I quickly pointed out the basic flaw in their statement, “everyone is NOT using InDesign, because I just sent you a project in Quark 8!”

I believe Quark should also supply free or heavily discounted upgrades to commercial printers, once the software is widely deemed stable and integrates into their workflow. Printers essentially use the software to produce the plates, not design for profit. And I think every registered design student should be given a free copy of Quark, even if it was one version old.

I’ve been in the industry for many years and have been fighting Quarks corner since version 3. I’ve swayed a few companies away from Pagemaker, Freehand, Ad Creator and lately Indesign usually based on cost implications of retraining whole studio’s. Althought the initial purchase of Indesign may be cheaper, the long-term cost of deployment and training usually puts the accounts department off from making decisions for the creative dept.

Also most students are tech savvy and will ultimatly get their hands on a ‘copy’ of something. So why not make the process easier and give it to them free… with training DVD’s and manuals. There’s a whole new slew of baby Quark users waiting to be nurtured. Granted they may not make the purchase themselves as most will end up working for companies but their voice will be heard in their prospective employers studios … “InDesign?”

I like what Quark has done the past few years to redeem itself with it’s customer base but it’s only a start, they need to be much more pro-active. I think they have lost touch with the common user, mac jockey. It’s all fair and well looking a case studies in leading creative studios, they need to go into the grass roots users.

p.s. I freelance in ad agencies throughout Northern Ireland and I’m afraid to report… some manaics are still using Freehand!!!!!!!!

Nuff said ;)