QXPMarkz for Mac: Open, Preview and Convert QuarkXPress Files Without QuarkXPress
QXPMarkz is Markzware's macOS app that previews QuarkXPress (.qxp) documents and converts them to IDML for InDesign and Affinity Publisher, or to PDF and image formats, without QuarkXPress installed. A subscription costs $259 a year, a perpetual license $429, and a free version lets you preview QuarkXPress files without exporting them.
If you have years of brochures, catalogs or books locked in QuarkXPress files and no working copy of Quark, rebuilding them by hand from PDFs takes days per document. QXPMarkz opens them and hands InDesign or Affinity an editable layout instead.
Quick facts
- Developer: Markzware
- Version: 6.5.2, released September 23, 2026
- Platform: macOS 12 Monterey through macOS 27 (a separate Windows version, QXPMarkz SE, is available)
- Reads: QuarkXPress documents from early versions through QuarkXPress 2026, and .qxl libraries
- Exports: IDML, PDF, JPEG, PNG, TIFF, GIF, and text stories as RTF, HTML or TXT
- Opens in: Adobe InDesign CS4 or later, Affinity Publisher 1.8 or later, QuarkXPress 2017 or newer, Acrobat, Illustrator
- Price: $259 a year (subscription with 12 months of updates) or $429 perpetual
- Free version: previews QuarkXPress files, no export
What we checked: the installer from Markzware's download page on October 22, 2026, QXPMarkz v6.5.2 (build 839, 23.5 MB disk image), and that the $259-a-year "Subscription (macOS)" Buy now button on Markzware's product page uses the same product (29827800) as our Buy Now button. We didn't convert a QuarkXPress file ourselves.
Before you buy
- Try the free version on your own files. The same download previews your QuarkXPress documents for free, so you can confirm it reads them before you pay.
- Version 6.5.2 needs macOS 12 or later. On an older Mac you'll need an earlier QXPMarkz release.
- Mac only. This license is for macOS. Windows users need QXPMarkz SE.
- Budget time for checking. Most files convert cleanly, but reviewers mention occasional spacing or picture position fixes, so check each page after conversion.
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Overview
QXPMarkz replaces Markzware's long-running Q2ID InDesign plug-in with a stand-alone app. You open a .qxp file in QXPMarkz, see a preview rebuilt from the document's internal data (not the small embedded thumbnail), then export it or send it straight to the application you choose. Markzware says conversions keep anchored boxes, blends and color models, fonts and styles, images, layers, linked text boxes, Pantone colors, tables and runarounds.
Converting to IDML is the key step: IDML is the open interchange format that InDesign, Affinity Publisher and QuarkXPress 2017 or newer can all open, so one conversion serves whichever layout program you now use.
Features
A real preview and a Document Inspector
QXPMarkz shows each page of a QuarkXPress document with crisp, zoomable text and page thumbnails. The Document Inspector summarises the file: QuarkXPress version, size, creation and modification dates, page and spread count, page size, and the fonts, colors, images and stories it uses, including which fonts and images are missing.
QXPMarkz previewing a 21-page QuarkXPress 2025 document, with page thumbnails and the Document Inspector showing 56.1 MB, 5 fonts, 12 colors, 28 images (all missing) and 81 stories. The toolbar has Export and one-click buttons for InDesign, Quark, Publisher, Acrobat and Illustrator.
Export to IDML, PDF and images
QXPMarkz exports QuarkXPress documents to IDML, PDF, JPEG, PNG, TIFF and GIF. When images are missing, it can create low-resolution placeholders from the document and link to them, so the converted layout still shows where every picture goes.
The Export dialog with IDML selected: "Create Lo-Res Previews" set to "For missing images", "Link to Lo-Res" ticked, and Post Export options to open the result in an application, reveal it in Finder or close the document.
Open QuarkXPress files straight in InDesign
QXPMarkz installs scripts that add "Open QuarkXPress File…" to InDesign's File menu, the same workflow Q2ID users know. Pick a .qxp file there and QXPMarkz converts it and opens it in InDesign. You can also set it so double-clicking a .qxp file in Finder opens it in InDesign, Affinity Publisher or an older QuarkXPress.
