Quark vs Indesign

[chaosbunny]

If you are switching from quark 4 to indesign: go to Edit/Keyboard Shortcuts, you can set the keyboard shortcuts to quark 4 there. Just came to my mind and thought I'll let you know in case you haven't done it already.

 

[Lacero]

I've been a loyal Quark user for the last 10 years. Reading this thread has made me want to try out InDesign. I did briefly use it several years ago on a PowerMac 7xxx series 233Mhz computer and it ran like a dog.

Was using Quark 4 at that time, I believe. Anyway, sounds like Adobe finally made a viable Quark competitor. But first, I'll see how revolutionary Quark 7 is before I decide jumping over to ID exclusively.

 

[eclipse]

Hi Lacero,
as my wife says... if you use Quark and know it inside out, won't it cost you far more in "opportunity cost" of time lost where you could have been working in Quark? If it works, and it's earning you stacks of dosh, then why not stay with it?

If my wife was starting out today, then we'd both stick with CS2 and ID.
Much cheaper to buy. But as she knows Quark and has a business to run, well.... it just depends how busy you are I guess. It never hurts to learn another program!

 

[ITASOR]

I have them both (starting to get interested in desktop publishing) and I can truly say that I really like InDesign better. I can do so much more, and because I know how to use Photoshop and Imageready really well, I started InDesign knowing at least some knowledge. I like the way it works better, the way it handles images, etc. I also think it exports to PDF easier and nicer, with the PDF Presets. I can produce a quick draft PDF of my newsletters and easily show them to anyone. I did like starting out on Quark, with the simple tools and layout of the program, but once I got REALLY into it, I started to see all the additional settings, etc I could do in InDesign, and I don't plan on using Quark anymore.

 

[slooksterPSV]

I used to use Quark 4 at work and got pretty used to it. It was nice and clean and simple.

I'm now having to learn Indesign CS because I can't afford Quark 6.

I've only just started with InDesign and I don't like it much yet. My question is to anyone who has made the switch...

Will I come to like InDesign eventually?

We used Quark 5 in my Graphics class 2 years ago. It was ok, but once we used Indesign we got rid of Quark... well we don't use it. We keep it cause my teacher is a Graphics Designer for some places and that. So for file purposes that's why we have it still. But InDesign has so many more features than Quark. And, if you're familiar with Adobe apps, it's easy to learn to use.

 

[Mass Hysteria]

Both!

Indesign is great for designery work – fiddly to use.

Quark has less features than ID, but is quick for 'banging out' artwork.

It just depends what you need to do, for myself at work its mostly artworking, (adverts/magazines/brochures) so for me the maths of purchasing software would be simple . . .

. . . I am 5-6x more productive with Quark

(my work also has InDesign, because, for artworking you need to manipulate images, create logos, produce and edit PDFs, so you may aswell get the whole creative suite too!)

 

[skirklan]

InDesign vs Quirk

I couldn't get a job anywhere when I first started out because I was using InDesign instead of what I fondly refer to as Quirk. Everybody and their brother was using it, especially magazines and ad agencies. Now, the tides are turning. A lot of it has to do with improvements Adobe made in InDesign; and the fact that postscript works better with Adobe products than as third party software, but some of it has to do with financial problems and whether Quark will be around long enough to offer product support.

I stumbled on this article that may be of interest:
How Adobe is Pushing Quark Off the Page
http://www.business2.com/b2/web/articles/0,17863,1095681,00.html

 

[Chad A Wright]

But as she knows Quark and has a business to run, well.... it just depends how busy you are I guess. It never hurts to learn another program!

I was using Quark exclusively, and had for years. I too make my living at this and didn't have any time to "learn a new program." Through an odd set of circumstances, a friend talked me in to using InDesign on a project. I managed to make a complete switch in the space of a weekend. I just stopped designing in Quark and started in ID. They are so similar, it wasn't a problem at all.

I still keep Quark because I have a few clients who I do work for every few months, so some of there files haven't been updated to ID yet. Plus it's good to have around. You never know when you will need it.

 

[eclipse]

One weekend?
Cool! 😎

But you have to keep Quark anyway?
Oh well, maybe there's no point in my wife changing over then.