# Page 2 | QuarkXPress Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra

> Page 2 - Is QuarkXPress the right Graphic Design solution for you? Explore 201 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice.

Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/178598/QuarkXPress/reviews

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QuarkXPress

4.4 (201)

Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/)

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Last updated March 13th, 2026

# Page 2 - Reviews of QuarkXPress

## Showing most helpful reviews

Showing 26-50 of 201 Reviews

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Most Helpful

Rating

Company Size

Reviewer's Role

Length of Use

Frequency of Use

MC

Mark C.  
Director  
Printing  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Quark 2026 is huge speed & Quality Improvement over flaky Quark 2025"

December 16, 2025

5.0

Have been using Quark since the early 1990s from Quark 3.11 era to now. Also use InDesign for specific jobs that need an Interactive PDF, but Quark is the GoTo for most of my Print work on a daily basis. Picture and Text placement is just faster and I prefer the Box system over Indesign's free placement. It's just fabulous, does absolutely everything I need from it, is super stable in MacOS 26.2 Tahoe on Mac Studio M1 Ultra, and it'll be my preferred choice 'til I die.

Pros

Fantastic placing and cropping of boxed images, far faster and better than InDesign, not to mention Picture Usage / Font Usage menu which has always been better. Also like the Quick Access bar which is a throwback to Quark 3.31 era in the late 1990s with Quark Xpert Tools plug-ins. The expansion of the Picture Content Shapes is now so easy. Typography and Picture Usage I still prefer over InDesign (and I use both daily). Being able to convert a Quark file to an IDML Indesign template is fantastic, as is making native Quark objects from an imported PDF or graphic image.

Cons

Bezier Pen Tool has never been as good or as intuitive as Adobe's Pen Tool. Adobe's export and usage of PDF is far superior to Quark's. The Subscription model I wasn't happy with, and think it's too expensive compared to buying outright and keeping a version for years. Not so happy about their Customer Support though, especially with Flaky Font Auto-Activation. They washed their hands of the problem with Quark 2025, were unhelpful and had no solutions but go back to RightFont who were brilliant. Looks like the old 1990s arrogance is back unfortunately when "the family" owned Quark.

Review Source

Response from Quark Software

January 5, 2026

Thanks for your detailed review Mark!

ME

Melinda E.  
Designer, owner  
Graphic Design  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "A Powerful, Reliable Tool for Professional Publishing"

December 15, 2025

5.0

Overall, my experience with QuarkXPress has been very positive. The software is reliable, powerful, and well-suited for both print and digital publishing. It offers strong layout and typography tools, flexible export options, and the ability to handle complex projects such as books and interactive publications with ease.

Pros

QuarkXPress is a powerful, professional desktop publishing tool that continues to be relevant for designers and publishers who want control, flexibility, and the choice between perpetual licenses and subscriptions. Its strengths lie in layout precision, book and flipbook export capabilities, and robust design tools — with generally positive customer support and a mature feature set.

Cons

One limitation is the lack of deep integration with other creative software. While QuarkXPress is very capable on its own, users who rely heavily on multi-app ecosystems may find the workflow less seamless.

Review Source

Response from Quark Software

December 16, 2025

We appreciate your feedback Melinda!

GP

Gerd P.  
Mediendesigner  
Printing  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### ""Hilfreich über Jahrzehnte hinweg""

December 16, 2025

5.0

Für mich ist ein Layoutprogramm immer noch das was es war. Je einfacher die Nutzung umso besser das Ergebnis. Da hat QuarkXPress immer noch die Nase vorn.

Pros

Dauerhaft hilfreich über Jahrzehnte hinweg. Habe Quark seit Version 1 auf Disketten. Besitze auch Adobe Gesamtpaket. Tatsächlich nutze ich INDESIGN nur wenns unbedingt sein muss. Erfreulicher Weise ist die Kommunikation zwischen den beiden Programmen besser geworden. Allerdings da sehe ich noch viel "Luft" nach oben.