Batch conversion and automation
QXPMarkz 6.5.2 added a Conversion Center that finds, lists and batch converts supported files. Automation Preferences, AppleScript support and a custom URL scheme let it run inside larger publishing workflows, and it can extract text stories as RTF, HTML or TXT with their formatting.
Benefits
- No rebuilding. A converted layout keeps pages, frames, styles and text, so a reprint starts from the real document.
- No Quark license needed. You don't have to keep an old Mac and QuarkXPress running to reach your archive.
- Works with your current tools. InDesign, Affinity Publisher and newer QuarkXPress all open the IDML it writes.
- Know before you open. The inspector shows missing fonts and images up front.
Real-World Uses
- Book reprints: a designer reopens 20-year-old QuarkXPress books in InDesign to update them for a new edition.
- Packaging tweaks: an agency revives an old label to change an ingredient list or add a safety mark.
- Catalog migration: a company moves a large priced catalog from Quark to InDesign when its Quark tools reach end of life.
- Quick look: someone who receives a .qxp file from a colleague uses the free version just to see what's in it.
Who It's For, and Who Should Skip It
QXPMarkz is for Mac designers, agencies, publishers and print shops with QuarkXPress files to reuse, especially anyone who has moved to InDesign or Affinity Publisher.
Skip the paid version if you only need to look at a file: the free version previews QuarkXPress documents. If your archive also includes Publisher, InDesign or PDF files, Markzware's OmniMarkz covers more formats. Windows users need QXPMarkz SE. And if you still own a current QuarkXPress, it can export many files itself.
Usage Guide
- Install: download the 23.5 MB disk image from Markzware and drag QXPMarkz to Applications. It starts as the free preview version.
- Activate: enter your license to enable exporting (an internet connection is needed to activate and register).
- Open a file: open a .qxp document and check the preview and the Document Inspector for missing fonts and images.
- Convert: click the InDesign, Publisher or Quark button to convert and open it there, or choose Export to save IDML, PDF or images.
- Check the result: go through each page in your layout program, replace missing fonts and relink images.
Where it falls short
- Not every file converts perfectly. Users report occasional spacing problems and pictures resized or out of position in their frames, and one long-time user says 2 documents out of many couldn't be opened.
- Fonts and images aren't included. The conversion needs the original fonts and linked images, and missing images become low-resolution placeholders.
- QuarkXPress files only. Other formats need OmniMarkz.
- It's a premium price for occasional use. $259 a year is easy to justify for a migration project, less so for a single file.
What Users Say
Reviews on Markzware's QXPMarkz page (4.95 out of 5, 44 reviews)
"I have been using QXPMarkz for several years now to my complete satisfaction. Without this program, I would not have been able to convert QXP documents to InDesign and would have had to laboriously reprocess them, which would have been time-consuming and expensive. [...] All time I have been using QXPMarkz, I have only had 2 cases where the document could not be opened, but I have successfully converted 99% of the times." Jiri Hajek, July 7, 2025
"We have a number of clients that have been working with us for almost 20 years and every now and then they ask us to revive a old Quark Xpress packaging design or artwork going wayyyyy back. Often it's just a little tweak to say the ingredients or having to add a safety mark." Ryan Dolan, July 21, 2024
"Having been in the book design business for over 30 years, we've moved from PageMaker to QuarkXPress to InDesign. Many times clients will want to update their books, but they're in Quark and we no longer have the ability to work on the files. With QXPMarkz and two minutes, we can open those old files in InDesign and get started." Tamara, July 31, 2025
"We've saved so much time and money by successfully converting our QuarkXpress documents to InDesign rather than rebuilding file. The program works exactly as promised. And for us, the best part is the customer service." Clay, February 17, 2026
Featured customer reviews
"Annually publishing a PRICED 768-page catalog with approximately 17,000 prices, when the linkage app for Quark was at its end of life, changing to InDesign was essential. QXPMarkz conversion is extremely easy and accurate." Bernie Maopolski, Graphics, W.D Armstrong
"This software works just as it's billed! Opens up QuarkXPress files with ease and very little tweaking needed." Jean Drew, Production Manager, Vilas County News-Review
The criticism
Reviews of the Windows version on Markzware's site make the same caveat Mac users should expect: "There are times that it converts perfectly and sometimes there are issues with spacing that need to be corrected" (Renee E., 4 stars), and "Sometimes, pictures are resized/out of position within their frame" (Merrill Miller, Senior Graphic Designer, MennoMedia, 4 stars).
