Menus

QUARK XPRESS

This is a new menu in Mac OS X. Here you’ll find the preferences panels, the hide Quark XPress command (command H), the hide others command (command option H) and the quit command (command Q).

FILE

New / command N
As ever, this is how you create a new document. When you launch XPress from the application icon, you must choose new or open before you get an active desktop/window.. You can also create a new library (where you would store frequently used images and logos, for instance), a book project (something that requires multiple chapters) or XML document (for use on the web).

Open / command O
This will give you a dialog box from which you can open an existing document. Make sure you are looking at the right location (i.e. your disk) to find the document you want.

Close / command W
This closes the active window/document, but leaves you still within the XPress application. You can still open a new or existing document. If you want to leave the application, choose "quit." If you are unsure as to where you are, check your menus, and check your multifinder icon.

Save / command S
When you choose this for the first time, you will be asked to name your document and select a destination for it. You can save documents as such, or as templates. Remember to always save to your own disk.

Save As
This allows you to rename,(and therefore create a modified copy of the original) or re-locate your document. When you get a "disk full" message, "save as" to your hard drive and transfer to a new disk after you quit.

Revert to Saved
If, after making a lot of changes that you don't like and you haven't saved your document recently, you can get back to your last saved version by choosing this.

Get Text / command E
Your text box must be active, and you must have the content tool selected before this option is available. Once you've selected the desired text document, XPress will automatically put it into the active text box.

Save Text / command option E
If you want to save text you created while in XPress or text which was placed into your document and then revised or edited, make sure the text box is active, and choose this. A dialog box will ask you to name it, select a location, and choose a text format (i.e. MicroSoft Word 5.0). If you are saving text which has been edited, name it the same as the original text document, to replace the original with the revised version.

Get Picture / command E
As with text, your pix box must be active, and the content tool selected before this is an option.Save Text

Append / command option A
You can add style sheets, colors, dashes and stripe styles all at once from this command, rather than appending them individually through each palette.

Export as HTML
This option is only available if you’re working on an XML project.

Export Layout as PDF
Some commercial printers prefer PDF files to Quark XPress documents. You’ll remember that in order for an XPress file to print correctly, all the original .tif and .eps images, and all the fonts used in the project must be included on the same disk as the XPress document. Exporting your project as a PDF file actually embeds the images and fonts to the file, eliminating the need to included them on the disk, making the file much larger. You cannot edit a PDF, so make sure there are no typos or other issues before choosing this option.

Save page as EPS
If you need to save your layout pages as an image or graphic, rather than a document, you choose this. You will need to name it, choose a percentage of reduction, B&W or color, and a destination. It’s especially valuable for creating images of your work to put on the web.

Collect for Output
This command is used to create a file on your disk which lists a variety of information that your service bureau might need to output your document successfully, including the fonts used, the size and number of pages, images, an so forth. Only choose this when your document is complete and you will be a final copy output by a service bureau. Create a new folder and make sure you check the boxes for images and fonts.

Page Setup
This is a fairly traditional dialog box which addresses printer specifications. Remember to choose the appropriate printer type.

Print / command P
Again, this is nothing you haven't seen, with the exception of the color options. Notice that you can "print colors as grays" at the bottom. Check this if you have used colors in your layout, and are printing to a Laserwriter.

Make sure to click on both the page layout and printer buttons at the bottom left of the print dialog box and select the printer you need in both places, as well as in the Setup tab of the dialog bos (see the section on printing).

If you have set your prefs to append recent files to the File menu, they will appear at the bottom.

EDIT

NOTE: you can change many of the options in this menu using the measurement palette.

Undo / command Z
This will never change...XPress will tell you, if you use the menu, what you are about to undo (i.e. typing, resizing, etc.)

Redo / command shift Z (if that’s the way you set it up in your prefs)

This will redo anything you undid the number of times you specified in your prefs.

Cut / command X
This deletes the selected item—whether it is text, or graphics (with the content tool selected, or boxes, (with the object tool selected)—and places it into your clipboard

Copy / command C
This copies your selected item—whether it is text, boxes or graphics created with your tools—and places the copy in your clipboard, while leaving the original selected element(s) intact and in place.

Paste / command V
This places whatever may be currently in your clipboard back into your document window. You will usually have to position the element (unless you are just editing text) where you want it after you paste it.

