LAYOUT : the newsletter of page design

Markzware has updated FightCheck Professional, its flagship preflighting program, to version 6.10. The update corrects some earlier limitations in its support for certain QuarkXPress 7 files, and Markzware says that the software can process layouts four times faster than version 6.0. The update is free to registered users.
www.markzware-europe.com
For new purchases, Markzware is currently running a €100  discount offer for anyone buying FlightCheck Professional if you order before the end of December 2007.
www.markzware-europe.com/flightcheck_save100

Quark has published a 38-page booklet that explains how to work with Adobe Creative Suite 3 programs in conjunction with QuarkXPress 7. As well as covering the usual suspects (importing Photoshop and Illustrator files), it also deals with exporting web pages from QuarkXPress 7 to Dreamweaver, and shows you how to incorporate Flash SWF files into your QuarkXPress 7 media projects. The book is a concise and honest guide to what you can and can’t do, and it provides some interesting workarounds too. For example, did you know you can bring Illustrator vector paths into QuarkXPress and continue editing them directly in your layout? This guide will tell you how (on page 13).
www.lovequarkxpress7.com/Downloads/QuarkXPress7plusCS_book_web-en-GB.pdf

If you want to make a duplicate of a master page object while editing an Adobe InDesign layout, you can either (a) switch to the master page to copy it for pasting back into the layout, or (b) override the object directly in the layout and duplicate it. The problem is that (a) is fiddly while (b) leaves your master page object unlocked (overridden). Here’s a quick way to do it without breaking the link back to the master page. First, override the object as in (b) by holding down the Command+Shift (Mac) or Ctrl+Shift (Windows) keys and clicking on it with the Selection tool. Copy the overridden object to the clipboard by pressing Command+C (Mac) or Ctrl+C (Windows). Now apply the Undo command by pressing Command+Z (Mac) or Ctrl+Z (Windows). You will find that the Undo command reverses the override action, leaving the master page object untouched, but keeps the object copied in the clipboard. You can now just paste it back on to the layout to create a duplicate by pressing Command+V (Mac) or Ctrl+V (Windows).

Quark will begin selling version 7 of CopyDesk in Europe by the end of this week. QuarkCopyDesk is a program that lets you edit the content (text and pictures) of a QuarkXPress project without interfering with the layout. The new version is designed to work with QuarkXPress 7 and Quark Publishing System (QPS) 7. As well as being able to edit and format the text of a story, CopyDesk 7 allows you to flip and rotate pictures, apply Vista effects to raster images, and import Photoshop-native PSD files. The program also includes the ’split views’ feature from QuarkXPress 7, and everyday utility functions such as redlining and the insertion of non-printing notes. Full version £239 (Passport €399), upgrade £79 (Passport €119). Mac and Windows.
euro.quark.com/en

Extensis has developed a Mac OS X 10.5 ‘Optimization Update’ for its font management software, Suitcase Fusion. The update improves compatibility with Mac OS X Leopard and brings Suitcase Fusion to version 12.1.7. As well as automating the necessary settings update for Leopard, the updated software fully supports new fonts provided by Apple with its latest operating system.
www.extensis.com/font-management-for-pros

Markzware has launched PUB2ID 1.5, the first full release of its plug-in that lets you open Microsoft Publisher documents in Adobe InDesign. Prior to the launch, the plug-in underwent a good deal of public beta testing. PUB2ID 1.5 supports Microsoft Publisher 2002-2007 documents, and works with InDesign CS2 and CS3. Mac and Windows, £139.
www.markzware.com

LAYOUT will get back on track this week. You’ll see.