is a nice update. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Quark is a complicated program to use, and takes some getting used to where things are on menus and how to find your way around before you feel very efficient. For me, it sometimes prints to PDF without activating the URLs as links. Perhaps I'm doing something wrong, but it's been frustrating to try and diagnose and troubleshoot something that should be so basic. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

It has a consistent user interface, and it moves smoothly from layout to print prep. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Small things like changing a font size to fit the box have space for, and adjusting the typeface to work from italics to bold, etc. I want it to make it easier to edit photos. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Ease of use considering the tools and it is fast even on an older computer. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I would like to see API access to macOS dictionaries, Metal, CoreData and CoreImage, etc. built in. no need to use 3rd party plugins.

I am a graduate student and I would also like to see a scientific library plugin to automate reference creation to the resources, ie, Turabian, Chicago, MLA. For instance: Papers, Readcube, etc. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I have been a dedicated QuarkXPress user since 2003. I had to learn the platform for my job as a graphic artist and have been a power user since QuarkXPress5. In addition to my current use of the platform to complete research papers and build curriculum, I've designed hundreds of marketing and sales flyers for companies across the globe. In my industry, the go-to has become Adobe InDesign, but I still prefer Quark for single page to multiple page documents. It is more user friendly, and easier to teach to new artists. For me, it is faster to layout a newspaper in Quark. I really like that Quark is now a cloud-based product. It will allow the company to push out updates and improvements in a more timely fashion. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

There really isn't anything that I dislike about the platform. It can be intimidating for a new user, but that is true with any robust software. I do recommend the use of a tutor for a new user. There are many short cuts and preference tweaks that can be made to create a better user experience. QuarkXPress is very versatile and can be used from single page formats to complicated multiple page magazines and newspapers. I do not have much experience using the platform to design webpages. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I like that I can do weekly newsletter with ease because of text styles. It is possible to put text on curves. I love that I can edit images simply from the context menu or more fully from my chosen editing software. It exports to PDF nicely with options and I can create tables. It also imports PDF with unknown fonts without distortion. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

No data merge. On one of my computers it runs really rough and slow. I have looked into data merge and you can if you understand coding - I don't and so it is not helpful to me. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I love the HTML5 publishing features and the new responsive layouts. I've already used Quark for almost everything, but those features gave me even more options. I used HTML5 to get up a temporary website in about 20 minutes and half of that was me just selecting the photos I wanted to use. It's great. The table styles are cool, too. I know Quark, I'm comfortable with it, and it does everything I need it to do and more. I also like being able to buy my software and not rent it for the rest of my life. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

While I've had no issues with stability on my personal laptop, several in-office users have had serious stability issues that have caused them to repeatedly have to reinstall. Some were never able to open it at all. Quark tech support said it was likely because of font software and recommended we remove the font software, but that's not an option for an office that needs to use font software for other programs. Stability and support issues have to be better and, because of that, I had to knock 3 points off my score. Quark vastly improved their customer service in recent years, but a lot of users seem to be fearing they are reverting to old ways under new management. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Quarkxpress is the best tool for page layout. Whether it's a large magazine or a single page ad, I'll use Quark over Indesign. I've used both but prefer the speed and functionality of Quark. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I think the gradient tool should be tweaked a bit so there are fewer steps to create and alter the colours. It works well as is but think reducing the number of steps to make the selections I need would be helpful. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.