X-Ray Magazine v5n6 QuarkXPress 8: A Suite Response

BY CYNDIE SHAFFSTALL

Tim Banister, general manager of desktop technology for Quark, Inc., says that QuarkXPress 8 is the best version so far. While the list of new features is comparatively short, they are far reaching. Everywhere you look — menus, palettes, and dialogues — there's something new, something streamlined, or something just plain cool. So, while it's not yet shipping, I think a sneak peek is in order.

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X-Ray Magazine v5n6 QuarkXPress 8 Accessibility Defined

Well, hello.

In this article, I've tried to provide a bit of depth on the new features and explain what legacy features have been affected, modified, simplified, or removed to make for optimized accessibility and usability. Nearly every feature of QuarkXPress 8 has been designed with streamlining in mind. Fewer clicks, fewer menu trips, fewer keystrokes — and for you Mac users, get started on the path to fewer clicks at the welcome screen. Jump to recent documents, get help, or access resources (figure 1).

X-Ray Magazine v5n6 QuarkXPress 8 Accessibility Defined Figure 1

Figure 1 If you are a Mac user, the welcome screen provides you one click access to all sorts of resources. (If you're an expert user, you may choose to disable this XTensions module to realize even better performance.)

It's a whole new experience

Streamlining is also the premise behind the entirely new user interface (or UI, for the geeks). While this new look may alarm those of us who cut our teeth on version 3 and earlier, once you get past the initial shock, you will truly appreciate the efforts that have gone into the pared-down production processes. Let's have a look at what that means to our familiar environment — as a place to start.

The first thing you'll likely notice about the UI is the updated color theme, and a split second after that you'll want to know what the hell happened to the tool palette. Do not panic. Quark's product management team has a cohesive plan in mind.

X-Ray Magazine v5n6 QuarkXPress 8 Accessibility Defined Figure 2

Figure 2 When you first install QuarkXPress, and unlike previous versions, you will find a palette set opened and active. You can now interact with these palettes at any time, even if you do not have content or an item selected.

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