Paste in place / command option shift V
This is handy when moving objects from one layer to another. It places the object exactly where it was when you copied it. It doesn’t, however, work from one layout to another

Clear
This deletes the selected element forever, without placing a copy in the clipboard.

Select All / command A
If you've got the content tool active, it will select all the text within a text box (or string of linked text boxes). This is valuable when you want to change the point size of all your text without having to scroll through a jillion pages.

If the object tool is active, it will select every element on your page(s). It can be useful when you want to repeat a certain format you've created on one page elsewhere (select all, copy and paste) or, when you've got everything the way you want it, but it all needs to move a little in relation to the page.

Show Clipboard
Select this to see what it was you last cut or copied.

Find/Change / command F
This is a great editing tool. You can find and change spelling, capitalization and/or type style for a word in your whole document, or just a portion of it.

Style Sheets
This is where you create and name and save your type specs, so that you can format your text easily.

Color
As with other applications, you create your color palette by using process, RGB or other flat color systems. Create or select the colors you will be using, name and save them.

The "append" option is a way to open the colors you created in a previous document, so you don't always have to start from scratch. "Trapping" is the way two colors meet or overlap. It is important only for those layouts which will actually be printed in color on a commercial press.

H&J's
Short for hyphenation and justification, this dialog box asks you what you want to change, and whether you will save the changes as a separate file from the default standard by giving it a new name and saving it. You can adjust hyphenation zones, word and letter spacing, for your document.

STYLE

Font
Standard pop up menu lists the available fonts.

Size
This lists typical point sizes for your text. Choose "other" if you want a size that's not listed.

Type Style
Choose from many variations on your typefaces, from plain to bold to small caps: this pop up menu shows you what the style looks like, as well as the various keystroke shortcuts attached to each one.

Color
This pop up menu shows you the colors in your palette, including the ones you create and name with the "colors" dialog box under the Edit menu. Make sure the item you want in color is selected first.

Shade
Choose or type in (using "other") the percentage of the color you want. 10% is light, 90% is dark, 100% is max.

Horizontal/Vertical Scale
Horizontal scaling is how you condense or expand your type. Only use it if your typeface can handle it—that is, don't try condensing an already condensed typeface!

Vertical scale deals with increasing the height of your letter, without increasing its width. I can't honestly think of a time when you might want to do this...

Kern
Kerning adjusts the space between two specific letters. Don't confuse it with horizontal scaling, or general letter spacing (a.k.a. tracking—see below). Place your cursor between the two letters you want to adjust, then choose kern. Type in a negative number to get the letters closer, a positive number to spread them apart.

Track
This option only appears when you have selected an area (paragraph, sentence, etc.) of text. It influences the letterspacing for all the selected text, rather than just two letters (as in kerning).

Baseline Shift
This moves the characters above or below the established baseline. Use it to create the raised letters in 1st, or the lowered letters in H2O, or—trick—use it to adjust the position of text in a text box when needed for precision.

Character / command shift D
This dialog box lets you effect several type style changes all at once. To change leading, however, you must choose it separately (see below).

Character Style Sheets
This popout lists any styles you’ve defined using “style sheets” from the Edit menu. Select your text first.

Text to box
This is the same as “convert text to outlines” in Adobe Illustrator. Select one line of type at a time. Once converted to outlines, you can fill it with colors and apply a border (EWWW!). You can also fill the shape with text.

Alignment
Flush left, right, etc. choices will be effected for selected text—and the keystroke shortcuts are displayed—they are the same as for other programs. "Forced Justified," by the way, will make sure even the last line in a paragraph, which may be rather short, justifies out to the right margin. (UGH!!!)

Leading / command shift E
Type in the desired point size (type size + space desired between lines). Auto leading is 120% of the type size unless you change the default for "auto" using the" typographic preferences" dialog box under the Edit menu.

Formats / command shift F
Change your paragraph specifications using this dialog box. Remember, use these individual commands only when you need to change text here and there. If you want your whole document specs to change, create, define, name and save a style of type, using the "style sheets" dialog box under the Edit menu.

Tabs / command shift T
Place tabs in the ruler, or type in a location—choose the type of tab you want first. Type in desired leader character (i.e. .......... or xxxxxx) in the leader box, or leave it blank if no leader is desired.

