Quark says that the new QuarkXPress 8 is "inspired by the designer’s passion for perfection" and offers a new interface that allows you to work faster, has built-in Web and Flash authoring tools, and offers "designer-driven typography."
Here's some of what Quark says the new QuarkXPress 8 offers. Use the linked text to go to the Quark site to learn more about specific features.
Picture Content Tool
Place, scale, rotate, and offset images and get a visual preview as you crop. No switching to separate tools.Bezier Pen Tool
Drawing tools like those found in Illustrator and other graphics programs are right in the program.Drag and Drop
No need to pre-define boxes to hold text or images. Just drag text and images from your desktop or from other applications including Adobe Bridge. And the drag and drop works the other direction -- from QuarkXPress into your graphics software.Simplified Tools Palette
Improvements to use of familiar tools along with single-key commands consistent with other programs such as Photoshop.Built-in Flash
Turn existing projects into Flash or create all new Flash projects right inside QuarkXPress 8. Supports Flash (SWF) creation, conversion, and export in over 30 languages.Synchronize Print, Web, and Flash Conten
Using a Shared Content feature you can design once and have content suitable for print, Web, and Flash with a single click.Flash Without Programming
The built-in Flash authoring requires no separate program, no programming skills. Uses a page-based model rather than a timeline for creating interactive design.Hanging Characters
Offers precise control and customization of hanging characters to include text margin alignment, fonts, left or right side settings, and use as drop caps. Hanging character settings can be defined down to the paragraph level and integrated into style sheets.Design and Baseline Grids
Apply unique grids to each master page and to individual boxes. Grids can be created manually or automatically based on various settings. Snap align grids.Unicode and OpenType Support
You'll find WYSIWYG font menus, Glyph palettes searchable by character or Unicode number, and support for over 20 new OpenType features in East Asian scripts.Some designers have sworn off Quark products and are firmly entrenched in Adobe and InDesign. Yet others say QuarkXPress is still the best and with recent changes in the company will only get better. What's your take? Too little, too late or still great? Talk about Quark, Inc. and about QuarkXPress 8 in particular.
