In a demonstration in Sydney last week, recently appointed ANZ business manager, Alex Nemeth (pictured), and technical product manager Dan Logan showcased XPress 8’s features, which include increased drag-and-drop capability and rotating content functions.

Logan claimed that version 8 was indicative of how the company “wanted XPress to work more the way designers do”, particularly wanting to avoid repeating the flaws that have given rise to the term “quirky Quark” used by some designers.

Nemeth said that version 8 was “designed with direct input from designers”, making it very much a “for designers, by designers” proposition.

One of the key changes Logan pointed to is “internationalisation”, with version 8 sporting a “globally compatible file format” which means that the program will work the same way “whether you’re in Sydney or Tokyo” and that “there’ll be no issues with compatibility.”

Nemeth is optimistic about the new program’s prospects, reporting that he heard audiences “groaning with excitement” at several of the program’s public demonstrations.

However, he makes no bones about the fact that XPress 8 is “not going to give us the whole market overnight”, with InDesign enjoying the advantage of being part of the Creative Suite product line, making it “very much a default application”.

He believes, though, that XPress is “easier to work in” and offers “greater control” than its Adobe counterpart.

Logan says the new program is also indicative of a company that has renewed its focus on the “Mom and Pop, single-licence users” in the industry, acknowledging that “in the past we’ve tried to swing it too far toward the enterprise side”.

XPress 8 will be available to purchase directly from Quark and through Quark resellers worldwide within the next 60 days.

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