Mr. QuarkXPress turned Mr. InDesign, David Blatner is an interesting fellow.

My exclusive interview with David Blatner for Quark VS InDesign.com.

In addition to writing articles and opinions on everything from OS X to graphic design, David Blatner is the author of more than a dozen books running the gamut from The Joy of Pi, Judaism for Dummies, The Flying Book: Everything You?ve Ever Wondered About Flying On Airplanes, and Silicon Mirage: The Art and Science of Virtual Reality. He is best known, however, for his incredibly successful series of books related to graphic design and design industry tools, including as author or co-author of:  Real World Photoshop, Real World QuarkXPress, Real World InDesign, Real World Scanning and Halftones, Desktop Publisher?s Survival Kit, and InDesign for QuarkXPress Users.

I?ve been reading David?s articles and books for years. While with Adobe I used David?s books to help train Adobe Technical Support representatives. Real World Photoshop, which he cowrote with Bruce Fraser, Real World InDesign, co-authored with Olav Martin Kvern, and solo books Real World QuarkXPress, Real World Scanning and Halftones, and InDesign for QuarkXPress Users are essential references for Adobe Tech Support.

I have yet to read any computer or software book cover-to-cover. I don?t read books to learn products; I learn by picking a project and creating it in the application. Books I use as a reference-when I can?t remember every XPress Tag, I reach for Real World QuarkXPress 5. But, David Blatner?s books aren?t typical computer or software books. Though I haven?t read any of them cover-to-cover either, I have caught myself easily reading several chapters when my intent was simply to look up a keyboard shortcut. David?s friendly, easy going writing style draws the reader in. Even on a topic as dry and-when you find yourself in need of looking it up-infuriating as QuarkXPress print-time PostScript errors, David keeps the complicated why?s and how-to-fixes light, humorous, and accessible without sacrificing the depth or detail of needed information.

Keeping a friendly writing style and a sense of humor all the way through 991 pages is in itself a colossal feat on par with producing the definitive how, what, when, and why reference for such a quirky, clunky program as QuarkXPress. Playing off the complimentary senses of humor of partners Bruce Fraser and Olav Martin Kvern, David?s Real World Photoshop and Real World InDesign, respectively, are equally enjoyable to read while also equally as detailed and thorough as his Quark and other solo books. Yes, that?s correct: I said reading a software book is enjoyable-at least if it?s a David Blatner software book.

For more than a decade David has been the most knowledgeable authority on Nineties desktop publishing king QuarkXPress, earning him the unchallenged title of Mr. QuarkXPress. With the release of Adobe?s InDesign CS last November, David has cast off the dusty and frayed sash of Mr. QuarkXPress and is the judges? favorite for the crown of Mr. InDesign.

At next month?s InDesign Conference in Boston (July 15-17), David will debut a new project with CreativePro.com, the first periodical devoted the next-generation professional layout tool, InDesign Magazine.

Recently I had the great pleasure of talking with David about InDesign Magazine, his books, his opinions on InDesign, Photoshop, and the future of Quark, and what he wanted to be when he grew up.

Read my interview with David Blatner, exclusively on Quark VS InDesign.com.