Quark (Denver, Colorado) has announced release of QuarkXPress 2018 – the next new, full version of Quark’s graphic design and page layout software – on Wednesday, May 16, 2018. “QuarkXPress 2018 will bring designers and creative professionals new powerful typography, print and digital publishing features necessary to meet daily creative and productivity demands,” said the company. Over the past three years, Quark has added major features and functionality to its software – and QuarkXPress 2018 is no exception. Characterized as “the best version ever,” it includes the top user-requested features combined with “industry-leading” functionality. The new features and functionality fall into a few main categories – typography, professional print and digital publishing, a streamlined user interface (UI) and customer wish-list features.
TYPOGRAPHY
- First-Class OpenType Controls: Rather than hide OpenType options in multiple submenus, OpenType is now easier to access, use, and control.
- Color Fonts Support: QuarkXPress 2018 is the first layout application that fully supports Color Fonts. (Emoji icons on smart phones are examples of color fonts.) QuarkXPress supports Color Fonts in SVG, SBIX and COLR formats and can be used in print, PDF, and digital outputs.
- Upgraded Font Listing: Font listing has been overhauled to help designers make the best typographic choices. Font Family and available Font Styles (Roman, Bold, etc.) are now listed in two separate combinations and can be mapped to the type styles buttons P/B/I in the palettes and dialogue.
- Hyphenation Strictness Levels: Choose between five hyphenation strictness levels – for example, hyphenate everywhere it’s grammatically correct or only hyphenate compound words. Select the strictness level that is best for the publication – or decide for each individual paragraph.
PROFESSIONAL PRINT PUBLISHING
- Direct InDesign IDML Import: With more and more InDesign users switching to QuarkXPress, it was time to make it even easier to migrate. The new native InDesign IDML Import in QuarkXPress 2018 converts InDesign IDML documents directly into the QuarkXPress format.
- Callas PDF Print Engine: The best PDF technology on the market – the callas PDF engine containing Adobe’s PDF Libraries – means higher-quality PDFs, PDF/X and PDF/A, driven by two of the best PDF technology providers.
- Tagged/Accessible PDF: Accessibility compliant PDFs are not just important but often mandatory. HTML5 is an obvious choice; however often workflows require accessible PDFs. The new PDF engine, combined with new tools for accessibility, make this possible.
- Built-in modern JavaScript v8: Scriptability and extensibility have always been core values of QuarkXPress. Write cross-platform JavaScripts (build on modern ECMAScript version 8) to automate repetitive tasks and access capabilities beyond the user interface. Go further by modifying layout objects using the QuarkXPress document object model (DOM API) that is very similar to the HTML DOM. Use it to, for example, convert all typed URLs to active hyperlinks or to change text using regular expressions (GREP).
DIGITAL PRINT PUBLISHING
- Create Android Single Apps: QuarkXPress 2018 expands on the ability to create unlimited iOS single apps by adding support for creating unlimited single apps for Android devices – completely free, directly from the desktop, no server, no login, no additional cost. (Google Play Store Developer Account required, which requires associated costs).
- HTML5 Export Optimizations: HTML5 Publications and ePub now export even more items as native HTML5 elements. This includes support for type styles (Outline, Shadow), Tables as HTML tables, Anchored text boxes, grouped boxes and Tables, non-solid rules, footnote separators and Index entries as Hyperlinks.
- Digital Preview Improvements: New responsive HTML5 Preview options are available when authoring in QuarkXPress 2018, including: Page Preview, Layout Preview, Project Preview.
- Grouped Items Interactivity: Add interactivity, for example, Buttons, Animations, Audio and Video to groups.
STREAMLINED USER INTERFACE
- Powerful User Interface: Windows users now benefit from a new powerful measurement palette that offers access to all attributes of QuarkXPress items and typography without obstructing the layout. Instant preview (with the ability to apply and revert). And all shortcut commands remain the same.
- Vertical Measurement Palette: A powerful new floating measurement palette provides access to all controls and attributes, is keyboard addressable, and includes all previous shortcut keys. Remember old modal CMD+M dialog? It’s also scrollable with easy-to-read labels. (macOS only)
MORE WISH-LIST FEATURES
- Digital-to-Print Conversion (Digital First Workflow)
- Span Footnotes over Columns
- Different frames for each side of a box
- 10 to 1000% Print Scaling
- Flip Groups
- And more…
Those interested who buy or upgrade to QuarkXPress 2017 now, will receive QuarkXPress 2018 free when it arrives on May 16! All QuarkXPress users on versions 3-10, 2015 and 2016, as well as those purchasing the Competitive Upgrade, are eligible for the Buy QuarkXPress 2017, Get QuarkXPress 2018 Promotion. Customers who already own QuarkXPress 2017 can pre-order the QuarkXPress 2018 upgrade in March and save 15%, 10% in April, and 5% in May until QuarkXPress 2018 arrives. All pre-order customers will be among the first to receive the new release a few days before it’s publicly available.
