Quark launches iPad conversion tool
Quark has launched a new service that enables QuarkXPress users to publish content to the iPad.
With its iPad Publishing Service for QuarkXPress, Quark will configure a starter iPad app with the customer’s logos and colours, and enable the enrichment of QuarkXPress content, which can then be published to that app. The company claimed the new service is ideal for anyone from the individual designer to corporate publishers and book, newspaper, and magazine publishers who are interested in reaching the digital market quickly with richly-designed, interactive content.
“We have received tremendous interest from QuarkXPress users to be able to publish to their own iPad apps,” said PG Bartlett, senior vice president of product management for Quark. “We believe our iPad Publishing Service provides the easiest and most cost-effective solution available today for QuarkXPress users to publish to the iPad. Customers that use the iPad Publishing Service starting in February will be able to easily migrate to App Studio for QuarkXPress later in 2011.”
With the iPad Publishing Service for QuarkXPress, users can either convert existing print publications for delivery to the iPad or create dedicated iPad versions. As a part of the Service, Quark will provide the following iPad publishing components to customers:
- The Quark Starter iPad App, which Quark will configure to the customer’s needs and prepare it for the customer to submit to the Apple App Store
- Free XTensions software that will allow QuarkXPress 8.5 users to enrich their QuarkXPress layouts with the sound, video, and interactive features that make digital content compelling
- Conversion of enriched QuarkXPress layouts into “issue” files that can be published to their iPad App
- Web-based service for managing apps, publications, and issues from anywhere at any time
The configuration of the Starter iPad App will require a one-time £309/€ 367 charge per app. The conversion of the QuarkXPress layouts to iPad issue files costs £309/€ 367 per issue. The customer will also pay a license fee that is charged for each issue published.
The cost of the license fee starts at £218/€ 259 for publishing a single issue, and decreases depending on the number of issues purchased.
Apart from the one-time app configuration fee per app, a per issue conversion fee, and a per issue licensing fee, Quark does not require any further commitment from customers, such as sharing revenue from sales made from the iPad app.
Customers must have their own Apple Developer ID and will be responsible for submitting the app generated with Quark’s iPad Publishing Service to the App Store. Also, the enrichment of QuarkXPress content must be done using QuarkXPress 8.5. Users on previous versions of QuarkXPress must upgrade to the latest version; current QuarkXPress 8 users can upgrade to version 8.5 for free.
Quark’s iPad Publishing Service will be available in February. There is an online information form for interested customers.