Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Quark's Guide to CS4 Integration
As Quark struggles to stay alive, they release a new Guide to Integration with the Creative Suite.
Monday, August 4, 2008
InDesign v Quark: Toolbox
Quark
Quark's Toolbox hasn't changed much over the years (except v.8). Accessing tools in the Toolbox involves clicking on them. Yes, I know, that's the way it's supposed to work, but InDesign's toolbox (see below) allows you to select tools via a keyboard shortcut. Not to say there aren't keyboard shortcuts for Quark's Toolbox, they just aren't as easy to remember. Just in case you forgot, here are all of the shortcuts for Quark's Toolbox:
Display/Hide palette = F8
Select next tool = Option + F8 or Command + Option + Tab
Select previous tool = Option + Shift + F8 or Command + Option + Shift + Tab
Keep a tool selected = Option + click tool
Open Tool pane of Preferences = Double-click item creation tool or Zoom tool
Switch between item and Content tool = Shift + F8
The biggest problem with Quark is the two main tools: the Item tool and the Content tool. Depending on which one you have selected in the toolbox, you can access different items related to the box you are working on. This is both nearsighted and farsighted as you would think that all of the options should be available for whatever you have selected. Sometimes, it becomes a real problem when the Item tool is active, for example, and you are trying to work on the content - or vice versa. In InDesign, when you want to work on content, it really doesn't matter much what tool you have selected. If you have the selection tool active and you double-click on a text frame, the Type tool becomes active so you can work on the content.
Finally, some of the tools on the Quark toolbox seem negligible, including the Starburst tool.
InDesign
InDesign's Tools panel is chuck full of familiar tools from Photoshop and Illustrator. Each tool has a single keyboard shortcute associated with it. T activates the Type tool, V activates the Select tool, P activates the Pen tool, and so on. InDesign's Tools panel also includes selectors for Fill and Stroke colors, viewing options for Normal, Bleed, Slug, and Preview, and transformation tools as well, making for less trips to dialog boxes to get your work done.
Significance
There's nothing wrong with Quark's Toolbox, it just seems to require more attention than InDesign's. Some people don't like shortcuts and they would be fine using it the way it is. For productivity and shortcut geeks, especially who have crossed over from other Creative Suite apps, Adobe makes it much easier to access tools on the fly and tries to make efforts to keep the same keyboard shortcuts for similar tools across the entire Suite.
Quark's Toolbox hasn't changed much over the years (except v.8). Accessing tools in the Toolbox involves clicking on them. Yes, I know, that's the way it's supposed to work, but InDesign's toolbox (see below) allows you to select tools via a keyboard shortcut. Not to say there aren't keyboard shortcuts for Quark's Toolbox, they just aren't as easy to remember. Just in case you forgot, here are all of the shortcuts for Quark's Toolbox:
Display/Hide palette = F8
Select next tool = Option + F8 or Command + Option + Tab
Select previous tool = Option + Shift + F8 or Command + Option + Shift + Tab
Keep a tool selected = Option + click tool
Open Tool pane of Preferences = Double-click item creation tool or Zoom tool
Switch between item and Content tool = Shift + F8
The biggest problem with Quark is the two main tools: the Item tool and the Content tool. Depending on which one you have selected in the toolbox, you can access different items related to the box you are working on. This is both nearsighted and farsighted as you would think that all of the options should be available for whatever you have selected. Sometimes, it becomes a real problem when the Item tool is active, for example, and you are trying to work on the content - or vice versa. In InDesign, when you want to work on content, it really doesn't matter much what tool you have selected. If you have the selection tool active and you double-click on a text frame, the Type tool becomes active so you can work on the content.
Finally, some of the tools on the Quark toolbox seem negligible, including the Starburst tool.
InDesign
InDesign's Tools panel is chuck full of familiar tools from Photoshop and Illustrator. Each tool has a single keyboard shortcute associated with it. T activates the Type tool, V activates the Select tool, P activates the Pen tool, and so on. InDesign's Tools panel also includes selectors for Fill and Stroke colors, viewing options for Normal, Bleed, Slug, and Preview, and transformation tools as well, making for less trips to dialog boxes to get your work done.