Cons

Kann man so gar nicht beantworten. Früher mußte man für jede Option zusätzliche Software kaufen. Heute ist vieles inkludiert. Am meisten problematisch sind für mich Schriften, die ich nicht mehr einbinden kann. Wirklich genervt hat mich in der Vergangenheit nur der Support. Da hat plötzlich die komplette Philosophie gewechselt. Weg von Europa, kein

Alternatives considered

[Adobe InDesign](https://www.capterra.com/p/233314/Adobe-InDesign/)

Reason for choosing QuarkXPress

Habe beide Programme im Gebrauch, Sowohl Quark wie Indesign. Wobei bei mir persönlich Quark klar bevorzugt wird. Weil Layouts über Jahre stabil bleiben.

Review Source

Response from Quark Software

January 5, 2026

Thanks for your review Gerd, appreciate your feedback.

DB

Dan B.  
Owner and Creative Director  
Graphic Design  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "The Best Desktop Publishing Program On The Market!"

December 15, 2025

5.0

I've always considered QuarkXpress to be the best desktop publishing app, bar none. My experience with QuarkXpress has been a love affair from day one.

Pros

It's the best, purest standalone desktop publishing app on the market! I prefer it over Adobe InDesign because it's very intuitive and uncompromising, where as InDesign is forced to conform to and perform like other Creative Cloud apps, making it more clunky.

Cons

There really isn't anything I dislike about QuarkXPress, except for its marketing. They need to find a way to get more people to use the product. Maybe if they came out with comparable apps like Adobe did with photoshop, illustrator, ect., they'd be able to bundle the apps with QuarkXpress. If they don't develop these other apps themselves, they should have outside sources develop and pitch their apps, from which Quark can incorporate and the best ones. Apple did this with their computers around the year 2000, when they were in a slump. They had different computer makers made computers for Apple. Apple chose the best system to incorporate into their own computers moving forward (Intel?). The process allowed Apple to learn from the best developers, and then incorporate what they learned into their computers.

Review Source

Response from Quark Software

January 5, 2026

Thanks for your review Dan!

CL

Claudio L.  
Publisher  
Publishing  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Rock-Solid Publishing Tool for Print-Quality Layouts (25+ Years of Daily Use)"

December 15, 2025

4.0

We have been using QuarkXPress for over two decades to design, update and manage a wide range of editorial products, including tourist guides, art books and magazines. It is a tool built for publishers who value precision, consistency and control. QuarkXPress is not about shortcuts or visual gimmicks; it is about getting the job done correctly, efficiently and without surprises.

Pros

Professional typographic control: precise handling of kerning, tracking, styles and color management, essential for high-quality print publishing. Efficiency in complex layouts: ideal for books, guides, magazines and multi-page publications with recurring structures. Print-oriented workflow: excellent PDF export, predictable pre-press behavior and strong compatibility with professional printing standards. Versatility: supports both print and digital outputs (PDF, ePub, HTML), allowing hybrid editorial projects without changing tools. Long-term stability: a mature and solid platform that has remained dependable across decades of daily professional use.

Cons

Learning curve: advanced features require experience; it is clearly designed for professional users rather than beginners. Less ecosystem visibility: compared to some competitors, fewer third-party templates and tutorials are available online.

Alternatives considered

[Adobe InDesign](https://www.capterra.com/p/233314/Adobe-InDesign/)

Reason for choosing QuarkXPress

We are used to Quark Xpress, and we like it

Review Source

Response from Quark Software

December 16, 2025

Thank you for sharing your experience&nbsp;Claudio!

DC

Dorian C.  
Marketing Consultant  
Publishing  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Master of its Craft"

December 15, 2025

5.0

I've been using it for over 35 years. It's my go to layout program. I know others have switched to InDesign to only come back to Quark. I feel that my skills have grown with the program. I've been working in publishing since 1985.

Pros

I've been using Quark for all of my 35+ years professional life. Each version keeps getting better and better. Love all of the updates and new useful tools.

Cons

At times the program takes too long to open. Not enough text box or picture shapes. Would also like it easier to curve text and manipulate text in non straight lines.

Review Source

Response from Quark Software

December 16, 2025

Your support means a lot - thank you for sharing your experience Dorian!

JW

John W.  
Director of Design  
Graphic Design  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Simple the Best"

December 15, 2025

5.0

I have used QuarkXPress for over 30 years in all that time it has remained at the forefront with cutting edge developments and state of the art software that remained constant through the years. The latest 2024 edition is by far the leader in this area, I have tried others but none compares to the flexability of QuarXPress.

