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Convert Your Images to Icons

admin — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:14:41 +0000

iConvert is a free Web-based application that converts images and icons to 32-, 8-, and 4-bit icons system icons for Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux.

iConvert

Mac OSX .icns icons can be converted and used on Windows. Windows .ico icons and even .cur cursors can be converted to Mac-compatible icons. Both can be made into Linux icons. It will also convert your image files to icons, to use in interface designs for all platforms, or simply to use as folder icons on your desktop!

Print Just a Selection in QuarkXPress 8.1

admin — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:38:21 +0000

There’s a new, free XTension at the “Quark Labs“ section of Quark’s website: Print Selection XT.

This useful (dare I say necessary?) XTension lets users of QuarkXPress 8.1 output just a selection of a page, rather than the entire page. The selection can be made either by selecting specific items on a page, or by using the new Print Selection tool to drag a marquee around an area of a page.

The selection can then be output to either a printer, an EPS file, or a PDF file. And the selection can be applied to the current page, or any range of pages in the document.

This new tool is terrific for proofing just some text, or just a picture (or three) on a page.

Great Certificate Borders

admin — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 14:44:55 +0000

QuarkXPress has a number of good frames built in. Just select a text or picture box, then click the Frame tab in the Measurements Palette. 20 different frame designs appear:

The fancier ones look best at one specific thickness — each one has a different preferred thickness that you’ll see as in bold or outlined text in the Weight popup:

As you see, this one works best at 42 points.

Just like any other QuarkXPress item, you can adjust its color, shade and opacity:

These frames are useful in many circumstances, but if you need to create a certificate or award, having a look at the incredibly detailed, “guilloche” borders from a number of stock image websites.

I found good ones in various resolutions and shapes here:

Just search for guilloche.

Double-click to Close a Polygon

admin — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 14:10:19 +0000

In QuarkXPress 7 and earlier, when using the Bezier Text Box tool to create a complex polygon box, you can lose track of the beginning. To automatically close the polygon, just click on a different tool or double-click anywhere.

In QuarkXPress 8, the Bezier Pen tool works completely differently — in fact, it works exactly like the Pen tool in Adobe products. If you click on a different tool, your path remains open and the entire path is selected.

Zooming Tricks for QuarkXPress

admin — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 14:00:43 +0000

To zoom into a particular area in a QuarkXPress document, hold down Control-Shift and drag a marquee around an area of your page. QuarkXPress will magnify that area to fill your window, or to 800%, whichever comes first.

Other timesavers: press Command-0 to fit the page to the window. (Windows: Ctrl-0) Press Command-1 for 100% view. (Windows: Ctrl-1)

For other views, press Control-V to highlight the View Percentage area at the bottom left corner of your document window, and then type in any view percentage you’d like. (Or type T to view your document as Thumbnails!)

Select Everything on a Layer

admin — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 15:18:40 +0000

To select everything on a Layer in QuarkXPress, Control-click or right-click the name of the layer in the Layers palette and choose Select Items on Layer from the contextual menu that appears.

If you want to select everything on the page (on all layers), just press Command-A.

Daily Tip: Foreign Dictionary

admin — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 14:00:46 +0000

Although QuarkXPress is supplied as a single-language product (unless you buy QuarkXPress Passport Edition), the user-defined spell-check dictionary (Utilities> Auxiliary Dictionary) contains foreign language and accented words.

Use it to check and correct common phrases in French, German, Spanish, and Latin.