CS2 hots up page layout competition – news commentary by Andy McCourt

Starting in 1987, Quark XPress became the serious graphic designer's page layout program, with Adobe's PageMaker more of an office tool for many years, having itself once been the 'only game in town.' In 1999, along came Adobe's InDesign and then Creative Suite which bundled the layout program with PhotoShop, Acrobat, Illustrator and Go Live - five programs in one box, plus Version Cue, Adobe Bridge and some stock photography.

It was at this time that Quark saw InDesign as a potential threat to its virtual global monopoly on professional page design, and promptly launched a take-over attempt for Adobe. The attempt failed. When Apple - the designer's favourite computer - released OSX, Quark were left flat-footed without a program to work on it, causing many designers to stick with OS 9, dual-boot with InDesign or even stay with Quark Xpress 4. Many are still on OS 9.

Quark hit back with a secret weapon in early 2005, QuarkXPress 6.5, which includes QuarkVista, a set of basic image manipulation xtensions to allow basic photographic work within Quark. This obviously shies at PhotoShop and says 'we can do all-in-one packages too.' Its new CEO Kamar Aulakh (pictured right) also introduced some welcome support features including free phone help via trained call-centre operatives in India. Recognising the need to prepare the market for Quark XPress version 7, the company also began offering free upgrades for version 6 users, to 6.5. Prices for upgrades from 5 to 6 halved, with GASAA for example offering this upgrade for just $535.

On the arrival of Adobe Creative Suite 2, GASAA Executive Director Garry Knespal commented "GASAA welcomes any initiative that delivers real productivity gains for members and the industry. InDesign has certainly arrived in prepress, design and publishing in a big way but we do have many members who need to continue to use both Quark and Adobe programs. Creative Suite 2 isan advancement for the industry; no doubt Quark 7 will be too."

Recognising the need to prepare the market for Quark XPress version 7, Quark began offering free upgrades for version 6 users, to 6.5. Prices for upgrades from Quark 3, 4 and 5 to version 6 are currently common rated, with GASAA offering members Quark 6.5 upgrade for just $535. GASAA will also offer Adobe CS2 at discounted prices to members and the industry.

Asked if graphic design software was effectively a two-horse race, Mr Knespal commented, "Adobe and Quark would certainly have the lion's share of the market between them but we do see files coming through in Corel, Microsoft Publisher and others, although these are often problematical in production in an increasingly PDF world."

Typical design inhouse

A peek into a typical graphic design house is revealing. Sydney's Graphic Insight shares studios with two other design shops, CPA Advertising and Freedom Graphics. Five beefy Mac workstations hold both Quark and InDesign. CPA's Roger Cole says, “Whilst I stick with Quark XPress, InDesign is very good and works more seamlessly with Acrobat, PhotoShop and Illustrator. I guess I'm trained on and used to Quark. I receive a lot of files from Europe and they are invariably Quark. It seems to be preferred by typographically-trained people, enabling very fine type adjustments to be made. Major book publishers seem to stick with it as it handles huge bookwork and type very well.”

Across the office, Peter Freeman of Freedom Graphics has migrated to InDesign whilst Graphic Insight's two designers stay with Quark.

Adobe's Creative Suite is undeniably a very good value purchase in both Premium and Standard configurations. Quark customers have often complained about high prices in the past, and when PhotoShop, Illustrator and Acrobat are added, it has historically been 40-50% more expensive. PhotoShop files need to be flattened to be imported into Quark too.

PDF integration is another area where CS2 excells. After all, Acrobat is an Adobe product so this could be expected. Rock-solid PDFs become essential as this file format storms ahead in workflows, just as PostScript did in the 80s and 90s.

Adobe Creative Suite 2's launch is covered by Angus Paterson elsewhere in this issue.

MY CALL

Symbiosis.

It's a biological term meaning two organisms can live side-by-side, each benefiting off the other. If one dies, the other might too. Quark enjoyed a decade of market dominance, probably 90% market share in professional graphic page design. It was only natural that someone should want a slice of that market. InDesign is a worthy competitor and probably stung the previous comfy Quark-Adobe relationship whereby Xtensions and plug-ins ensured relatively seamless integration with Adobe software.

However, InDesign's success has helped Quark customers. The company re-focussed its customer support and pricing strategies in 2004 and has accelerated its product development with version 7 'round the corner.' It's true to say that many blue-chip publishers prefer Quark, but locally ACP has switched to InDesign and in the UK, the BBC, Guardian newspaper and Dennis Publishing are on it.

The industry should not want to see the end of Quark and this is unlikely to happen - competition is good. XPress, though, has to get used to a smaller market share. Who knows? What comes around goes around. There might be a surprise trick or two in the Denver Dog's repertoire yet.