Pros

Simple the best why choose others, like many I have tried other software brands but nothing touches the eas of use, the simple transparent interface and quality that is unrivaled.

Cons

Nothing to date has put me off using this software, other have come along to attempt to emulate the ase of use but Quark is by far the best

Review Source

Response from Quark Software

December 16, 2025

We appreciate your feedback, thanks&nbsp;John!

RR

Rachel R.  
Book design and layout  
Publishing  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Excellent book layout app"

December 15, 2025

5.0

I've had no major problems with Quark in years, and quite good customer support options--both of major importance.

Pros

Gives me excellent control--MUCH finer control over typography than InDesign. Still has option for permanent license, which is extremely important for any freelancer. And has very good customer support--again, a stark contrast with Adobe.

Cons

The price is on the high side, considering the price of stand-alone InDesign (which does come with access to a free font library, which Quark does not).

Review Source

Response from Quark Software

December 16, 2025

Thanks for your feedback Rachel!

AA

Anthony A.  
Color Operations Manager  
Publishing  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Quark review"

December 15, 2025

3.0

Overall we like using Quark for our magazine layouts. We have quark files of each issue from 2006 until now, and being able to open the oldest files with the current version instead of a separate converter first is much better.

Pros

We are able to open our current and older quark files and ALL the fonts we used previously are still available.

Cons

The bugs, because Quark freezes up saying not responding when we look at the app after clicking force quit on the mac, and then have to force quit and restart it. It happens more with this version than our previous version (2019).

Review Source

Response from Quark Software

December 16, 2025

Thanks for the review&nbsp;Anthony!

gbC

gordon bruce C.  
owner CD  
Graphic Design  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Great software for all your design needs"

December 15, 2025

4.0

Overall, the usability is quite smooth, very rarely crashes and produces great results. I've been using quark for over 30 years and the current version is the best.

Pros

I'm easily able to create anything from large projects such as annual reports, magazines, museum exhibits and packaging to small items such as flyers, business cards and social media ads.

Cons

I would rather buy the software and not rent it yearly. Adobe does the same thing so you're not alone with this criticism.

Switched from

[Adobe InDesign](https://www.capterra.com/p/233314/Adobe-InDesign/)

I switched from Adobe Pagemaker in 1990. Quark had more precise controls than Pagemaker

Review Source

Response from Quark Software

December 16, 2025

Thanks for your review Gordon!

JD

Julia D.  
Owner Designer  
Graphic Design  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Rating QuarkXPress"

December 15, 2025

4.0

Overall, I like working in QuarkXPress. II've been using it for about 20 years now. Tt works well with bringing in images and creating magazine layouts. My only issue has always been with using font programs that never seem to work smoothly with QuarkXPress.

Pros

I've used QuarkXPress for years and am comfortable with it, especially when there are upgrades. I've been creating magazine layouts for over twenty years and find this program to be well suited for that.

Cons

Working in QuarkXPress I've always found there to be issues with font programs and QuarkXpress. There seems to be a lack of compatibility .

Alternatives considered

[Adobe InDesign](https://www.capterra.com/p/233314/Adobe-InDesign/)

Reason for choosing QuarkXPress

Because I've been using it for years and didn't have time to learn a new program.

Review Source

Response from Quark Software

January 5, 2026

Thanks for your review Julia!

HY

Hannah Y.  
Director  
Music  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "A fully comprehensive programme "

January 9, 2026

5.0

I use it daily for my work in graphics and print. I rarely have issues and it handles complex projects.

Pros

Quark Xpress is a fully comprehensive piece of software used by industry professionals. It offers good value for businesses and has great customer service if you need any king of help.

Cons

Learning the new features after an update can take time but tutorials are available online. There’s always something new to learn!

Review Source

Response from Quark Software

January 12, 2026

Thanks for your review Hannah!

PD

Patsy D.  
Office Manager  
Media Production  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "User friendly"

December 15, 2025

5.0

A positive experience and we as a business have chosen to stay with Quark when offered the option to use InDesign instead.

Pros

The staff enjoy how easy it is to use. Every upgrade has been worthwhile and we're pleased with the program.

Cons

Clipping paths and background transparency could be more advanced. Every man and his dog can drop out a background now and it would be good to integrate that into image placement.

