Adobe CS5.5 (v.7.5) Mac Upgrade NL 65103975 User Manual

Top 10 differences 

you need to understand

When you start using InDesign

, you’ll quickly find a number of 

similarities between it and QuarkXPress: Both programs display spreads 

on individual pasteboards; both have standard methods for saving and 

opening documents and templates; each has a “toolbox” and floating panels. 

InDesign was built to be intuitive and easy for QuarkXPress users to learn. 

However, there are some significant differences between the two programs 

that you must understand if you want to be proficient in InDesign.

In QuarkXPress, the Modify dialog 

box contains controls for modify-

ing items, and most users open this 

dialog box frequently as they build 

pages. InDesign doesn’t have a com-

parable dialog box. Instead, controls 

for modifying objects are available in 

the Control panel, as well as in other 

panels such as the Swatches, Text 

Wrap, and Stroke panels.
To modify the placement of text 

within a text frame—including num-

ber of columns, text inset values, and 

placement of the first line of text—

choose Object > Text Frame Options.

InDesign has graphic, text, and unas-

signed frames, similar to those in 

QuarkXPress. You can easily convert 

a frame from one type to another. For 

example, if you select a text frame, 

choose File > Place, and choose an 

image, InDesign changes the frame 

to a graphic frame and replaces any 

text with the placed image.
Similarly, if you click with the Type 

tool on an empty graphic frame or 

unassigned frame, InDesign converts 

it to a text frame. If you prefer that 

InDesign not do this, open the Pref-

erences dialog box (Command+K/

Ctrl+K), choose the Type pane, and 

deselect the Type Tool Converts 

Frames To Text Frames option.

Here are several more facts about 

frames that you should note:

 ■ The Rectangle Frame tool creates 

graphic frames; the Rectangle tool 

creates unassigned frames.

 ■ Unassigned frames that have a 

fill color of None are “empty,” so 

you can click through them to 

objects behind them. To learn how 

to select objects behind text and 

graphic frames, see “Selection tool 

techniques” on page 36.

 ■ Any path can be a frame. For 

example, you can draw an open 

U-shaped path with the Pencil tool 

or the Pen tool, and then place text 

or a graphic inside the shape.

10  Adobe InDesign CS5  |  Conversion Guide