Forum

[Joe]

I'd really like to hear from Quark on this problem I'm seeing. I still have many customers using Quark 4 and 5. They are having a lot of problems with people sending them ads as PDF files. A lot of them with transparency but even newer PDF files without transparency are a problem as Quark won't place them. Usually they send the PDF's separately and expect us to make them work. And usually they don't want to pay for prepress work but that is another story for another time.

I've told them for many moons now they need to upgrade and since they are Quark customers they always want my opinion on upgrading to Quark 7. I have to tell you, at this time, I cannot under any circumstance, recommend anyone sticking with Quark for the very problem I mentioned above. My customers have no control over what kinds of files are sent to them. I'd say a majority of people are using Adobe apps using all the fancy smancy transparent stuff and then exporting a PDF for their ads. That's great if all my customers had InDesign...the software that can import these kinds of files.

Now this is why I'd like to hear from Quark on this although I'll be surprised if I do. How in the world can you expect to compete with Adobe if you can't place the newer version of PDF's whether using transparency or not? It's a deal breaker for me and at present I am strongly urging anyone that asks for my opinion to use InDesign...even if it means they have to learn the new software. Iin my book, without Quark making some big changes soon, Quark is dead to me. I cannot recommend it to anyone. I really believe if Quark wants to survive they have to catch up in the PDF game.

Edit: Just to add...I do have customers using Quark 7. Fonts are a nightmare. Fonts the customers are using, they collect for output. I open them on my system and Quark fails to see them although other OS X apps do. How can this be? Another reason I can't recommened it. Quark: Care to respond?