Quark Basics

Fransesca Arifin, Indonesia "For my Quark CD cover, I've decided to make up a duo called sis/qa which is my nickname. The kind of music they're playing will be a mix between modern rock and a little bit of jazz."

Book publishing, magazines, newspapers, corporate reports, catalogues, promotional materials . . . there's almost no limit to what can be done using QuarkXPress, Quark's tried-and-true layout, design, and production tool.

In this six-lesson course, you'll master all the basics of this "must-know" program. Through a series of hands-on projects, you'll create a flyer, a brochure, a newsletter, a catalog, even a corporate identity kit, getting familiar with important tools and helpful key commands as you go.

Even if you're a Quark novice, you'll be amazed at how much you can do with your new-found Quark Xpress skills. Text and graphics will be provided for each lesson, or you can supply your own (creativity is encouraged). :)

Donald Gambino is a computer artist, consultant, educator, and trainer ... get bio

Develop an understanding of the main page layout applications of QuarkXpress.

Navigate around the Quark interface, learning how to create documents and create and edit type.

Create a one-page flyer for a missing pet in Quark, importing, resizing, and aligning images in Quark.

Create and edit multi-page documents, setting up a Master page and creating and editing text boxes.

Use column guides, gutters, and a grid system of layout.

Create a 4-page travel brochure, formatting and aligning text, and importing, resizing, and aligning images in Quark.

Crop and position images and crop a document for printing.

Create a 4-page inventory catalogue, utilizing page templates and editing text and images in Quark.

Set up master pages and folios for newsletters, use thumbnail, layout, Control-V views, and flow text across multiple pages.

Create a 4-page newsletter layout, including masthead, folios, pagination, linking, and captions.

Use style sheets to make global style modifications, use drop formatting functions, and create and edit a Library.

Use style sheets to redesign a catalogue using global modifications.

Manipulate and edit Bezier boxes, merge colored shape objects, and create text run-arounds.

Develop an understanding of how to set up printing, bleeding, and color editing for printing.

Create a design for a CD cover, including front and back cover, spine, and insides.

Outline:

LESSON 1 Intro to Quark Lesson One begins with an overview of today's business applications for Quark. A guided tour will familiarize you with the tools, menus, palettes, in the Quark environment, and equip you with essential protocol for file and folder hierarchy. Then you'll immerse yourself in the nuts and bolts: how to create a document, edit type, insert and position a picture box, and work with margins and guides. In the exercise, you'll apply these skills by creating a flyer for your missing pet.

LESSON 2 From the Master Page Quark has all the tools you need to create a consistent layout over several pages. In Lesson Two, you'll learn how Quark users set preferences, create master pages, resize fonts, and crop, resize and move images. To prepare you for the challenge of working with printers, we'll show you how to collect files and fonts for output. In the exercise, you'll put together a 4-page tourist guide to your local area.

LESSON 3 Guides, Gutters, and Grids On professional design jobs, you'll need to harness Quark's design layout features -- its guides, gutters, and grids -- to create a sophisticated interplay of text and images. By examining the challenge of catalogue design, this lesson will cover a range of key formatting issues such as typography, page numbering, positioning items, and wrapping type around picture boxes. In the exercise, you'll apply this knowledge by creating your own catalogue, an imaginative inventory of your possessions.

LESSON 4 Newspaper Publishing Quark is a ubiquitous tool in the media -- without it, the world's presses would grind to a halt. Lesson Four examines the application of Quark in newspaper layout. You'll set up master pages and folios for a newsletter, and learn how to flow text across multiple pages, reorder pages, swap pictures and more. In the exercise, you'll play Rupert Murdoch, creating and formatting a newsletter of your own.

LESSON 5 Managing Style Changes Lesson Five focuses on the wonderful flexibility of Quark's toolkit. Almost any design project can involve unforseen last-minute changes. In this lesson, we'll show you the quickest, safest way to redo your designs, using style sheets, drag and drop editing, libraries, and more. You'll read a case study showcasing these tools in action, then you'll apply this learning by giving a catalogue a makeover.

LESSON 6 Expanded Applications Quark has a range of applications beyond document design. Get proficient in Quark, and you may find yourself creating posters, ads, T-shirts, stationery, and more. Lesson Six focuses on some of Quark's many applications, showing you how to translate a single design into a range of different products. You'll touch on some advanced layout features: page bleeding, color editing, and separations, then complete your final project.

Tuition: $829