Significance
There's nothing wrong with Quark's Toolbox, it just seems to require more attention than InDesign's. Some people don't like shortcuts and they would be fine using it the way it is. For productivity and shortcut geeks, especially who have crossed over from other Creative Suite apps, Adobe makes it much easier to access tools on the fly and tries to make efforts to keep the same keyboard shortcuts for similar tools across the entire Suite.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
InDesign v Quark: Runarounds/Text Wraps
Quark
Quark has no way to ignore runarounds on a text box. Even text boxes placed on layers or master pages will react to runarounds created by picture boxes above them.
InDesign
In the Text Frame options dialog, there is a check box to Ignore Text Wrap.
Significance
Here's an example: A large text box with a text logo was placed on a Layer. Other layers with picture boxes was created above that. The text moved in reaction to the picture boxes. If the text box with the logo in it was placed on the Master page, the same result occured. There's no way to ignore runarounds in Quark. They seem to be inherently on. In this case, since the large text was behind everything else, it's extremely important to keep the position of that text in place. Locking the text doesn't work either.
Quark has no way to ignore runarounds on a text box. Even text boxes placed on layers or master pages will react to runarounds created by picture boxes above them.
InDesign
In the Text Frame options dialog, there is a check box to Ignore Text Wrap.
Significance
Here's an example: A large text box with a text logo was placed on a Layer. Other layers with picture boxes was created above that. The text moved in reaction to the picture boxes. If the text box with the logo in it was placed on the Master page, the same result occured. There's no way to ignore runarounds in Quark. They seem to be inherently on. In this case, since the large text was behind everything else, it's extremely important to keep the position of that text in place. Locking the text doesn't work either.
InDesign v Quark: Type Stroke
Quark
You cannot apply strokes to type in Quark.
InDesign
As in Illustrator, InDesign allows you to add a stroke to type by selecting a text box, and in the Swatches panel or Toolbox, selecting the Type option, with Stroke fill in the front, and choose a color. You can then change the stroke weight in the Stroke panel.
Significance
It may seem trite, but again, we see more creative flexibility on the part of InDesign here in comparison to Quark. Would Quark greatly benefit from adding a feature like this? Probably not, but at least a designer using InDesign doesn't have to step outside of the program to do something like this.
You cannot apply strokes to type in Quark.
InDesign
As in Illustrator, InDesign allows you to add a stroke to type by selecting a text box, and in the Swatches panel or Toolbox, selecting the Type option, with Stroke fill in the front, and choose a color. You can then change the stroke weight in the Stroke panel.
Significance
It may seem trite, but again, we see more creative flexibility on the part of InDesign here in comparison to Quark. Would Quark greatly benefit from adding a feature like this? Probably not, but at least a designer using InDesign doesn't have to step outside of the program to do something like this.
InDesign v Quark: Type on a Path
Quark
Quark has 4 type on a path tools: The Line Text-Path tool, Bezier Text-Path tool, Orthogonal Text-Path tool, and Freeform Text-Path tool. You can draw lines with these tools - straight, curved, and freeform. Switching to the Content tool will place an I-beam at the beginning of the line and then you can type text on the path.
To control text on a path, you can choose the Text Path tab of the Measurements palette or go to Item > Modify and choose the Text Path tab. There are 4 orientation options: Curved text (default), Warped text, 3-D Ribbon text, Stair Step text. You can change text alignment options and the way the Aline with Line, and also flip the text. You can alter the path and the text will follow it.
InDesign
InDesign has a Type on a Path tool but you don't draw with it. In fact, you can apply Type on a Path to just about any object drawn in InDesign - it could be a text frame, picture frame, or any path. Simply click on the edge of the path with the Type on a Path tool and the path will be activated for Type.
To control Type on a Path, choose Type > Type on a Path > Options. You can change the Effect to Rainbow, Skew, 3D Ribbon, Stair Step, and Gravity (which is almost completely useless). You can flip the text, change the alignment, change the text alignment on the path and alter the spacing value (which is kind of like kerning).
The type can be moved along the path by using the Direct Selection tool and clicking and dragging on the center, In, and Out handles on the path. If you drag any of these handles across the line, the text will flip over.
Significance
InDesign is the clear winner here. Not only can you create type on a path, but you can manipulate that type in a variety of ways. Plus, you can apply type on a path to just about any object that you create in InDesign. InDesigns type on a path model is identical to Illustrator's which makes it really easy to use and adapt.