Rules / command shift N
These place rule lines automatically above and/or below each paragraph. You can determine the weight of the rule, its position and color.

Paragraph Style Sheets
This pop up menu lists all the paragraph styles you defined under "style sheets" in the Edit menu. Select type before choosing the style you want..

Flip Horizontal
This creates a mirror image of the selected item or text

Flip vertical
This flips your object or text upside down as well as backwards.

If you have a line selected, you'll get a different set of options...

If you have a pix box selected, you can play with color (if the picture is black and white), as well as adjust the size of the picture and/or the box.

ITEM

Modify / command M
Depending on the item selected, one of a variety of dialog boxes show up allowing you to make changes in the size, location, color, etc. of the element.

Frame / command B
If, and when, you want a border around a selected text or pix box, you can choose one from this dialog box.

Remember to type in a point size, or no matter what type of border you choose, and which color you select, it won't show up!

Runaround / command T
This changes the nature of your runaround—from around a text or pix box shape to a silhouette to none.. You should remember to type in an amount of offset—empty space—desired between the box and the type which will flow around it. XPress will not run type across a runaround element—that is, the lines of type which are interrupted by the runaround element won't continue on the other side of the element, but rather, will start a new line.

Clipping / command option T
This command is used to silhouette an image, much like the clipping paths you can create in Photoshop.

Duplicate / command D
This copies and pastes the selected element in one step.

Step and Repeat
Select an item—a pix box or line—and choose this—it will ask you how many times you want to duplicate the element, and in what position from the original you want it/them placed.

Delete / command K
This will eliminate an unwanted text or pix box when you have your content tool selected—saves time.

Group / command G
As with other programs, this will create a single unit from several selected elements. Select all elements you wish to group by using the object tool and shift clicking on each. You can always ungroup a group if needed.

Ungroup / command U
Select the grouped elements first, then ungroup to separate them from each other.

Constrain / Unconstrain
This command groups objects and holds them within the parent/master or largest box in the group. This parent box limits the degree of change that can be made to any individual element in the group—you can't enlarge an individual element beyond the boundaries of the constraining (parent) box.

Lock / Unlock
This locks an element to the position it is in when this command is chosen. Once you have something exactly where you want it, you can lock it. If plans change, you can always unlock it.

Merge
This works a lot like the pathfinder palette in Illustrator. Select picture or text boxes, or outlined letters and choose intersection, union, difference, reverse difference, exclusive or combine.

Split
If you’ve created objects from text, use this command to split each letter into an individual object.

Send to Back
Puts the selected element behind any others it may be overlapping or covering.

Bring to Front
Puts the selected element on top of any others it may be behind. This concept of stacking elements is also used in many other Macintosh applications.

Space / Align / command , (comma)
By selecting the desired elements, you can line them up in relation to each other—next to, above or below, or within, by choosing the appropriate commands from this dialog box. A handy "apply" button lets you see what you're doing so you can get it right.

Shape
A funky pop up menu lets you modify the shape of a selected pix box by choosing a new shape. You can change a rectangle to an ellipse, etc. without having to eliminate one and draw another. There are some weird choices here—use with discretion! If you want to reshape a rectangular or circular or other shaped box, select the icon that looks like and artist’s palette. To add points to a shape, hold the option key and click and drag. Use the control key to add or adjust curve points and handles.

Content
Change the nature of a picture box to a text box and vice versa.

Edit
Select to edit the shape of a text or picture box, the runaround assigned to an item, or the clipping path.
Super Step and Repeat
Use this dialog box to rotate, skew, and change the frame and color percentages of an object as creates the number of repeated objects you specify. It’s much like the blend tool in Illustrator

Table
Once you’ve created a table you can add or delete rows and columns, or convert the table to text.

Gridlines
These are the lines that define your table. Select the table with the content tool, and then those lines you want to affect from this pop-up menu to change their color and/or stroke characteristics (stroke width can be changed using the Item > modify menu).

PAGE

Insert
Lets you add pages, choose what kind of master (more on master pages later) and determine where they should go within the document.
Delete
Delete any number of consecutive pages—with caution!

Move
Lets you move any number of consecutive pages within a document. This is handy if you to insert pages at the end, and really needed them to be pages 3—6, for instance. A good way to reorganize your material.