Alternatives considered

[Adobe InDesign](https://www.capterra.com/p/233314/Adobe-InDesign/)

Reason for choosing QuarkXPress

Price and staying with what the staff already know how to use

Review Source

Response from Quark Software

December 16, 2025

Thank you for your kind words Patsy!

JM

Jason M.  
Director Designer  
Printing  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Quark all day every day!!!"

December 15, 2025

5.0

Excellent - could live without it. I have a full Adobe package but spend 90% of my design time using Quark. Have done for nearly 30 years.

Pros

Ease of use, flexibility and precision when laying out certain forms etc. Also a very stable package - rarely gives any trouble.

Cons

Would like to be able to edit EPS files, shapes etc. Make more curved lines and shapes available and editable.

Alternatives considered

[Adobe Creative Cloud](https://www.capterra.com/p/48969/Adobe-Creative-Cloud/)

Reason for choosing QuarkXPress

Ease of use and the level of consistency it provides. Produce a lot of business ruled forms and Quark is brilliant on these too.

Review Source

Response from Quark Software

December 16, 2025

Thank you Jason!

PH

Pamela H.  
owner designer  
Graphic Design  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "QuarkXPress fan"

December 19, 2025

5.0

Have happily used it for long years. My works requires that I also have the Adobe package, but I'm always defaulting to Quark when I don't have to use the other.

Pros

Works smoothly creating multi-page documents with lots of text, images. Very intuitive. Always quick and easy to set material up and make changes. Much happier cropping images in this program.

Cons

Not a fan of the subscription service. I never found a need to upgrade constantly and would prefer to use it as is for at least a couple years

Review Source

Response from Quark Software

January 5, 2026

Thanks Pamela for your review!

MM

Maria M.  
owner  
Airlines/Aviation  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Makes life run so much smoother"

December 15, 2025

4.0

We've been using Quark for over 26 years and our company productivity has improved each year. It seems to be a good fit for our business.

Pros

Quark XPress has been user friendly and a great value for the production of our monthly publication.

Cons

Wish our graphics team had more time for additional training to learn all of the tools and short cuts. Wish the cost wasn't so expensive.

Review Source

Response from Quark Software

December 16, 2025

Thanks for your review Maria!

SD

Steve D.  
Owner operator  
Chemicals  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "For the type of work I do... it's ideal"

December 15, 2025

4.0

For packaging label layouts and related technical literature, I find the reletive simplicity and lack of overt creative functionality beneficial. I have been using it continuously for over two decades, and generally I continue to love it!

Pros

For the type of work I do (agrochemical labelling/technical literature) the reletive simplicity and straightforwardness of QuarkXpress is perfect. I have been using it continuously for over two decades!

Cons

An annoying glitch (the loss of the specific sizing function) that require a software restart. I thought it maybe be memory related but the problem has continued with my brand new Mac Studio

Review Source

Response from Quark Software

December 16, 2025

Thank you for sharing your feedback&nbsp;Steve!

WM

William M.  
CEO  
Marketing and Advertising  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Another satisfied customer"

December 15, 2025

5.0

Clearly, I am a satisfied customer. I have dabbled with other products over the years, but I have never found anything that works as well.

Pros

I love the creative freedom it gives me. I have been using Quark since the 90s and it rarely disappoints.

Cons

Updates over the years have left me scrambling to find tools that have either been relocated or eliminated.

Switched from

[Adobe Illustrator](https://www.capterra.com/p/227125/Adobe-Illustrator/)

I felt limited in terms of tools and options. A publisher friend suggested I try it.

Review Source

Response from Quark Software

January 5, 2026

Thanks for your review William!

CK

Caroline K.  
Owner  
Design  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "The power of QuarkXpress "

September 3, 2025

5.0

Offers a high level of control and precision, especially in typography and page layout. Its interface is customizable, letting you arrange tools and palettes to fit my workflow. It helps me produce professional, print-ready output with reliable color management. The software also supports both print and digital design, giving flexibility for projects ranging from magazines and books to interactive content. Overall, it combines power and flexibility, making it a strong tool for me as I value detail and creative control.

Pros

QuarkXPress features a clean, customizable interface that streamlines creative workflows. Its intuitive palettes and precise layout tools balance power with ease of use, giving designers flexibility and efficiency.

