I need some advice with Quark CopyDesk

Jayeff

New Member
My client (a magazine editor) wants to collaborate in the production process. Mainly making edits to articles to deal with text overruns, catching typos mainly. That sort of thing.

In theory he should be able to do that with Quark Copydesk. I'm a little unclear on what's involved in getting him set up with it. Their website and presales arent too clear on the finer points.

Would I need a copy as well or would his Copydesk be enough for him to abe able to make edits on a Quark document I send him?

Can he buy it or would I need to? And if I need to can I send him the install files/serial number etc so he get it set up?

I realise the version he has needs to be compatible with the version of Quark I have. As far as I'm aware that's the only thing that could cause a problem.

Are there any other teething problems/strings attached etc I need to be aware of before comitting to this?
 
You may need to go to a specialist quark forum, I’m afraid. You are the first person I have come across using Quark in 20-odd years. I used it back in the 90s (after jumping ship from Aldus Pagemaker). As soon as Adobe proved its mettle, most of the industry decamped there and has been there ever since.

Apologies if I am sounding negative – and I hope for your sake I’m proved wrong – but you may be hard-pushed to get your answers here. InDesign and InCopy would be the standard way to approach something like this.
 
My client (a magazine editor) wants to collaborate in the production process. Mainly making edits to articles to deal with text overruns, catching typos mainly. That sort of thing.

In theory he should be able to do that with Quark Copydesk. I'm a little unclear on what's involved in getting him set up with it. Their website and presales arent too clear on the finer points.

Would I need a copy as well or would his Copydesk be enough for him to abe able to make edits on a Quark document I send him?

Can he buy it or would I need to? And if I need to can I send him the install files/serial number etc so he get it set up?

I realise the version he has needs to be compatible with the version of Quark I have. As far as I'm aware that's the only thing that could cause a problem.

Are there any other teething problems/strings attached etc I need to be aware of before comitting to this?
Copydesk for them would be all that is needed - but you may want to get a handle on this yourself before handing it over.
You can get a demo from Quark - which you can practice with.

You basically setup which parts of your Quark file you want to Check Out - whether it's a text box or graphics box or whatever it is you need the other person to be able to edit.

Once you Check Out these items - then your Quark file is opened in Copy Desk - and they Check In - which basically allows them to access the areas that can they can edit.

Once they finish what they are doing - they Check Out.

You reopen your Quark file and Check In - and all the edits should update.


----------------

I'm not 100% sure of the Quark workflow - but this is how InDesign and InCopy works.
I can't find anything definitive on the Quark workflow - there is not a lot of info out there - but from what I can gather it's a similar process to the InDesign and InCopy system.

InCopy from Adobe was launched in 1999 - Quark Copy Desk was launched in 1991 - I take it InCopy mimicked Quark.

As I say - you can get a demo and Support from Quark.
 
I'd be very rusty with Quark. Moved to InDesign with Adobe complete design package in one bundle over 20 years ago.
 
There was a period in the early 2000s when I could have made the switch. But for various reasons didnt. Quark is what I was trained on in the late 90s. By the time Indesign was fully established and had switched to the subscription model I already had quite a back catalogue of Quark projects. The main company I work for often want reprints so it's just made sense to stick with it.

I think youve answered my main concern. I wasnt sure if I needed CopyDesk myself to manage what was editable or if that was done in Quark. From your explanation it looks like Quark does that. If those features are that old I guess theyre also in my current very old version (still on 9!!). I need to look into that before I spend out on the latest version. Maybe I can get my client a Copydesk version for 9 somehow (doubtful I expect).
 
In the late '90s when everybody was telling me that Quark is the standard industry software I managed to prove them wrong and published for years a whole newspaper in Pagemaker... Proud to avoid, as much as I could, the software. Never been a fan.
 
Yeh unfortunately I have projects done in versions after 3.3. In most versions up to 9.

Im used to Quark's 'ways' didnt take long for me and the guy who used to assist me to start calling it Quirk. The man hours Ive lost cos its mangled a project.

It's seemed a lot more stable in the later versions. So im not really too bothered about switching to Indesign. That boat has sailed really. Quark gets the result I need. As long as I can make a print quality pdf that the printers can make product with then it's all good.

They dont seem to have a manual of the latest version of CopyDesk to look at on their site. Looking at an earlier version I think this editor is going to have his mind blown unless theyve made it a lot more intuitive. I'll grab the demo version when I have some free time and see
 
In the late '90s when everybody was telling me that Quark is the standard industry software I managed to prove them wrong and published for years a whole newspaper in Pagemaker... Proud to avoid, as much as I could, the software. Never been a fan.
Pagemaker later became InDesign.
 
In the late '90s when everybody was telling me that Quark is the standard industry software I managed to prove them wrong and published for years a whole newspaper in Pagemaker... Proud to avoid, as much as I could, the software. Never been a fan.
I only had to use it once thankfully, but it was pretty terrible. It's like trying to spread cold tar on your toast. I can't imagine using it on a daily basis.
 
Back
Top