Master Guides
You need to be viewing the master pages before you can use this command. It lets you redefine your margins and column guides from the defaults you set when you opened a "new" document.

Section
This option lets you divide a document into sections, with new page numbering in each section defined.

Previous
Puts the page before the current one in front of you.

Next
Puts the following page in front of you.

First
Puts you back at the beginning of your document (page 1).

Last
Puts you on the last page in the document.

Go To / command J
Asks you which page you want to go to. Type in the page number and "OK" or shift or enter. Bingo!

HINT: It’s a lot easier and faster to navigate your way from one page to the next using the Page Layout palette—just double click on the page you want to go to.

Display
A pop up menu gives you choices between looking at master pages or document pages.

LAYOUT

New
Creating a new layout gives you another whole set of pages that are linked to your current document.

Duplicate
Creates another instance of the current layout. It will include all the pages, objects and contents of the original.

Delete
Use this to get rid of layouts you don’t need or want. Use with caution!

Layout Properties
This brings up the “new” dialog box, so you can change your original specifications.

Previous
Takes you to the layout “in front” of the current one.

First
Takes you to the first layout you created.

Last
Takes you to the last layout in the document

Go To
Lists all the layouts in the current document.

HINT: It’s a lot easier and faster to navigate your way from one layout to another using the layout tabs at the bottom of your document.

UTILITIES

Check Spelling
You can check an individual word, a story, or the entire document. XPress checks all text and lets you know how many mistakes it thinks there are. Click "OK" or press return or enter, and then make corrections, as needed, in the dialog box.

Auxiliary Dictionary
You can create your own (save it to your own disk!) or use others which may be loaded into your application—like French, Spanish, etc.

Edit Auxiliary
When you have an additional dictionary open, you can add or delete words with this command.

Suggested Hyphenation / command H
Highlight the word you want to manually hyphenate to find out where the word should be broken.

Hyphenation Exceptions
Some dictionaries hyphenate words in weird places, or words which should not be hyphenated. Type in those words here to add them to the document's exception list, when auto hyphenate is on (which you can change under Edit "H&J's").

Usage: use the dialog box when you've moved or modified images, or to make sure all the fonts you need are available.

Font Usage
This is sort of attached to the find/change command under the edit menu. Here you can ask the computer to find all words typed in a certain typefaces, etc. and have them all automatically changed to another set of specs. It will also let you know if you’ve used fonts that are not available on the computer you’re using.

Picture Usage
This displays a box which lists all the pictures you've placed in a document, and where they are. You can highlight one and click "show me" to see it on the page on which it appears. If you've moved or changed a picture since you first placed it in the document, this box will tell you it's been modified, or is "missing." If any pictures are listed as not "OK," you need to let Quark XPress know it's ok to find or update them. If you don't, your document will not print.

XTensions Manager
XPress comes with several XTensions that provide shortcuts or other enhancements to the program. This box tells you what XTensions are loaded and functioning. You can check the Quark site for others.

Component Status
Components are similar to XTensions. This box tells you which components are loaded and their status.

PPD Manager
A PPD is a Printer Description file—every printer has one and they are stored in various places in your system (usually the system library). This box shows you which printer descriptions are available and where they’re located.

Guide Manager
This is a handy feature. Specify where you want guides to appear on every page and click OK. Unfortunately, they have to be evenly spaced.

Jabber
Select a text box and Jabber will fill it with Klingon or Latin gobbledy-gook.

Tracking Edit
This is very fancy stuff. It allows you to determine the automatic tracking which will occur within a typeface, depending on the point size. It alters the tracking of all the type set in that font throughout your document. For instance, you could indicate on the table that at 12 pt. text should track at 0. At 24 pt. text should track at minus 5, and at 72 pt. it should track at minus 10. (Remember, tracking affects letter spacing.) By placing those points on the XY axis of the table, all tracking will adjust proportionally for all other sizes of that font throughout the document.This is one feature that makes Quark XPress the choice of professional typesetters and printers.

Kern Table Edit
Again, you really have to have a good working knowledge of typography to make this work for you. This table lists a series of pairs of letters which do not track well at standard measurements, and therefore, have their own kerning values. You can adjust these values by typing in what you want and saving the changes you make.

Line Check
Use this handy feature to check for orphans, widows, bad justification and other things you want to avoid.

WINDOW

Open various palettes from this menu to work more efficiently.