QuarkXPress

It's a software that most magazines, newspapers, and publications use to package their content.

It's a simple common-sense program that typically can be picked up by a new user quickly because it relates to many other commonly used software programs.

I've used it on and off for over twenty years now. It's ease of use made it the industry standard back in the day, but it's been eclipsed by Adobe and the excellent integration of their multiple software products. And Adobe was always very flexible with pricing -- Quark would never budge on price, and many corporate users chose to jump ship and go with upstart Adobe, which has proven to be a fortuitous move in the design and production industry. I still use it periodically -- there's always that dinosaur client who refuses to move into the twenty-first century. Too bad, Quark!

When I began using Quark roughly 15 years ago, I would so anything to try to avoid it. It was intimidating and frustrating and, at the time, only a mac program. I desperately tried to convert as many files as I could to Adobe InDesign because I was more comfortable on the pc platform. Now, I love Quark and would prefer to use it over anything else. Having a PC platform version really was the key in my eyes. With recent versions, Quark has become much less intimidating and more inviting to non-industry professionals.

I have used this software from the late 1980s - a long time. It continually improves. I would love to always work in it, but not every printer or client wants their project designed in Quark. Still, it is an amazing software for a graphic designer who loves perfect type on a page.