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New Guide “Digital Publishing with QuarkXPress 2016”

June 10, 2016How-to, Learn, QuarkXPress 2016No Comments

Quark release a new manual called “Digital Publishing with QuarkXPress 2016”.

It can be found here and describes how to create app content for native apps, ebooks in the EPUB2 and EPUB3 format (reflow and fixed-layout) and HTML5 Publications:

http://files.quark.com/download/documentation/QuarkXPress/2016/English/Digital_Publishing_with_QXP_2016_EN.pdf

Matthias Guenther

Both an engineer and a layout artist, Matthias bridges the gap between technology and people.

Before joining Quark, Matthias pioneered print, Web, and multimedia products for multiple German publishing companies. Since 1997 he has played a central role in shaping Quark’s desktop and enterprise software.
Starting 2003 Matthias has focused on Quark’s interactive and digital publishing solutions. He is an active participant in design and publishing communities and represents Quark in the Ghent PDF Workgroup.

Since February 2014 Matthias heads Quark’s Desktop Publishing business unit and is therefore responsible for QuarkXPress.

https://twitter.com/HamburQ

Recover Kodak Photo CD Images

February 12, 2013Software (other), TipNo Comments

If you have old Kodak Photo CDs, you may want to consider converting them to a current file format such as TIFF, and one way to do that is with GraphicConverter for Mac OS X ($40).

Few apps other than GraphicConverter support the defunct Photo CD format, and it can convert a long list of other abandoned image formats, too.

Jeff Gamet

Jeff Gamet is a contributing editor for Design Tools Monthly, the executive summary of graphic design news. He is also the morning editor and reviews editor for The Mac Observer and iPodObserver.com, and contributing writer for Layers Magazine and Photoshop User. He writes the InBrief column for InDesign Magazine, and is the author of “The Designer’s Guide to Mac OS X,” from Peachpit Press

When Jeff isn’t writing about the graphic design world, he’s talking about it on the Design Tools Weekly podcast with co-host Jay Nelson. He also talks about Apple and the Mac world every week on The Mac Observer’s Apple Weekly Report.

Jeff studies, tests and reviews new software and technologies for the Macintosh community as well as the design and print industries. He is a former Pre-press specialist, and has nearly 25 years experience with computer technology. Jeff trains, lectures and consults on techniques for more efficiently using Mac OS X in creative environments throughout the country.

In the rare moments when he can get away from his MacBook Pro, Jeff spends his time climbing and biking in the Colorado mountains.

Which font for your ePub?

February 1, 2013February 1, 2013Digital Publishing, Font, Tip3 Comments

Finding fonts for Digital Publications is not very difficult — mostly you’ll be searching for fonts that are display well on screens.

The more difficult task can be licensing, as every font vendor has different licensing schemes, and some do not even allow you to embed their fonts in a PDF…

When creating native apps or other “encapsulated” file formats, where it is hard for the average user to get to the embedded fonts, I would recommend contacting your font vendor of choice and ask about licensing. Of course you could always rasterize a font, but that’s not really a good choice in regards to accessibility, readability and searchability, especially when using a Digital Publishing solution like App Studio, which by default keeps text as text (HTML5).

But what about ePubs? ePubs are basically a ZIP archive that contain the font file in a reusable format once you unzipped it. And I could understand that font vendors might be hesitant to license fonts for ePubs.

My recommendation: Use an OpenSource font for your reflowable ePub.

As ePubs typically are not displaying as designed, but reflow where line breaks do not matter anyhow, you are probably not so much concerned about CI. Otherwise you shouldn’t really create an ePub, a native app would be the better format.

And remember that in most Readers (hardware and software readers) your customer can switch font, so even if you carefully chose one, they might display everything in Times or Helvetica anyway.

So, if you decide for an OpenSource font that reads well on screen, my recommendation is Droid:

You can find Droid here (and other fonts that are free for commerical use): http://www.fontsquirrel.com/foundry/Google-Android

Matthias Guenther

Both an engineer and a layout artist, Matthias bridges the gap between technology and people.

Since February 2014 Matthias heads Quark’s Desktop Publishing business unit and is therefore responsible for QuarkXPress.

https://twitter.com/HamburQ

Which fonts are pre-installed on the iPad (and iPhone)?

November 16, 2012November 16, 2012Digital PublishingNo Comments

When creating digital media based on web technology, e.g. HTML5 websites, web apps or ePub3, and which do not have any webfonts embedded or linked, then you rely on the fonts that are pre-installed on devices.

Apple’s iPad (and iPhone) actually have quite an impressive list of fonts pre-installed, for example

Arial
Avenir (in many faces)
Baskerville
Futura
Gill Sans
Helvetica
Palatino
Snell Roundhand
Times New Roman
Trebuchet
Verdana
Zapfino
and others

The website iosfonts.com lists all of them and also shows you which version of iOS added them on the iPhone and which on the iPad.

Matthias Guenther

Both an engineer and a layout artist, Matthias bridges the gap between technology and people.

Since February 2014 Matthias heads Quark’s Desktop Publishing business unit and is therefore responsible for QuarkXPress.

https://twitter.com/HamburQ

Since October 18, 2018, QuarkXPress is available in the Mac App Store. It's called "QuarkXPress 2018 Pro". Read about the differences to QuarkXPress and what features it offers.Read more
QuarkXPress 2018 October Update adds a "dark theme" on MacOS to seamlessly integrate with Mojave's Dark Mode.Read more
Quark Software announced on September 17th a new software bundle offer that will save designers Read more
The (free) QuarkXPress 2018 October Update will add Mojave support and adds an "auto fit image" feature. Additionally you can "fill", so fill a box with an image. Both can be done manually (command key) or automatically, so even when you resize the box.Read more
Design on your iPad wherever you are with DesignPad, the iPad app that puts grid-based design control in the palm of your hand. No need to own InDesign or QuarkXPress. New 2018 version available now!Read more
Automatic hyphenation is an important tool to help you make text look good. See how QuarkXPress 2018 can help you create even better hyphenation with the new strictness level. Of course available for many languages, like Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and more.Read more
Due to popular demand, the first update for QuarkXPress 2018 adds back the font sub menus on MacOS. The free update further adds new JavaScript methods and further improves stability, quality and performance.Read more