The pattern
All of these reviews come from Markzware's own site, and they're consistently positive: designers use QXPMarkz to revive old books, packaging and catalogs instead of rebuilding them, and several single out Markzware's support by name. The realistic caveat is a page-by-page check after conversion for spacing and picture placement.
Comparisons
QXPMarkz vs QXPMarkz SE (Windows)
QXPMarkz is the Mac app and QXPMarkz SE the Windows app, at the same $259 subscription and $429 perpetual prices. The Mac version adds the full preview, the Document Inspector, PDF and image export, InDesign scripts and AppleScript automation, while QXPMarkz SE focuses on converting to IDML.
QXPMarkz vs OmniMarkz
OmniMarkz, also from Markzware, handles QuarkXPress plus other publishing formats and exports JSON for content reuse. Choose QXPMarkz if your archive is QuarkXPress only.
Editions and Pricing
| Edition | Price | Preview | Export and Open in | Updates |
|---|
| Freebie (macOS) | $0 | Yes | No | - |
| Subscription (macOS) | $259 a year | Yes | Yes, plus annotatable PDFs | 12 months included |
| Perpetual (macOS) | $429 once | Yes | Yes, plus annotatable PDFs | Upgrade charges may apply |
Prices are from Markzware's product page on October 22, 2026. Markzware also offers quantity discounts. The Buy Now button on this page opens the subscription.
FAQs
Can QXPMarkz open QuarkXPress 2026 files?
Yes. QXPMarkz added QuarkXPress 2026 support in version 6.0.0 (November 2025), and version 6.5.2 fixed creating QuarkXPress 2026 character styles.
Do I need InDesign to use QXPMarkz?
No. QXPMarkz works on its own to preview and export QuarkXPress files. You need InDesign, Affinity Publisher or QuarkXPress 2017 or newer only to edit the IDML it creates.
Is QXPMarkz the replacement for Q2ID?
Yes. QXPMarkz is the stand-alone app that replaces Markzware's Q2ID InDesign plug-in, and its InDesign scripts add the same "Open QuarkXPress File" command to InDesign.
Will QXPMarkz run on an older Mac?
QXPMarkz 6.5.2 requires macOS 12 Monterey or later. Markzware's release notes page keeps download links for older versions if your Mac can't run it.
Subscription or perpetual license for QXPMarkz?
QXPMarkz's $259 subscription suits a one-off migration: convert the archive within the year. The $429 perpetual license pays off if you'll keep receiving QuarkXPress files for more than about two years, though major upgrades may cost extra.
Can QXPMarkz convert QuarkXPress libraries?
Yes. Markzware documents converting QuarkXPress libraries (.qxl) to IDML with QXPMarkz on macOS.
System Requirements
- macOS 27, 26 Tahoe, 15 Sequoia, 14 Sonoma, 13 Ventura or 12 Monterey
- Mac Pro, iMac, iMac Pro, MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air or Mac mini
- 4 GB of RAM
- 1024 x 768 display or better
- Internet connection to activate and register
- QuarkXPress 2017 or newer to open exported IDML in Quark
Conclusion
QXPMarkz is worth its price for any Mac user with real QuarkXPress work to bring back: converting one old book or catalog instead of rebuilding it saves more than $259 in hours, and its users are almost unanimously happy. It isn't cheap for a one-off look at a file, which is exactly what the free preview version is for, and every conversion still deserves a page-by-page check. Download the free version, make sure it reads your files, then buy the subscription for a migration project or the perpetual license for ongoing use.
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