Q2IDv4 Conversion Notes

The main conversion goal is to move basic document elements from QuarkXPress to InDesign. This saves time and effort, since you don’t have to recreate the document. To ideally convert a desktop publishing file to another application, one should avoid features that do not convert well (those not supported by the destination application). Consider these items before converting the documents:

FONTS
When activating missing fonts, if InDesign mistakenly considers the fonts to be OpenType or substitutes with an unwanted font, then you will need to install the correct fonts and either perform a Find and Replace or redo the conversion.

TEXT ATTRIBUTES
Subscript, Superscript and SmallCaps will use the Horizontal value if it is not 100%. Justified Center or Right Drop Caps are not supported. Rules Above and Below for Drop Caps will not be positioned correctly. Rules Below may be displayed in InDesign even if the paragraph has no Paragraph Return. Forced Justification will be converted to “Justify with last line aligned left.”
The Outline typeface is supported by converting the text to a stroke of .25 pts with a fill of None. Shadow typeface is not supported in QuarkXPress 6. However, a Shadow could be emulated by setting a Drop Shadow on the text box or by manually duplicating the text, placing it underneath the original text and setting the tint to say 60% and offsetting its position. Only Nonbreak Hyphens are supported by InDesign.

KEYSTROKE CONVERSION LIST
QuarkXPress em dash nonbreaking emdash en dash
nonbreaking hyphen discretionary hyphen nonbreaking space en space nonbreaking space punc space nonbreaking punc space flex space
nonbreaking flex space
discretionary return
InDesign em dash em dash en dash nonbreaking hyphen discretionary hyphen hard space
en space en space punc space puncspace quarter space quarter space zero space no break

FRAMES
An object’s Frame will be centered in InDesign (except for Polygons which will be framed inside.)
QuarkXPress: InDesign:
Note that Dotted, Dashed or Multiple Line Frames with a gap color of “None” in InDesign will display the Fill area equal to the entire object size whereas in QuarkXPress the Fill area is inset the width of the Frame.
ARROWS
Feathered arrows are not supported by InDesign.

RUNAROUNDS
A Runaround for a picture box might not cause the text underneath to flow as expected. This is because InDesign allows text to appear on both sides of the picture box. In this case you can manually adjust the pic- ture box to force the text to flow as desired:
QuarkXPress:
InDesign
Note also that a Runaround Offset for a Picture Rectangle will convert only as an Outset.

COLORS
Hexachrome colors will be converted to CMYK. Process Coated EURO may convert to CMYK. For InDesign 3, Metallic and Pastel colors are converted to LAB. Multi-Colors must contain at least two colors and one must be Spot.

OPACITY
Opacity in InDesign is applied to the entire box whereas in QuarkXPress you can uniquely set the Frame Opacity. If the Fill Opacity is 100% then a Frame Opacity will be converted as a Tint.

BLENDS
If a Blend does not appear on the InDesign Swatches palette, select the object until the color appears on the Color palette and drag it to the Swatches palette. A QuarkXPress Blend used in a single Table Cell will not fit exclusively within that Cell because InDesign spreads a Gradient across an entire row of columns. Therefore the specific Cell will only contain that portion of the entire Gradient:
QuarkXPress: InDesign: