ex TranslationFilter

Bidirectional export/import of QuarkXPress text content (structured and segmented) to a Microsoft Word document or a XLIFF file and back

Companies which place translation jobs are often confrontated with the same problem: The translation office doesn´t have the software with which the project was produced.
This happens frequency when special layout software like QuarkXPress or Adobe InDesign is used.

There are only two possibilities:
First: The translation office is choosed by the software they use

Second: The customer only delivers the project in standard format like Microsoft Word or XML.
This means additional work for copying the text to Word or XML and re-copy the translated text to the layout software manually. This encreases the error rates.

We now have the solution for: "ex TranslationFilter"
This XTension provides automatic and effortless export and re-import of QuarkXPress or Adobe InDesign documents to Microsoft Word and vice versa (content of textboxes).
The advantages are quiet obvious:

  • No "cryptic" XML-files
  • No need of providing the transaltion office with the used IT structure
  • No accidental errors while translation workflow
  • Flexibility of choosing translation office
  • Saving time for exporting and re-importing content with only a few clicks.
  • Layout and format are automatically corrected after translation

How it works:

The whole text of a native QuarkXPress document can be exported to a Microsoft Word document with only a few clicks by using ex TranslationFilter! The exported text will be structured automatically (textbox, paragraph, cell or format changes are setting the single text blocks) in the Word document. This guarantees that the document has exact the same format after the translation and the re-import in QuarkXPress.

Original catalog page (Click to enlarge)


If the QuarkXPress document contains different textlayers, the single layers can be choosen and exported.


The reproduction of the QuarkXPress textbox content in Microsoft Word is generally structured by the QuarkXPress textframe ID´s (exBoxID). With the Word menue a table with 2 colums can be created. The exported content of the single textboxes will be filled in the cells of the left column. The contentstructure of the table is also provided by the QuarkXPress textbox id´s.

Each corresponding cells in right column can be filled with text which should replace the original text. If no text is filled in nothing will be changed.

Original XPress textbox content
Translated XPress textbox content


With one click these modifications can be re-imported to the QuarkXPress document.


Translated catalog page

In the dialog "Import Results" you will get an overview about the translation status. If a textbox is translated it is marked as OK. If not it is marked with
"No changes".

A final layout check is advisable for rechecking text lenth changes caused by translation. For automatic control we recommend the XTensionsl
ex Overset or ex ColumnBalance


All general preferences as well as special preferences for file-export and -import will be set in the XTension preferences.




Customized requirements have to be implemented regulary. For example:

  • integration of technical translation tables for the export
  • integration in existing translation systems (e.g. SDL Trados, Across, Ontram)
  • specific consideration of articlenumbers or prices
  • automatic calculation of foreign prices and currencies
  • automatic PDF generation of the original document for the translator
  • An icon within a catalogue which is only valid for German deliveries can be removed automatically

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