Converting QuarkXPress Templates to InDesign: Steps 3 + 4

Posted on December 20, 2011 by AGI

Continued..

Step Three: Create a New Document in Adobe InDesign

To convert your templates from Quark to InDesign, you’ll have to essentially recreate the template pages in InDesign. Page creation begins with the basics: starting a new document, setting up pages, and positioning guides for margin and/or column alignment.

Start your new InDesign template by setting up a New Document.

  1. Open Adobe InDesign, and choose File > New > Document. The New Document dialog box combines the Document Setup and the Margins And Columns dialog boxes, so that you can set up the page size, margins, and page columns all in one place. You can change these settings at any time.
  2. Leave the Document Preset and Intent settings at their defaults, and make sure Number of Pages and Start Page are both set to 1.
  3. Uncheck both Facing Pages (as you’ll be creating your own spreads) and Master Text Frame.
  4. Enter the custom Width and Height settings you recorded in Quark earlier.
  5. Enter the Column Number and Gutter settings you recorded in Quark earlier..
  6. If they’re not set already, enter your Top, Bottom, Inside and Outside margins from Quark.
  7. Click OK to open a new document with the settings you’ve specified.

Note: To set default layout settings for all new documents, choose File > Document Setup or Layout > Margins And Columns, and set options when no documents are open.

Step Four: Import the Auxiliary Dictionary

By default, InDesign uses Proximity dictionaries to verify spelling and to hyphenate words. Because you can’t directly import the QuarkXPress dictionaries which were used with your existing templates into InDesign, it’s important to know how to import word lists saved in a plain text file.

A Quark Auxiliary Dictionary can be imported into InDesign.

  1. If necessary, hide InDesign and Quark so you can see your Desktop at the Finder level.
  2. The Auxiliary Dictionary used in your previous Quark template has the extension .qud. Locate it in the Finder, and make a copy of this file.
  3. Click on the copy’s file name and change its file extension to .txt.
  4. Hit Return, and if a warning box appears, click the Use .txt button.
  5. Back in InDesign, choose Edit > Spelling > User Dictionary.
  6. In the Import User Dictionary dialog, navigate to the converted .txt file, and click on the Add to Dictionary radio button.
  7. Click Open to add the Auxiliary Dictionary to your InDesign file.
  8. Click Done when the dictionary is finished loading.

In the next post, you’ll discover how to rebuild colors and recreate styles.

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Converting QuarkXPress Templates to InDesign

Posted on December 19, 2011 by AGI

For more than 15 years we’ve been helping users convert documents into new file formats so they can take advantage of new software tools and publishing platforms. More than 10 years ago we started helping publishers adopt InDesign and convert their QuarkXpress documents and templates to InDesign. Along with helping thousands of users at hundreds of publishers convert their documents and templates, we’ve also written several InDesign books, and even though InDesign has been available for more than a decade, we still get asked all sorts of questions about the conversion process. If you are involved with adopting InDesign, we’d be happy to provide guidance, consulting, or InDesign training – we’ve helped almost every major magazine, newspaper, book publisher, and catalog publisher with this process – and our team is happy to lend our expertise to your project.

When converting QuarkXPress documents to InDesign, we prefer to completely rebuild Quark documents using InDesign. Our process is outlined as follows:

Step One: Collect for Output in QuarkXPress

In QuarkXPress, the Collect for Output feature copies an active layout and its source files, including linked pictures, printer and screen fonts, and color profiles into a single folder. It also generates a report that lists all the colors, style sheets, H&J’s, and fonts used in your layout. You can choose to include any combination of these resources using the Collect for Output window, and store the collected files in the location of your choice.

For the conversion process, you’ll only need to collect the layout and any linked pictures.

Use Quark’s Collect for Output dialog to save the layout and source files for easy access.

  1.  In QuarkXPress, open the file you want to convert.
  2. Choose File > Collect for Output.
  3. If there are any missing or modified files for pictures, click List Pictures and update them using the Missing/Modified Pictures dialog that appears, then click Collect.
  4. When prompted, save the file to a New Folder with the word Collected added to the folder name.
  5. In the Collect for Output dialog, check Layout and Linked Pictures only.
  6. Click Save to begin collecting files.

Step Two: Gather Layout Information in Quark

Before you can begin building a new template in InDesign, you’ll need to gather information about page size, column placement, and margin alignment in QuarkXPress. This will enable you to create Master Pages in Adobe InDesign that match those included in the Quark templates.

Page size, column placement, and margin information can be gathered in Quark’s Layout Properties dialog.

  1.  With the unconverted template still open in QuarkXPress, choose Layout > Layout Properties. This will give you the information you’ll need to begin to recreate the template in InDesign.
  2. Record the custom page Width and Height so that you can re-enter this information in InDesign later.
  3. Note that the Facing Pages option is checked. If you will be creating your own spreads from Master Pages, leave this option unchecked.
  4. Record the Margin Guides for Top, Bottom, Inside and Outside margins.
  5. Note the number of Columns and Gutter Width for guide placement in the new template.

We’ll continue describing the document conversion process for converting Quark to InDesign in the next post.

