What is the QXP file format?
Files with the .qxp extension contain a project stored in QuarkXPress version 7 or higher. This includes one or more pages saved along with content, layout of elements, texts, or images. Originally, the software was used for desktop publishing and text formatting (DTP) since 1987. Current versions may also be used for advanced website design and even creating applications for iOS. The software is considered a viable alternative to Adobe InDesign.
Projects in the .qxp format replaced the earlier .qxd format. Introduced with QuarkXPress 7 in 2006, this shift moved from a single "document" model to a "project" capable of holding multiple layouts in one file - for example:
- newspapers and magazines,
- flyers and brochures,
- books,
- websites and online services,
- mobile applications.
A project stored in the .qxp format can be re-edited upon opening in QuarkXPress. The final version is usually saved in a portable format accessible in other programs.
Exporting .qxp Files to Other Formats
QuarkXPress project files can be exported to image and document formats. Export is possible to JPEG, PNG, PDF, or TIFF. A color profile with selected parameters can also be included. For cross-application workflows, QuarkXPress also imports and exports IDML - Adobe InDesign's interchange format and the practical bridge for moving projects between the two applications.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWA QXP is a passive design document - it doesn't execute code, so opening one is not a malware vector the way macros or executables are. The practical 'safety' issues are about integrity, not security: a file saved in a newer QuarkXPress won't open in an older one, and a QXP delivered without its linked images and fonts opens with missing pictures and substituted fonts. Beware fake 'QXP viewer/converter' download sites that bundle adware - there is no legitimate free QXP viewer; prefer QuarkXPress, genuine Markzware tools, or just request a PDF/IDML.
Format details
in a nutshellPrograms that open QXP files
Windows3 apps
QuarkXPress
Paid The native editor. File > Open. Highest fidelity and full editing. (One-time purchase or subscription.) 
MarkzTools / IDMarkz (Markzware)
Paid Markzware tools preview legacy QXP/QXD and migrate them to InDesign/IDML/PDF without QuarkXPress.
Adobe InDesign + Q2ID (Markzware)
Paid Q2ID is an InDesign plug-in that imports a QXP/QXD and rebuilds it as an editable InDesign layout. 
macOS3 apps
Adobe InDesign + Q2ID (Markzware)
Paid Import the QXP into InDesign via the Q2ID plug-in to migrate the layout.
MarkzTools / IDMarkz (Markzware)
Paid Preview and convert QXP to InDesign/IDML/PDF on macOS without QuarkXPress. Technical details
deep spec| Format type | Proprietary binary page-layout document (DTP project container) |
| Developer | Quark Software Inc. |
| Byte order | Platform-stamped in the file header: big-endian for legacy Mac saves, little-endian for Windows/Intel saves |
| Encoding | Undocumented proprietary binary; no published file specification |
| File structure | Record-based: pages/spreads, master pages, text boxes, picture boxes, style sheets, colors, and output settings |
| Multi-layout support | A single .qxp file can hold multiple independent layouts (e.g., print and digital) within one project |
| Image handling | Placed images are linked externally; a low-resolution preview is stored inside the .qxp while high-res originals remain separate files |
| Version compatibility | Forward-compatible only - newer QuarkXPress opens older .qxp files, but older versions cannot open files saved by a newer version |
| Compression | None documented; layout data stored uncompressed in proprietary records |
| Page size limit | Up to approximately 48 × 48 inches (1219 × 1219 mm) per page |
| File identification | No fixed magic bytes; leading bytes encode a platform/version marker rather than a stable ASCII signature; identified reliably by the .qxp extension |
| MIME type | application/vnd.Quark.QuarkXPress |
| Color management | Supports ICC color profiles and per-layout color output settings |
| Interchange format | Imports and exports IDML (InDesign Markup Language) for round-tripping with Adobe InDesign |
| Typical file size | Tens of KB (simple single-page layout) to tens of MB (long, image-rich document) |
| Released | 2006 (QuarkXPress 7 introduced the .qxp 'project' container, replacing the older .qxd 'document') |
| Latest version | QuarkXPress 2024 (.qxp remains the native project format) |
| Specification | www.quark.com |
QXP conversions
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