Quark has 4 type on a path tools: The Line Text-Path tool, Bezier Text-Path tool, Orthogonal Text-Path tool, and Freeform Text-Path tool. You can draw lines with these tools - straight, curved, and freeform. Switching to the Content tool will place an I-beam at the beginning of the line and then you can type text on the path.
To control text on a path, you can choose the Text Path tab of the Measurements palette or go to Item > Modify and choose the Text Path tab. There are 4 orientation options: Curved text (default), Warped text, 3-D Ribbon text, Stair Step text. You can change text alignment options and the way the Aline with Line, and also flip the text. You can alter the path and the text will follow it.
InDesign
InDesign has a Type on a Path tool but you don't draw with it. In fact, you can apply Type on a Path to just about any object drawn in InDesign - it could be a text frame, picture frame, or any path. Simply click on the edge of the path with the Type on a Path tool and the path will be activated for Type.
To control Type on a Path, choose Type > Type on a Path > Options. You can change the Effect to Rainbow, Skew, 3D Ribbon, Stair Step, and Gravity (which is almost completely useless). You can flip the text, change the alignment, change the text alignment on the path and alter the spacing value (which is kind of like kerning).
The type can be moved along the path by using the Direct Selection tool and clicking and dragging on the center, In, and Out handles on the path. If you drag any of these handles across the line, the text will flip over.
Significance
InDesign is the clear winner here. Not only can you create type on a path, but you can manipulate that type in a variety of ways. Plus, you can apply type on a path to just about any object that you create in InDesign. InDesigns type on a path model is identical to Illustrator's which makes it really easy to use and adapt.
Friday, August 1, 2008
InDesign v Quark: Master Page Items
Quark
Items placed on Master Pages in Quark are no longer locked on regular pages, as in previous versions of Quark. For example, if you place a picture or text box on a master page and then go to page 1, you can manipulate that box with either the Content tool or Item tool. These 'local' changes are ignorant of the Master page. There is a Preference (Print Layout > General) for deciding what to do with these 'local' changes. You can either Keep the changes or Delete them. When you have Keep on, and you replace the page with the Master, the changed item remains. If you have Delete on, which is preferable, the changed item is deleted when the master replaces the page.
InDesign
Items placed on a Master page in InDesign are inherently locked on regular pages. This keeps those items away from you while you lay other elements on top of them. A Master page item can be accessed and changed by Command (Control) + Shift clicking on it. There's also an option in the Pages Panel to Hide Master Items on a selected page or range of pages. This effectively removes master page items from a page.
Significance
In my humble opinion, Master page items are placed on the Master pages specifically to add consistent items that will appear throughout a publication with little variation and change. Once the items are in place, having the flexibility to change those items is great, but I can see potential issues with Quark's approach. It's too easy to accidentally select a Master item on any page and delete or move it. I like the fact that InDesigns Master items are not accessible unless you make them so.
Items placed on Master Pages in Quark are no longer locked on regular pages, as in previous versions of Quark. For example, if you place a picture or text box on a master page and then go to page 1, you can manipulate that box with either the Content tool or Item tool. These 'local' changes are ignorant of the Master page. There is a Preference (Print Layout > General) for deciding what to do with these 'local' changes. You can either Keep the changes or Delete them. When you have Keep on, and you replace the page with the Master, the changed item remains. If you have Delete on, which is preferable, the changed item is deleted when the master replaces the page.
InDesign
Items placed on a Master page in InDesign are inherently locked on regular pages. This keeps those items away from you while you lay other elements on top of them. A Master page item can be accessed and changed by Command (Control) + Shift clicking on it. There's also an option in the Pages Panel to Hide Master Items on a selected page or range of pages. This effectively removes master page items from a page.
Significance
In my humble opinion, Master page items are placed on the Master pages specifically to add consistent items that will appear throughout a publication with little variation and change. Once the items are in place, having the flexibility to change those items is great, but I can see potential issues with Quark's approach. It's too easy to accidentally select a Master item on any page and delete or move it. I like the fact that InDesigns Master items are not accessible unless you make them so.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Indesign v Quark: Picture Control
Quark
An imported picture in Quark can be sized in the Measurements palette, with the X% and Y% fields. There's no way to link those fields, you have to address both to size an image. Another way to scale an image and its picture box is by holding Command and dragging the corner of the box to scale both. Oddly though, adding the Shift key doesn't constrain proportions in the image, but forces it on the box, so the image gets distorted.