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Using HTML5 wisely

Posted on November 18, 2011 by Jeremy Osborn

The attention given to HTML5 in the last year is well-deserved. Despite the jockeying for a competitive advantage in the marketplace, the major players (Google, Apple, Microsoft, Mozilla and Adobe among others) have committed to the road map of HTML5 support. As important as this support is, if you are preparing to jump headfirst into developing HTML5 websites and/or applications there are some important considerations to keep in mind. HTML5 is still an evolving language and until the specification is finalized there may be some surprises still in store, and not necessarily the “good” kind of surprise.

The web community was reminded of this in the beginning of November when news began to emerge that the new HTML5 <time> element was being pulled from the HTML5 specification. This element was among many new elements that have been introduced since development of HTML5 began in 2004. The news came as a surprise to many designers and developers (particularly those who had used the element in completed projects).

The essence of the matter is this: the <time> element was intended to tag HTML content that included the date and time for any reason: a blog post, or the time an article was posted or any other scenario where the time was important enough to warrant being tagged. I’m not going to explore why this happened here (although if you are interested in learning more, there are many places to look), I’m more interested in the fact that it happened at all.

The fact is, the language of HTML5 is still being defined. Although the majority of the new elements are here to stay and there will unlikely be many new elements being added, the dropping of the <time> element is a good reminder that the use of HTML5 requires some caution and attention to detail. It is a delicate balance to walk: builders of next generation websites want new tools in order to create new experiences for users, but these tools don’t just get dropped into our laps. They emerge slowly and come into focus over time, hopefully based on community consensus. Ultimately, I believe this will make the foundation of HTML5 stronger than anything we have seen up to this point, but until the day the specification is finalized, keep a close eye on what’s happening!

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Adobe discontinues development of mobile Flash

Posted on November 11, 2011 by Jeremy Osborn

On November 9, Adobe announced that it was discontinuing development of the mobile version of the Flash Player for smartphones and tablets. What does this mean for the web in general and more importantly what does this mean for web designers and developers?

Let’s take a step back and review the primary role of Flash in the year 2011, primarily we see Flash on the web being used for: a.) Web video, b.) Multimedia content such as web banners, games, interactive charts/graphs and c.) Rich Internet Applications embedded within web pages (examples include anything from music players to financial applications.) On the desktop, Flash requires a browser plugin to deliver all of this content and the plugin has had incredible success over the years, with the vast majority of web browsers having some version of the plugin installed.

Translating desktop success to mobile proved to be much more difficult for Adobe. Apple’s Steve Jobs famously spoke out against Flash in 2010, claiming that tests of the technology resulted in poorer performance on the iPhone (among other things) and made it publicly clear that Flash would likely never be supported on Apple iOS devices. Although mobile versions of Flash are supported on the latest Android devices, the widespread popularity of Apple devices must have contributed to Adobe’s  decision to discontinue development of mobile Flash (although they will continue to support existing versions).

Another factor in Adobe’s decision is the rise of HTML5, a collection of new features and technology for the Web. Many of the features that Flash has come to stand for (see above) can be accomplished with HTML5, which does not require a browser plugin and is not a proprietary technology but one based on web standards and not owned by anybody. So web video and audio, animation (using both the new Canvas API as well as CSS),  and many other features can now be built with a combination of HTML, CSS and JavaScript and work just as well on a mobile device as it does on the desktop.

For designers and developers, the path now could not be more clear: if you are interested in creating content for mobile devices then HTML5 is one of the main roads to take. Another main road is the development of native applications for mobile devices, which  Adobe also has a stake in with Adobe Air and their popular applications Flash Professional and Dreamweaver.

Adobe’s decision to focus on HTML5 for mobile is a good thing for all of us in this continually evolving industry. The major players on the Web including Google, Microsoft, Apple and many others, have all put their support behind HTML5 and this means designers and developers can get down to the important business of creating great content without having to worry about which technology they are choosing.

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How does HTML5 fit in the mobile device landscape?

Posted on May 12, 2011 by Jeremy Osborn

Native apps for mobile devices such as the iPhone, iPad, Windows Phone 7 and Android devices have received a great deal of attention recently, and for good reason, they represent a new way to interact online and the best apps use device features such as cameras and GPS in ways that you can’t easily duplicate on your desktop or laptops. So where does HTML5 fit in the picture? Should companies and designers create native applications or web applications? Do they need to create both? The answers to these questions can get complex and there is no easy answer, however these are some benefits to building web applications in HTML5:

  • The capabilities and performance of HTML5 applications is quickly catching up to native applications. The ability to create animations, animated CSS transitions and delver multimedia content in HTML5 is a huge benefit . Although native applications have the edge at the moment, the state of the art in HTML5 web applications is being advanced daily by designers and developers worldwide.
  • HTML5  leverages the fundamental simplicity of the web browser. Chances are most users do not have a fraction of the apps created by Fortune 500 companies on their phones and/or tablets. Yet with a web browser, every Fortune 500 company is immediately accessible. Apps are of no use if they are never installed and as apps (and companies) begin to compete with each other for space on the user’s device, the simplicity of the browser is appealing.
  • Developing for multiple platforms/devices. Although ensuring that HTML5 applications look and work the same across muitple devices is by no means a piece of cake, it is much easier (and less expensive) to do than trying to develop native apps across the major mobile platforms.

