Building files for editing and usability
Don't use sub-folders
Be careful with 3rd party xtensions
x,y origin is temporary
Non-printing Trim box
Minimize visual clutter
Use style sheets
Use master pages wisely
Guides are not permanent markers
Use fewer text boxes
Why use two, when you can use one?
Use paragraph attributes to set rules
Always put all your QuarkXpress documents and any imported files into
the same directory. Although it may seem more organized and efficient
to place files into sub folders like "images", "logos",
and "artwork", this is actually counter productive in the long
run, particularly when sharing files with other team members. QuarkXpress
always looks in the same directory as the QuarkXpress document for any
imported files, but if the enclosing folder has been moved to another
computer, QuarkXpress sometimes gets confused with file paths, and thinks
that the imported files are missing, even though they are right where
you left them.
Additionaly, having multiple sub folders can sometimes lead to duplicate
files in different folders.
However, it is strongly recommended that you use a "roughs"
or "working" sub folder to keep all your working files separate
from your final production files.
Be careful with 3rd party xtensions
Don't use any Xtensions that will be required by another machine to open or view your document correctly. This includes "pasteboard" and "bleed" extensions.
Don't move the x,y origin to use as a new 0,0 origin point, because this is not a permanent placement: The origin point may be moved when printing with manual tiling, or reverted to its default position by accidentally clicking on the origin point on the ruler (top left corner).
Place a non-printing box around your artwork with the exact trim dimensions. This provides a visual cue for the edges of your artwork (in "guides" view), and allows one-click confirmation of dimensions. More importantly though, it provides an invaluable way of aligning objects in relation to the artwork's edges or center, using the "space/align items" command (shortcut: command-comma).
When using empty picture boxes and polygons as background shapes with or without colour, make sure you specify the content as "none", so that you don't clutter the visual work space with the Xs that Quark draws by default.
Learn to use style sheets. When used properly, they can be very
powerful and save a lot of time, especially in text heavy, multi-page
documents with many levels of subheads, and many different treatments
of type, such as indented blocks, bullet lists, and quotations.
Do not assign keyboard shortcuts to stylesheets. Operators unfamiliar
with your assigned shortcuts may accidentally activate the style sheets
during normal typesetting. For example, if you normally don't use the
numerical keypad to type in your numbers, and you assign a style sheet
to one of those keys, another operator who does utilize the keypad will
suddenly find the text she's entering change styles unexpectedly.
If you absolutely must use shortcuts, then assign a more involved
key combination, so that the chances of accidental activation are reduced
(for example, command-option-shift-number).
When producing multi-page documents with similar elements, spend a few moments to plan out the document before you begin the actual work. Place only items that will not change in the master pages. Use multiple master pages if necessary. Remember that once you move or edit a master page item on a normal page, it is no longer linked to the master page.
If a master page item is accidentally deleted from a normal page, you can easilly re-apply all master page items to that page by dragging the master page's icon in the Document Layout palette over the normal page's icon.
Guides are not permanent markers
Try not to use guides as permanent markers. They tend to clutter the
work environment, and often can be much more efficiently replaced with
a non-printing box. Some operators also make the error of visually aligning
guides using the ruler, instead of relying on the measurement palette's
x,y reading; depending on what magnification you are working at, this
may not be very accurate.
Try to use as few text boxes as possible to set type. It helps speed up revisions to text when you can navigate from one paragraph to another without using the mouse. It also helps reduce clutter.
Why use two, when you can use one?
When text appears on top of a flat background colour, apply the colour to the box that contains the text: A separate box behind the text box is unnecessary (unless the background box is an irregularly shaped polygon): You can edit the colour and text without having to select another box. It's also easier to align text automatically within a box, rather than aligning two separate boxes.
Use paragraph attributes to set rules
Whenever possible, use the "Rules" paragraph attribute to set a "Rule above" or "Rule below" to set rules in text. This ensures that the rules travel with the text when copy reflows.
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