Quark 7 docs in Quark 8 text flow

[roel78]

We regularly recieve Quark 7 docs from our customers that we process in version 8.1.6.2. But sometimes we notice that the text flow is different then in Quark 7. This is very frustrating, because I can't find why the text flows.

I think that Quark converts the track amount incorrect. But I can't find any solutions or workaround.

I'm sure that I'm using the right fonts and that I have no font-conflicts.

Does anyone have the same problem?

Thanks in advice, Roel

 

[Fritz]

If you can possibly open the doc in Quark 7, see if the text is formatted using a kerning different than the default. Could be Quark 8 is not importing that info. If you can't open it in QXD 7, maybe your customer can check.

 

[roel78]

Fritz thanks for your reply. I checked the amount of kerning and it is different than the default, but I can see that Quark 8 is importing the same amount of kerning. So, the kerning is the same, but there is still some different textflow.

Any other suggestions?

 

[Shawn]

Quark has had problems with this sort of thing for years. It's not just going from v7 to v8, I've seen problems with going from 7.01 to 7.2, or 7.2 to 7.3.

Unfortunately I don't have a good solution to the problem other than to open Quark files in the EXACT version they were created in.

Shawn

 

[roel78]

Shawn, it's is not always possible to open the files in the exact same version of Quark. Some of our customers is still working with Quark 6. We advise our customers to upgrade or switch to InDesign, but we can't refuse old Quark files. A lot of our customers appreciate it very much that we fix a lot of technical problems in their documents.

But this can't be true. Isn't there some kind of 'compatibility-mode' or something

Is there a way to check the version-number of a Quark document?

 

[DavidMa]

That's why we keep all the versions of our software running. We have Quark 5, 6, 7, & 8 and Indesign CS, CS2, CS3, CS4, and CS5.
Software manufacturers always change things in their newer releases. In some, they re-do the text engine and that controls the tracking and kerning of your type.
So, keep the old stuff handy, cause you never know when you'll get an older version file and a newer version in the same job.

 

[Al Ferrari]

"Is there a way to check the version-number of a Quark document?"

Doing a "Collect for Output" gives the opportunity to save just the report with a selection of what to include. A report might look like this:

<v1.60><e0>
@header:Layout:Filename
@layout info:Source Path Name: HD: Filename.qxd
Destination Path Name: HD: Filename.qxd report
Last modified: 11:05 AM; 7/15/10
Layout Size: 884K
Most recently saved version: 6.50r0
Project has been saved by the following versions of QuarkXPress:
3.31r5
3.30r0 Mac OS format
4.10r0
6.50r0
5.00r0
6.50r0
6.52r0
6.50r0
6.52r0
6.50r0
Total Pages: 10
Page Width: 8.5"
Page Height: 11"
@header:Required XTensions:
...

 

[roel78]

It is very frustrating that I will be forced to use old versions of Quark. We want to offer a high service level to our customers, so I can't tell them to supply us PDF's. Then we lose the flexibility to fix technical problems. We frequently get questions to adjust images, change the spine of a book, fix bleed, do some text-corrections, etc.

I am running SnowLeopard, so I go dust off my old G4 and install some old versions :-(

 

[Shawn]

But this can't be true. Isn't there some kind of 'compatibility-mode' or something

Well.... a company as customer focused as Quark would be sure to create a compatibility-mode for legacy text wouldn't they? They wouldn't just suggest that you have all your clients pay money to upgrade to the latest version. Because that just wouldn't be practical in a today's print world.

Seriously, though that's the way it is. We work the same way that DavidMa mentioned, with multiple versions of Quark. As Al mentioned, the collect for output report is one of the easiest ways to tell which Quark version to use.

You can also use Flightcheck, if you have it. Another method is to open the Quark file in a text editor and search for "qxp" you'll find at least one instance of "qxp**6.5" or qxp**8.16" which will tell you the version number.

Shawn

 

[roel78]

Okay, thanks guys for your replies.

I have just installed Quark 7.5 on SnowLeopard although it's not supported. The tracking and kerning looks fine. Hopefully everything goes right when I export to PDF

Roel