Quark has done an excellent job of explaining each new feature in QuarkXPress 9 here. I’ve copied their explanation of the new Shapemaker feature below, but Quark also has a 32-second video that demonstrates how it works here.

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ShapeMaker: Easily Create Unique Shapes

The QuarkXPress® ShapeMaker™ feature lets you create unique and useful shapes using configurable waves, polygons, stars, spirals, and more. All settings are highly customizable and can be saved as presets, and real-time previews make it easy to see what you’re creating. This is a feature you’ll have great fun experimenting with.

How it Works

• Specify what kind of shape you want to make
• Adjust settings such as phase, amplitude, orientation, number of sides, segments, smoothness, and more, with a real-time preview of your shape
• Click Create

At a glance:

• Use sine, triangle, sawtooth, square, or random wave types
• Create regular polygons, stars, polygrams, spirograms, random polygons, golden rectangles, and double squares
• Control individual corners of a rectangular box with options such as rounded, beveled, concave, inset, and pointed
• Use multiple linked text paths for standout text baseline effects such as wavy or angular text
• Edit shapes with the ShapeMaker feature or the QuarkXPress Pen tools

Jay Nelson

Jay Nelson is the editorial director of PlanetQuark.com, and the editor and publisher of Design Tools Monthly. He’s also the author of the QuarkXPress 8 and QuarkXPress 7 training titles at Lynda.com, as well as the training videos Quark includes in the box with QuarkXPress 7 . In addition, Jay writes regularly for Macworld and Photoshop User magazines and speaks at industry events.