The aim of this tutorial is to look at various key components found in a QuarkXPress layout and see what happens to them once they make their way inside InDesign. In many cases the conversion is seamless, while in others some adjustment prior to conversion or fine-tuning afterwards helps. Then again, there are those that don't make the transition at all.
By following the steps in this tutorial you should be better forewarned of what to expect with the converted document and the potential problems you should look for. Additionally, you should be forearmed on how to better prepare the Quark document for something approaching a more trouble-free transfer between the two programs.
When converting your documents, it will pay dividends to consider the different elements of the process. Here are key points to watch, and how to consider your options.
If possible, open up the original in QuarkXPress and print out a copy. Have a look through and note any potentially troublesome elements. Try to assess what will and won't convert; look out for line styles and arrowheads, and seek out gradients and check the colours and styles used. Look at the styles applied from the Measurements palette, including Superior, which will be converted to Superscript. You should also check the graphic file formats, particularly if the images were colourised in QuarkXPress. Store all the imported picture files in a single folder, and relink them in the QuarkXPress Picture Usage dialog box before saving the document. This will ensure that all links are preserved and won't need updating.
During the conversion process, InDesign will examine the original QuarkXPress element and change it into its nearest equivalent. Text boxes and picture boxes will be converted to text and graphics frames, style sheets will be converted to InDesign styles, picture links will be preserved and appear in the Links palette, and colours will be converted to InDesign swatches - except HSB, multi-ink and library colours, which will be mapped to RGB colours.
Master pages will be converted to InDesign master pages, and master page items will appear on document pages as selectable items (as though selected with command-shift-click on the document page as a local override). Changing master page items will update these items; but reapplying a master page will duplicate the item on the document.
QuarkXPress guides will appear as InDesign non-printing guides, although their position may alter. Grouped items will remain grouped and non-printing items will be reflected accordingly in the Attributed palette. Frames and lines will be converted to the InDesign line styles they most closely resemble, although in some cases line and frame styles will be simplified to a single solid rule.
An alert box (see step one) will notify you if there are any areas of concern that InDesign has already detected. Read this carefully, and save and print if it is a long list. Now check the document. Look out for font substitution, denoted by a pink background. Either reload the font, or, if unavailable, try Find Font from the Type menu to search and replace by font. Red pluses mean overmatter. Watch out for these and check them against the original printout. Drop caps in separate text boxes are particularly prone to disappearing.
Your text will inevitably reflow, so check against the printout. Turning on H&J Violations can be useful here. Have a look at the Links palette. In particular, check for yellow warning triangles denoting broken links; use the palette's Relink button to fix these. Check the non-printing guides, which may have moved.
If you are going to be repeatedly using the document in InDesign, perhaps as a template, rebuild it from scratch. This produces a predictable structure from the ground up rather than adding to one program's interpretation of another's documents. If the document is a one-off where no further editing will be needed in InDesign, such as an advert, using Save As EPS will allow you to place the file without any danger of elements changing.
Adobe regularly updates a technical document, number 524146, on this topic. To check out the latest version, go to www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/1cd7a.htm. The user forums are also a good place to get advice on a wide range of topics. These forums can be accessed at www.adobe.com/support/forums/main.html.
Click 'Next Page' below for the step-by-step guide...Author: Chris Gregory
Converting QuarkXPress documents to InDesign