QXPMarkz SE: Convert QuarkXPress Files to InDesign and Affinity Publisher on Windows
QXPMarkz SE is Markzware's Windows converter for QuarkXPress documents: it turns .qxp files from QuarkXPress 3 through 2026 into IDML, which opens in Adobe InDesign, Affinity Publisher or QuarkXPress 2017 and newer, without QuarkXPress installed. It costs $259 a year, or $429 for a perpetual license.
If you switched from Quark to InDesign years ago, you probably still have a drive full of .qxp files that nothing you own opens. QXPMarkz SE is the stand-alone successor to Markzware's Q2ID plug-in, built for exactly that archive.
Markzware's box art for QXPMarkz SE, "QuarkXPress Conversion for Creatives", with the Windows badge.
Quick facts
- Developer: Markzware
- Version: 5.6.1, released October 1, 2026
- Platform: Windows 10 and Windows 11 (the Mac edition is a separate product, QXPMarkz)
- Opens: QuarkXPress 3 through QuarkXPress 2026 files
- Exports: IDML, for InDesign CS4 or later, Affinity Publisher 1.8 or later, and QuarkXPress 2017 or newer
- Price: $259 a year with 12 months of updates, or $429 perpetual
- Volume discounts: 10% off for 6-10 seats, 15% for 11-20, 20% for 21 or more
- User rating: 4.6 out of 5 from 5 reviews on Markzware's QXPMarkz SE page
What we checked: on October 14, 2026, Markzware's product page listed QXPMarkz SE at $259 a year for a subscription and $429 for a perpetual Windows license, and the release notes listed version 5.6.1 of October 1, 2026, whose installer (QXPMarkzSE.v.5.6.1.1916.msi) is 33.5 MB.
Before you buy
QXPMarkz SE handles QuarkXPress files only, and exports IDML only. If you also have Microsoft Publisher, InDesign or PDF files to convert, OmniMarkz SE covers those too. QXPMarkz SE has no free version, so the way to preview your Quark files before paying is Markzware's free OmniMarkz SE download, which uses the same QuarkXPress engine. Plan to check each converted page: users report occasional spacing and image-position fixes.
Download InstallerBuy Now (1-year subscription)
Overview
QXPMarkz SE does one thing: it reads a QuarkXPress document and writes an IDML file, InDesign's open exchange format, which other layout programs also import. You drop a .qxp file on its window or open it with Ctrl+O, and it can launch InDesign, Affinity Publisher, a QuarkXPress 2017 or newer, or any program you define, with the converted file. You don't need QuarkXPress, InDesign or a plug-in for the conversion itself.
Features
Every QuarkXPress version, from 3 to 2026
QXPMarkz SE reads documents from QuarkXPress 3 through QuarkXPress 2026, the version support added in 5.0.2 (February 2026). That matters because InDesign itself opens only QuarkXPress 3.3 and 4.1 files.
Open the result where you want it
QXPMarkz SE can open the IDML straight after conversion in InDesign, Affinity Publisher or a QuarkXPress 2017 or newer, so you can also take a file from a new QuarkXPress back to an older one. You set the target once and every dropped file lands there.
Conversion Center finds your Quark files
QXPMarkz SE 5.5.2 (September 2026) added a Conversion Center that searches your PC and lists the supported QuarkXPress files it finds, so you can see what's on an old file server before you start. The same release converts every layout in a QuarkXPress project rather than only the default one.
Typography and structure carry over
QXPMarkz SE converts text with its paragraph and character styles, and since version 4.0 it also handles footnotes, endnotes and table cell style overrides. One customer who converted a couple of thousand calendar templates credits it with keeping kerning, tracking, baseline shift, leading, rules, grouping, anchored objects and layers (see What Users Say).
Windows Search inside your Quark archive
QXPMarkz SE 5.6.1 lets Windows Search find text inside supported documents while the app is licensed, so a phrase from an old brochure leads you to the right .qxp file. It also fixed conversions of files with paths longer than 259 characters.
Benefits
The point is not rebuilding. A converted IDML keeps the pages, frames, styles and text you'd otherwise retype, so a reprint or update starts from the real layout instead of a PDF. A $259 subscription also fits a one-off migration: convert the whole archive in the year, then decide whether you need it again.
Real-World Uses
- Studio migration: a marketing team moving from Quark to InDesign converts its back catalog in batches instead of keeping an old Mac running.
- Customer reprints: a print shop reopens a client's decade-old QuarkXPress job to change a phone number and reprint.
- Affinity switchers: a freelancer without an Adobe subscription opens old .qxp files in Affinity Publisher.
- Software vendors: a company whose product generated QuarkXPress templates converts them for clients moving to InDesign.
Who It's For
QXPMarkz SE fits Windows users whose problem is QuarkXPress and only QuarkXPress. If your archive also holds Publisher, InDesign or PDF files, OmniMarkz SE is the better buy. If you're on a Mac, you need QXPMarkz for macOS, a separate product.
Usage Guide
- Install: run the 33.5 MB installer. It adds a Start Menu entry and a desktop shortcut.
- Activate: enter your license (an internet connection is needed to activate and register).
