Menus in QuarkXPress
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
- File Menu
- Edit Menu
- Style Menu
- Item Menu
- Page Menu
- View Menu
- Utilities Menu
File Menu
The File menu enables you to control anything related to saving or opening files to disk, such as creating new documents, opening documents from disk, importing text or pictures from disk, and so on.
Figure 3.1 File Menu
){kind=link}
New Document
Menu: File-> New-> Document
Mac: Cmd+N
Windows: Ctrl+N
QuarkXPress remembers the settings in the New Document dialog box and uses them the next time you create a document.
Figure 3.2 New Document
){kind=link}
New Library
Menu: File-> New-> Library
Mac: Cmd+Option+N
Windows: Ctrl+Alt+N
Libraries are a great way to keep track of page items that you'll use more than once. One of my favorite tricks is to apply special colors, such as Pantone colors, or colors that a particular client often uses, to objects and then drag those objects into a library. The next time you need those colors, it's faster to pull those items from the library than it is to recreate the colors from scratch. This also works with style sheets, H&J settings, and custom dashes and stripes.
New Web Document
Menu: File-> New-> Web Document
Mac: Cmd+Option+Shift-N
Windows: Ctrl+Alt+Shift-N
Figure 3.3 New Web Document
){kind=link}
New XML Document
Menu: File-> New-> XML Document
Both: Cmd+Shift-X
Windows: Ctrl+Shift-X
You must choose an XMT template and a DTD file to open an XML document. DTD files lay out the structure of an XML file.
Open
Menu: File-> Open
Mac: Cmd+O
Windows: Ctrl+O
Close
Menu: File-> Close
Mac: Cmd+W
Windows: Ctrl+F4
If XPress asks you whether you want to save changes, remember that N means No, Esc means Cancel, and pressing Enter means OK.
Close All Documents
Mac: Cmd+Option+W
Windows: Alt+W then press A
Save
Menu: File-> Save
Mac: Cmd+S
Windows: Ctrl+S
Save As
Menu: File-> Save As
Mac: Cmd+Option+S
Windows: Ctrl+Alt+S
Just because XPress lets you save your document in an earlier version doesn't mean you should. You'll lose all the new features! For instance, if you put text on a path, the text gets converted into a regular text box. If you're on a Macintosh, try to remember to add the .qxd file extension to your document names. It's a bi-platform world these days, and you need that extension to be able to use the file in Windows.
Figure 3.4 QuarkXPress Save As Dialog Box for Macintosh and Windows
){kind=link}
Revert to Last Auto Save
Mac: Option+Revert to Saved
Windows: Alt+Revert to Saved
The Revert to Saved feature always returns your document back to its state last time you saved. But if you have Auto Save turned on in Application Preferences (Edit Preferences), this shortcut returns you to the last time XPress performed an Auto Save. If you saved 20 minutes ago and Auto Save happened four minutes ago, this might be very useful.
Get Text/Picture
Menu: File-> Get Text or File Get Picture
Mac: Cmd+E
Windows: Ctrl+E
QuarkXPress lets you import a picture into a picture box with either the Item or the Content tools, but you must use the Content tool to import text into a text box.
Figure 3.5 Get Text/Picture
){kind=link}
Save Text
Menu: File-> Save Text
Mac: Cmd+Option+E
Windows: Ctrl+Alt+E
You must have a text box selected with the Content tool.
Figure 3.6 Save Text
){kind=link}
Document Setup
Menu: File-> Document Setup
Mac: Cmd+Option+Shift+P
Windows: Ctrl+Alt+Shift+P
People are often disappointed when they look here to change their margins. No can do! To change your page margins, go to the master page and then select Page Margins.
Figure 3.7 Document Setup
){kind=link}
Append
Menu: File-> Append
Mac: Cmd+Option+A
Windows: Ctrl+Alt+A
Have you created a style sheet, color, or other setting in a document that you want to copy into another document? You can use the Append feature to pull it over. Bonus tip: If you use Append when no documents are open, you can add a style sheet, color, custom dash or stripe, or H&J setting to every new document you create from then on.
Figure 3.8 Append
){kind=link}
Save Page As EPS
Menu: File-> Save Page As EPS
Mac: Cmd+Option+Shift+S
Windows: Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S
Figure 3.9 Save As Page EPS
){kind=link}
Page Setup
Menu: File-> Page Setup
Mac: Cmd+Option+P
Windows: Ctrl+Alt+P
This does the same thing as selecting Print and then skipping to the Setup tab in the dialog box.
Menu: File-> Print
Mac: Cmd+P
Windows: Ctrl+P
Don't forget you can use Cmd+Tab (Mac) or Ctrl+Tab (Windows) to move through the various tabs in this dialog box.
Figure 3.10 Print
){kind=link}
Quit
Menu: File-> Quit
Mac: Cmd+Q
Windows: Ctrl+Q or Alt+Shift+F4
I often have to use software before it gets released to the public, called beta software. Once upon a time, I was using a beta version of XPress and I noticed something weird. The Quit feature was missing from the File menu! My officemate and I looked at each other, laughed, and said "Why would anyone want to Quit from XPress?" Fortunately, Quark fixed that bug quickly.