QuarkXPress 6.0

Features of QuarkXPress 6.0

If you're one of the many who skipped version 5.0 because it lacked OS X support, you'll find plenty of new tools to get used to--most of which showed up then and are simply reprised in version 6.0. Version 5.0 introduced rudimentary Web tools with XML support, table editing, layers, context-sensitive pop-up menus, and a few other tweaks.

The most significant introduction is layout spaces. When you choose File > New, you'll have the option to open a new project rather than a document. There, you can work on related layouts for the main project, such as business cards or Web pages, and access pieces of the project via tabs at the bottom of XPress's main window; you can also link text across layouts. This is a more efficient way to organize related documents, but the tool has shortcomings. For example, you can only flip between layouts instead of comparing them side by side, and document preferences aren't automatically applied projectwide.

Table building is basic, reminiscent of 1.0 versions of visual HTML editors.

XPress 6.0 improves layers and table capabilities. You have more printing options, and you can lock a layer independent of the locked/unlocked status of items on that layer--though it would be nice to be able to share layers across different layout spaces.

Version 6.0 adds some long-awaited features such as multiple undo. You can get full-resolution preview capabilities in XPress 6.0, but it entails downloading a free XTension (Quark's name for XPress plug-ins) after you've registered. Similarly, you can get the Edit Original 6.0 XTension, which restores the ability to edit in place. We think these XTensions should be built in.

Quark still lacks some useful features. When building tables, you still can't import from Microsoft Word and Excel, and you can't set tables over multiple pages; InDesign beats the pants off of XPress 6.0 in both areas. And XPress's PDF handling still lacks security features and supports only version 1.3. Worse, XPress 6.0 still doesn't let you apply drop shadows or transparencies.