Indesign > Quark

CS4 users. HELP!

I’ve been working with the page layout program, Quark Xpress (version 7.0 right now) for about 4 years. I’ve always had InDesign installed on my laptop, but since I was taught the little tips and tricks in school using everyone’s hated program Quark, I stuck with it, since I used it at work too.

At work we’ve upgraded to Adobe Creative Suite 4—Design Premium, it comes with the luxurious InDesign CS4. Now, converting all of my files shouldn’t be a problem. Yay so simple! (Or so I thought.) Except for the fact that CS4 will not open any Quark files over version 4. I’ve called Adobe’s 1800 number, I’ve been scouring the interweb’s for about an hour and a half trying to come up with conversions, and everything I come across says “Does not work with CS4” lol.

Luckily, my Mom is a Graphic Designer as well. However she has Quark 6.0 (and even though she can save to version 5, I still need it saved to version 4 or 3! Who still uses that old stuff!?) and is looking into answers for me as well.

I’m getting frustrated. I tried using the trial software of Q2ID (Quark 2 InDesign), which would be wonderful if I was only using CS3 or CS2. But I doubt it’s going to work since in big bold red letters it’s telling me it’s not compatable with CS4 yet.

Agh! But wait! My Mom had a brilliant idea of saving the Quark page as an EPS file. But no, it cannot work because all computers hate me and want me to suffer. This is the error message that pops up regardless of if I bring in a regular quark file, or even an EPS file. YES my Quark program was closed when I tried opening it with InDesign.

* Five hours later, a brand new InDesign document has been created and somewhat replicated of the Quark document. I’d rather not do this again…

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7 Comments

  1. Okay, I did a search on this one too because we’re converting soon and will be getting CS4 soon too. I didn’t go to far but I did find this…

    http://movielibrary.lynda.com/html/modPage.asp?ID=654&cid=654

    If you do a search on the web page above for ‘quark’ you’ll find a tutorial on converting quark to IDCS4. However, you have to subscribe to linda.com. Not a bad investment and I’m going to ask my boss to let us subscribe. I’m constantly finding stuff on there that is just out of reach. It’s also linked to from Adobe and from what I’ve heard is a very reliable source. Good luck, let us know how it turns out. Love your blog!

  2. Thanks JoJo! That’s one of the website’s I came across as well, except I clicked off it as soon as I read that we had to pay to subscribe hehe.

    Not bad if I have to do a bunch of conversions. Don’t know if I’ll sign up just yet for it though.

  3. Hey Jordan!

    Yep. Guess you didn’t read my “about me page” huh? ;) Just kidding.
    I went to school in Newfoundland, for two years to become a Graphic Designer. There’s design programs offered at Sheridan College, as well as George Brown though.

  4. I think that CS4 is so new that things are bound to not work yet – Im sticking with CS3 for the time being, I have no reason to upgrade and CS3 is not compatible with CS.

    You can almost understand CS4 and Quark not being friends because they are competing for business. I’m sure patches and third party convertors will be available before long.

  5. I’d absolutely recommend Graphic Design to anyone who has that passion. However 50% of the people who were in my class throughout the two years showed interest for the first of the two years.

    I enjoyed doing HOMEWORK. Mind you, it didn’t seem like homework to me when I was in school, because I was learning stuff that peaked my interests. Which in turn, got me great grades (straight A’s!).

    I don’t know how much you will or would enjoy it. There were definitely some things that I didn’t enjoy in school such as working on the press, and doing math :P

    But all in all, I don’t want to actually recommend it to someone. Everyone has their own nerdy loves. I, love design.

  6. i gather from the comment “luckily, my mom is a graphic designer too,” that is your profession as well.

    i was just wondering what schooling you took to ..”become” a graphic designer? i’m in a print journalism program right now, in oakville, and while i’m really enjoying it, i’ve been thinking about switching to something more geared towards graphic design or something similar. the program i’m in is heavily geared toward news writing & i’m pretty sure that’s not the avenue i’d like to head down.

  7. ok thanks! i go to sheridan. good school, i really like it.

    haha, i’ve been reading your blog for awhile so i’m sure i have read it, i must’ve forgotten. :)

    i know you’ve mentioned that you love your job, so it would be something you’d recommend (as a career) ?

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