Much of the software has been rewritten from the ground up to use open standards including JDF and XML to support the drive towards automation and personalisation.

A key feature for printers is the introduction of Quark Job Jackets. These are XML-based files compatible with JDF that can contain all the specifications and elements for a job.

"Hopefully everything you need to output an error-free job," said Quark marketing manager Europe Gavin Drake.

Printers could submit their own colour, finishing and other production details for inclusion in the Job Jacket to prevent incorrect output.
"As a printer I could construct a Job Jacket for my factory," said Drake.

Version 7 will also include rule-based pre-flight checking and standard settings to output PDF/X format files. Drake said this would help ensure correct files were output at source by the designer rather than failing the pre-flight check further down the workflow when corrections are more complicated and expensive to make.

Quark has built on its work with HP Indigo on authoring personalised documents to open up the QuarkXClusive technology. It now outputs standard PPML that can be recognised by any compliant press rather than the Indigo only format of XClusive.

It has also developed the built-in personalisation tools to separate design from the content moving to "almost a database publishing architecture".

QuarkXPress' native file format is also being opened up to an XML-based format.

Drake claimed that "it's now far more open than any other page layout application", which he said was key to enable users to use and reuse content in multiple ways and automate publishing.

Other developments include new colour management, a new graphics model supporting transparency and a new text engine.

Story by Barney Cox