Cons

While offering powerful control and precision, feels more traditional and less streamlined than newer design software. Its learning curve can be steeper for those used to Adobe tools, and the limited integration with widely used platforms makes collaboration and file sharing less smooth.

Review Source

Response from Quark Software

September 4, 2025

Thanks Caroline for your feedback. We appreciate it!

RN

Robin N.  
Sole Trader  
Graphic Design  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "The Quark XPress Experiance"

December 15, 2025

5.0

I have used Quark for the past forty plus years for all my document production needs and it the very best to use when creating documents.

Pros

Quark is the most important document production software that exists. Using it makes the production of documents have the correct style and presentation that shows that a professional job has been achieved. It has the ability to move pages around which no other software is able to do , this means that if a page is in the wrong place then it is so easy to move it, plus having a list showing all the pages means it is possible to keep track on the overal size of the document.

Cons

The new 2025 Version layout has been made more complicated to find the various features that are need to produce a document, previous access to facilities was far easier to find and use.

Review Source

Response from Quark Software

January 5, 2026

Thanks Robin! Appreciate your review.

IG

Ian G.  
Managing Director  
Entertainment  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Quark Express - QED"

December 24, 2025

5.0

I have always found Quark Express intuitive to work with plus great "personal" customer service available if needed.

Pros

Quark Express has always been the standard design software in my view and always has been, it really works well for designers that want to think for themselves rather than being lead by increasing AI tech.

Cons

The save button being to close to the don't save button as with one slight misjudgement all can go wrong embarrassingly quickly!

Review Source

Response from Quark Software

January 5, 2026

Thanks for your feedback Ian!

RL

Roman L.  
CEO  
Graphic Design  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Zu faul, um zu wechseln"

December 15, 2025

4.0

Ich bin ein User der ersten Stunde. Das Programm basiert auf einer handwerklichen Denkstruktur. Das hilf mir beim Entwurf.

Pros

Kontinuität, keine zu großen Änderungen. Logischer Aufbau bei der Bedienung. Programm für Profis, die Wert auf Typografie legen.

Cons

Umwandlung in PDF. Das Ergebnis beim generieren von PDFs ist oft reine Glücksache. Das Farbmanagement ist zu kompliziert.

Review Source

Response from Quark Software

December 16, 2025

Thanks for your review Roman!

NA

Nick A.  
Director  
Printing  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Great Support"

December 15, 2025

5.0

Great! Support Staff - Exceptional! The updates can become a little annoying sometimes. Its usually my go to app every day.

Pros

The Customer Support is fantastic. I also like the value for money. As I use it most days. Very easy to use.

Cons

The only thing i do not like about QuarkXpress is the Data Merge process. I also you Adobe indesign, everything seems simpler on there.

Alternatives considered

[Adobe InDesign](https://www.capterra.com/p/233314/Adobe-InDesign/)

Reason for choosing QuarkXPress

I use both as some of the features are easier in one than the other

Review Source

Response from Quark Software

December 16, 2025

Thanks for the review Nick!

MT

Michel T.  
Art diector artist  
Accounting  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Art director, photographer, artist, creator"

December 15, 2025

1.0

très décevant ! ce n'est plus pour les professionnels mais pour des assistés ! perte de temps pour des fonctions qui ne servent jamais

Pros

bonjour, honnêtement, je préférais les anciennes versions de Xpress des années 2000 moins assisté, plus simple et plus efficace et qui était mieux que Indesign, j'utilise Xpress depuis le tout premier, aujourd'hui, il est très lent, ...

Cons

je n'aime plus Xpress. vous n'avez pas pris en compte l'avis des professionnels pour concevoir cette version !

Review Source

mL

mick L.  
Owner  
Design  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "QuarkXpess User Friendy"

December 15, 2025

5.0

Having used this gem since its inception it's always my first choice graphics package. The upgrades always add value and productivity enhancements to an already great package. I intend to use QuarkXpress for the forseable future on all my projects.

Pros

Ease of use and tasks made simple whatever the workload. Have created numerous projects and the conversion to .pdf for print is perfect.

Cons

Conversion of eps files sometime does not convert totally when I import from Adobe software and convert to line but if I leave as original I have no problems.

Review Source

Response from Quark Software

January 5, 2026

Thanks for your review Mick!