- Choose the target: pick where the IDML goes and which program should open it.
- Convert: drag a .qxp file onto the window or the desktop shortcut, or use File > Open (Ctrl+O). File > Open Recent lists files you converted before.
- Find more files: use the Conversion Center to list the QuarkXPress files on a drive.
- Check: go through each page in InDesign or Affinity, replace missing fonts and relink images.
What Users Say
Reviews on Markzware's QXPMarkz SE page (4.6 out of 5, 5 reviews)
"Q++Studio is the software used by most of the largest diary and calendar publishers of the world to automate the typesetting of their diaries and calendars... QXPMarkz® SE was a cornerstone of the migration path that we offered to those clients..., allowing our clients to easily convert a couple of thousand of their templates containing advanced typesetting (kerning, tracking, baseline shift, leading, rules below/above, …) placed in complex documents (object grouping, anchored objects, heavy use of layers, …). Due to the differences between InDesign and QuarkXPress..., some touch-ups were sometimes needed, but the immense majority of the conversions were uneventful." Olivier, July 9, 2025
"This was incredibly helpful. We had to move about 4,000 files from Quark to InDesign and from a Mac to a PC. Our office was concerned about this migration, and Markzware made it easy. I talked with customer support to find the correct product for our move." Tiffany Crouse, Marketing Manager, Blue Mound Graphics
"I have hundreds of Quark files that I may need to access from time to time. This program lets me relax, knowing I can convert any of those files at any time without a rush to get them done in bulk." Trent Guyer, VP Marketing & Digital Strategy, The Grasshopper Company
The criticism
"There are times that it converts perfectly and sometimes there are issues with spacing that need to be corrected but overall I am grateful to have this program!!" Renee E., September 7, 2023 (4 stars)
"Works great! Still need to go through each page to make sure nothing's amiss. Sometimes, pictures are resized/out of position within their frame. Haven't yet discovered if there's a common denominator as to which are correct and which are not." Merrill Miller, Senior Graphic Designer, MennoMedia (4 stars)
The pattern
The five reviewers agree that QXPMarkz SE handles big migrations, from hundreds of files to thousands of templates, and that Markzware's support helps you pick the right product. Both four-star reviews make the same point: most files convert cleanly, but some need spacing or picture fixes, so budget time for a page-by-page check.
Comparisons
QXPMarkz SE vs OmniMarkz SE
OmniMarkz SE ($469 a year or $719 perpetual) contains QXPMarkz SE's QuarkXPress conversion and adds Microsoft Publisher, InDesign, PDF and Affinity files, a free preview version and batch conversion from its Conversion Center. QXPMarkz SE costs $210 less a year and is the right choice only when every file is QuarkXPress.
Editions and Pricing
| License | Price | Updates |
|---|
| Subscription (sold here) | $259 a year | 12 months included |
| Perpetual | $429 once | Optional paid upgrades |
FAQs
Can I open a QuarkXPress file without QuarkXPress?
Yes, with QXPMarkz SE. It converts the .qxp file to IDML without QuarkXPress installed, and you open the IDML in InDesign, Affinity Publisher or a QuarkXPress 2017 or newer.
Is there a free trial of QXPMarkz SE?
No. QXPMarkz SE is sold only as a subscription or a perpetual license. To preview your Quark files first, use Markzware's free OmniMarkz SE download, which previews QuarkXPress documents without exporting.
Does QXPMarkz SE work with Affinity Publisher?
Yes. QXPMarkz SE's IDML files open in Affinity Publisher 1.8 and later, and the app can launch Affinity with the converted file automatically.
Does QXPMarkz SE run on a Mac?
No. QXPMarkz SE is the Windows edition. On a Mac you need QXPMarkz for macOS, which Markzware sells separately.
What happens when a QXPMarkz SE subscription ends?
The QXPMarkz SE subscription is $259 for 12 months, including updates in that time. If you'd rather pay once, the $429 perpetual license keeps working, with optional paid upgrades for later versions.
Is QXPMarkz SE the same as Q2ID?
QXPMarkz SE does the same conversion as Markzware's older Q2ID InDesign plug-in, but as a stand-alone Windows application, so it doesn't need InDesign to run.
Can QXPMarkz SE convert Microsoft Publisher or PDF files?
No. QXPMarkz SE reads QuarkXPress files only. Markzware's OmniMarkz SE converts Publisher, InDesign and PDF files as well as QuarkXPress.
System Requirements
- OS: Windows 10 or Windows 11
- Memory: 4 GB of RAM
- Display: 1024 x 768 or better
- Internet: needed to activate and register
- To edit the output: InDesign CS4 or later, Affinity Publisher 1.8 or later, or QuarkXPress 2017 or newer
Conclusion
QXPMarkz SE is a focused, fairly priced way to get QuarkXPress documents of any age into InDesign or Affinity Publisher on Windows. Its users have moved thousands of files with it, and they're candid that some pages need touching up afterwards. Its limits are just as clear: Quark files in, IDML out, and no free version to try.
If QuarkXPress is your only legacy format, the $259 subscription covers a year of conversions. If there's anything else in the archive, look at OmniMarkz SE first.
Download InstallerBuy Now (1-year subscription)