Finally, you can scale the picture to the size of the box by right clicking on the box and choosing the command Scale Picture to Box. Adversely, you can fit the box to the picture by choosing Fit Box to Picture. You can crop an image by changing the size of the box and move the image within the box with the Content tool. To center an image in a picture box, you can use Command (Control) + Shift + M.
InDesign
A placed image can be manipulated separately from it's picture frame in InDesign with the Direct selection tool. You can scale the image with the Direct selection tool. Clicking and holding on the placed image for a few seconds will reveal its total size beyond the boundaries of the picture frame. You can control the percentage of the size of the picture in the Control panel and link the horizontal and vertical aspects.
InDesign has several Fitting options. You can Fit Content to Frame, Fit Frame to Content, Center Content, Fit Content Proportionally, and Fill Frame Proportionally.
Significance
Quark feels clunky when it comes to placing and sizing images, whereas InDesign offers so many ways to deal with placed images. There's more room to change your mind with InDesign, more opportunities to experiment and alter them. Again, I think Quark's mindset is that the designer should already know the size of the imported image beforehand.
An imported picture in Quark can be sized in the Measurements palette, with the X% and Y% fields. There's no way to link those fields, you have to address both to size an image. Another way to scale an image and its picture box is by holding Command and dragging the corner of the box to scale both. Oddly though, adding the Shift key doesn't constrain proportions in the image, but forces it on the box, so the image gets distorted.
Finally, you can scale the picture to the size of the box by right clicking on the box and choosing the command Scale Picture to Box. Adversely, you can fit the box to the picture by choosing Fit Box to Picture. You can crop an image by changing the size of the box and move the image within the box with the Content tool. To center an image in a picture box, you can use Command (Control) + Shift + M.
InDesign
A placed image can be manipulated separately from it's picture frame in InDesign with the Direct selection tool. You can scale the image with the Direct selection tool. Clicking and holding on the placed image for a few seconds will reveal its total size beyond the boundaries of the picture frame. You can control the percentage of the size of the picture in the Control panel and link the horizontal and vertical aspects.
InDesign has several Fitting options. You can Fit Content to Frame, Fit Frame to Content, Center Content, Fit Content Proportionally, and Fill Frame Proportionally.
Significance
Quark feels clunky when it comes to placing and sizing images, whereas InDesign offers so many ways to deal with placed images. There's more room to change your mind with InDesign, more opportunities to experiment and alter them. Again, I think Quark's mindset is that the designer should already know the size of the imported image beforehand.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
InDesign v Quark: Linking
Quark
Quark has two tools for linking: the Link tool and the Unlink tool. You can automatically flow text into a new Project that has automatic text boxes created in it. To manually link, you need to select the Link tool and then click on an text box that has an overset symbol on it, then click on an empty text box to flow that text into it.
To break a text link, select the Unlink tool and click on a text box that is linked. An arrow will appear that indicates the link between the text boxes. Click the tip of the arrow to break the link.
InDesign
InDesign offers three ways to link text: manual, automatic, and semi-automatic. There is no link or unlink tools in InDesign for linking text frames. Every text frame has an In and Out port. When text is overset, the Out port will have a red plus sign in it. Click on the red plus sign and now you will have a loaded cursor. To manually link, click on an empty text frame. To semi-automatically link, hold down Option (Alt) and click on multiple text frames to continue the thread throughout a document. To automatically link, hold down the shift key. Click on a column and new text frames will be created to accomodate the entire story.
Another thing about InDesign is that you don't need to create a text frame to begin flowing text through a document. Once you Place a story and the cursor is loaded, you can then click on a column to flow that text.
Significance
Again, Quark is expecting you to plan ahead and have all of your text boxes in place before you flow text. The advantage in InDesign is that you don't need to have text frames in place to link or use special tools to do it.
Quark has two tools for linking: the Link tool and the Unlink tool. You can automatically flow text into a new Project that has automatic text boxes created in it. To manually link, you need to select the Link tool and then click on an text box that has an overset symbol on it, then click on an empty text box to flow that text into it.
To break a text link, select the Unlink tool and click on a text box that is linked. An arrow will appear that indicates the link between the text boxes. Click the tip of the arrow to break the link.
