Quark Simplifies iPad Publishing with App Studio and QuarkXPress 9.1

Quark announced today the availability of QuarkXPress 9.1, a free update to QuarkXPress 9 that features App Studio. App Studio allows designers to create branded apps for the iPad, distribute apps through the Apple App Store, and design and publish content that can be purchased and downloaded from within the apps. This integrated set of tools puts designers in control and offers a pricing model that brings iPad app creation and publishing within everyone’s reach. 

“The proliferation of digital devices has created significant challenges for designers and publishers who not only need to get to the iPad, but who want to offer their readers an innovative, cutting-edge experience,” said Gavin Drake, vice president of marketing for Quark. “With App Studio we eliminate the biggest hurdles by offering a solution that designers can manage without requiring programming and that is affordable. Just as importantly, our pricing model doesn’t lock customers into monthly subscriptions, download costs, or revenue shares with Quark, which means taking the first step into iPad publishing doesn’t require a long-term commitment.” 

Publishing to the iPad

Consumers are choosing the iPad to access all types of content, from newspapers, magazines, and books to financial reports, research papers, product guides, brochures, and more. With App Studio, designers, publishers, and organizations can reach those consumers using App Studio. The key components of App Studio are: 

QuarkXPress 9: With QuarkXPress 9, designers create unique, immersive, and interactive experiences using the page-layout and design skills that are already familiar. The new App Studio layout space within QuarkXPress allows designers to create dedicated vertical and horizontal orientations simultaneously with content that can be automatically synchronized between orientations. Designers can enrich content with pictures, slideshows, movies, and audio, as well as with scrollable layouts that are unique to tablet devices.

App Studio Factory: To create branded apps, designers use App Studio Factory, the standalone Mac OS X software included with QuarkXPress 9.1. App Studio Factory enables designers to create customized App Studio apps using predefined app templates that offer a variety of features, including in-app purchases and in-app subscriptions.

App Studio Issue Previewer: Designers can test App Studio issues with this free app by downloading it to their iPad from the Apple App Store, or by installing it on a Mac and running it in the iOS Simulator.

App Studio Publishing Portal: Designers use the App Studio Publishing Portal to manage their App Studio apps and issue files, including when and where issues are published as well as to track when and where issues are sold.

The Cost of Publishing to the iPad with App Studio

To publish to the iPad with App Studio, designers and publishers will purchase an app template license and an issue license pack from Quark, which are one-off costs required for each app created and each issue published to the app. Other than these two costs there are no ongoing fees required by Quark. 

As an example of Quark’s pricing structure, a designer creating an app for a one-time single issue will purchase from Quark the app template license, which costs $149, and a one-issue license pack, which costs $349. In this instance, the fees from Quark equal $498. The designer will also need an Apple iOS Developer Program membership, which costs $99. For a full breakdown of the cost per each app template and the license bundles, please visit http://www.quark.com/Products/AppStudio/Pricing.aspx.