Quark Inc. has announced Quark Labs, a new portal featuring innovative QuarkXPress 7 XTensions that are not initially being released as commercial products. Designed as a testing ground for QuarkXPress technology and a community for QuarkXPress users and developers, Quark Labs offers free access to technology previews, proofs of concept and both new and familiar XTensions.

The new XTensions featured on Quark Labs are built to enhance a user's experience with QuarkXPress 7 and increase productivity by automating common user actions. The XTensions on Quark Labs include Welcome Screen, Image Drag and Drop 1.0b, and ShadowCaster 3.3.

• Welcome Screen: Welcome Screen is a navigation screen that appears immediately upon launching QuarkXPress 7. It allows users to open recent projects, create new projects, create new libraries and more without clicking through a variety of menus or options. Welcome Screen also features training videos, an RSS feed of Quark-related news and is currently available for English-language Mac® environments.
• Image Drag and Drop 1.0b: A long-time wish-list item for QuarkXPress users debuts as a technology preview on the site. Image Drag and Drop 1.0b allows users to drag images from almost anywhere—folders, their desktop—and drop them into a QuarkXPress 7 document. The source code for this technology preview will also be available on the site.
• ShadowCaster 3.3: One of the most popular QuarkXPress XTensions of all time, ShadowCaster adds transparency, blend modes and special effects such as shadows, glows and bevels to QuarkXPress layouts. Version 3.3 is compatible with QuarkXPress 7.

In addition to access to new and emerging XTensions that are not available elsewhere, Quark Labs offers users and developers a way to communicate with the Quark developers who are creating new software for QuarkXPress 7. Visitors can implement and test XTensions concepts and provide both constructive and critical feedback.

"Quark Labs is all about moving technology forward through collaboration with the Quark community," said Paul Schmitt, vice president of emerging technologies and strategic alliances for Quark. "By making our development ideas and concepts available we hope to solicit honest feedback that will positively affect the direction of both Quark and QuarkXPress 7."

Quark Labs will be updated continually with new technology previews, concepts and XTensions. In the near future updates to the site will include enhancements for the Mac OS experience, as well as third-party application compatibility add-ons.

For more information and to access the new XTensions, visit Quark Labs.

• Official website
• Quark.com

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