InDesign
InDesign offers three ways to link text: manual, automatic, and semi-automatic. There is no link or unlink tools in InDesign for linking text frames. Every text frame has an In and Out port. When text is overset, the Out port will have a red plus sign in it. Click on the red plus sign and now you will have a loaded cursor. To manually link, click on an empty text frame. To semi-automatically link, hold down Option (Alt) and click on multiple text frames to continue the thread throughout a document. To automatically link, hold down the shift key. Click on a column and new text frames will be created to accomodate the entire story.
Another thing about InDesign is that you don't need to create a text frame to begin flowing text through a document. Once you Place a story and the cursor is loaded, you can then click on a column to flow that text.
Significance
Again, Quark is expecting you to plan ahead and have all of your text boxes in place before you flow text. The advantage in InDesign is that you don't need to have text frames in place to link or use special tools to do it.
InDesign v Quark: Guides
Quark
Quark has a utility called Guide Manager under the Utilities menu. You can add a number of horizontal and vertical guides with this tool. You can also remove guides that have been added in the same utility. What's odd about this tool is that you cannot use it on a master page, which would make the most sense. You can add the guides to All Pages or All Spreads, but as soon as you add additional pages, those guides are not on the new pages.
InDesign
Under the Layout menu, go to Create Guides. You can specify the number of Row and Column guides and fit them either to the page or to the margins. This tool can be used on master pages - where it probably should be used.
Significance
If grids are really important to you, then creating a logical set of guides to help you during the design process is very helpful. However, if your design does not neatly fit into a specific grid or only requires a few grid lines, then neither of these tools are anything to gain from.
Quark has a utility called Guide Manager under the Utilities menu. You can add a number of horizontal and vertical guides with this tool. You can also remove guides that have been added in the same utility. What's odd about this tool is that you cannot use it on a master page, which would make the most sense. You can add the guides to All Pages or All Spreads, but as soon as you add additional pages, those guides are not on the new pages.
InDesign
Under the Layout menu, go to Create Guides. You can specify the number of Row and Column guides and fit them either to the page or to the margins. This tool can be used on master pages - where it probably should be used.
Significance
If grids are really important to you, then creating a logical set of guides to help you during the design process is very helpful. However, if your design does not neatly fit into a specific grid or only requires a few grid lines, then neither of these tools are anything to gain from.
InDesign v Quark: Eyedropper
Quark
Quark doesn't have a color picker or eyedropper tool to select colors. Even when you are creating new colors, there's no way to select colors from imported images.
InDesign
InDesign has an eyedropper tool in the Toolbox. With the eyedropper tool, you can select colors from a placed image. Click once to hold a color. Option click to select again. then you can go to the Swatches panel and choose New Color Swatch from the options menu.
The eyedropper tool does more than just color in InDesign - it can select formatting attributes. With the eyedropper tool selected, click on some formatted text and those attributes will be held. Click and drag over some unformatted text with the eyedropper tool and now that text will be formatted.
Significance
Yes, I suppose you should know the colors that you will be using in a given project ahead of time, but there are those times when you need to reference a color within your layout program without having to go back to Photoshop to find out it's CMYK or RGB values. Apple has a utility called Digital Color Meter that you could use while in Quark to pick out values, but you'd still have to write them down and make new colors. Not as easy as InDesign.
Update
This is a real ass-backwards workaround, but you can get color sample/eyedropper functionality in Quark:
http://www.quark.com/service/desktop/support/techinfo/knowledgebase.html
Quark doesn't have a color picker or eyedropper tool to select colors. Even when you are creating new colors, there's no way to select colors from imported images.
InDesign
InDesign has an eyedropper tool in the Toolbox. With the eyedropper tool, you can select colors from a placed image. Click once to hold a color. Option click to select again. then you can go to the Swatches panel and choose New Color Swatch from the options menu.
The eyedropper tool does more than just color in InDesign - it can select formatting attributes. With the eyedropper tool selected, click on some formatted text and those attributes will be held. Click and drag over some unformatted text with the eyedropper tool and now that text will be formatted.
Significance
Yes, I suppose you should know the colors that you will be using in a given project ahead of time, but there are those times when you need to reference a color within your layout program without having to go back to Photoshop to find out it's CMYK or RGB values. Apple has a utility called Digital Color Meter that you could use while in Quark to pick out values, but you'd still have to write them down and make new colors. Not as easy as InDesign.
Update
This is a real ass-backwards workaround, but you can get color sample/eyedropper functionality in Quark:
http://www.quark.com/service/desktop/support/techinfo/knowledgebase.html
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