These are just a few of the reasons why HTML5 applications will become increasingly more popular for delivering web content in the months and years to come.

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Windows Phone market share to pass iPhone by 2015

Posted on May 4, 2011 by Christopher Smith

Both IDG and Gartner are predicting that Windows Phone sales will pass the iPhone by 2015. While Android is predicted to remain the top-dog in the smartphone market, Windows Phone market share is projected to grow while iOS market share is projected to shrink. We’ve been seeing an increased interest in designers and developers moving their apps to Windows Phone, and we expect this to increase in the coming years. Read the IDC report here and the Gartner report here. Apple is hardly dead, as this past quarter Apple sold 18.6 million iPhones, which is more than double the number of iPhones it sold in the same quarter just one year ago. While their sales may continue to go up, the overall smartphone market is expected to grow at a higher rate, with more of those sales going to Windows Phone and Android.

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Kindle will soon support library lending of e-books

Posted on May 3, 2011 by Christopher Smith

Joining Barnes & Noble’s Nook and Sony’s Reader, later this year the Amazon Kindle will support the ability to borrow books from libraries. The books will be checked-out and accessible for a specific time period, and then unavailable after the lending time has expired. Look for this feature to be available in many libraries that offer electronic lending by the end of the year.

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Adobe Photoshop CS 5.5 Review

Posted on May 2, 2011 by AGI

The only enhancement from Photoshop CS5 to Photoshop CS 5.5 is for software developers. If you don’t write programs, or more specifically, plug-ins to Photoshop, there isn’t anything for you. Adobe is experimenting with the idea that a tablet device can control Photoshop. If you are familiar with Wacom tablets, think of the idea that your tablet, such as an iPad, may someday be able to display an image that you are editing while near your desktop or notebook computer. While it’s an interesting idea, there’s no reason Adobe should be changing the version of Photoshop from CS 5 to CS 5.5. Our verdict for Production Premium Users: there are no new features that impact end-users, and it’s not worth the time or expense to upgrade.
There is nothing new to add regarding the other Creative Suite 5.5 products like Illustrator CS5.5, Bridge CS 5.5, and Fireworks CS 5.5. These CS 5.5 products have no noticeable changes or improvements from their CS 5 versions. Adobe is simply relabeling them from Creative Suite 5 to Creative Suite 5.5, calling them new, and charging you an upgrade fee. Overall can’t recommend the CS 5.5 upgrade for most customers.

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After Effects CS 5.5 Review

Posted on April 29, 2011 by AGI

We reviewed After Effects CS 5.5 and Premiere Pro CS 5.5 together as they are often used in the same workflow. These two products along with Photoshop CS 5.5 get bundled together into the Production Premium CS 5.5. As with the CS 5 upgrade, the most significant enhancements with these tools with the CS 5.5 release are related to speed and workflow. Digital video is changing rapidly, and it makes sense for Adobe to update these products more regularly to keep up with these changes. The workflow advances and subtle speed improvements for playback will be useful for full-time video professionals. Things like source timecode support, additional file support, and enhanced playback speed are useful. Our verdict for Production Premium Users: this upgrade to After Effects CS 5.5 and Premiere Pro CS 5.5 is worth serious consideration if you are a full time video professional.

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Adobe InDesign CS 5.5 Review

Posted on April 28, 2011 by AGI

InDesign is the one product in the Creative Suite 5.5 to offer some significant improvements. Adobe’s near monopoly in the desktop publishing market has left book publishers with few alternatives despite Adobe InDesign’s terrible ePub export capabilities. Publishers have had to create their own workflows that involve manually editing the contents and code of ePub files using text editors – an ugly and inefficient process. With InDesign CS 5.5 Adobe has reduced, but not eliminated, the need for book publishers to manipulate ePub files that are exported from InDesign. These ePub export improvements are long-overdue, and are essential for book publishers that create ePub files. Other features that were added to InDesign are designed to upsell users to Adobe’s Digital Publishing Suite, a ridiculous platform where Adobe wants publishers to pay them a fee every time a reader views a digital file created using their tools and distributed using their platform. The Digital Publishing Suite is nothing short of Adobe using their monopoly power in the design software business to extract additional revenue from publishers that are already struggling to adapt to the changing face of publishing. While the idea of creating interactive documents from InDesign is cool, the need to distribute them through Adobe’s platform – and then pay a fee to Adobe for every reader– is simply absurd. Digital content producers are better served by creating content for print using InDesign and then exporting well-structured XML into layouts for online or interactive use. While the ePub enhancements are worthwhile, the Digital Publishing Suite is a case of Adobe putting their financial interest ahead of their customers’ needs. Our verdict for InDesign Users: If you are a book publisher that creates ePub files, you’ll want to upgrade to CS 5.5 but publishers should ignore the Digital Publishing Suite – they are better served by leveraging open standards like ePub and HTML5.

Posted in Adobe (NASDAQ: ADBE), Product Reviews, e-readers, publishing | 3 Comments