App Studio is the key addition to QuarkXPress 9.1, which is available as a free download to existing QuarkXPress 9 users, or at an upgrade cost of £279 to users of earlier versions.

It gives designers a dedicated design environment to create branded content for the iPad, including video/audio players, slideshows, scrollable regions, web overlays, pop-up windows, buttons and hyperlinks.

It also enables users to distribute apps through the Apple App Store, and design and publish content that can be purchased and downloaded from within the apps.

"The proliferation of digital devices has created significant challenges for designers and publishers who not only need to get to the iPad, but who want to offer their readers an innovative, cutting-edge experience," said Gavin Drake, vice president of marketing for Quark.

"With App Studio we eliminate the biggest hurdles by offering a solution that designers can manage without requiring programming and that is affordable. Just as importantly, our pricing model doesn’t lock customers into monthly subscriptions, download costs, or revenue shares with Quark, which means taking the first step into iPad publishing doesn’t require a long-term commitment."

A designer creating an app for a one-time single issue would need to purchase an app template licence (£95) and one-issue licence pack (£255) from Quark, as well as an Apple iOS Developer Program membership, which costs $99 (£61).

A full breakdown of Quark's pricing structure, including the cost per each app template and the licence bundles, is available from the Quark website.

Quark is providing discounts of up to 90% to App Studio users in education, including faculty, students, and institutions. With this discount, a design student can create an app for as little as £40 for both the app template licence and issue licence pack, and an education institution could publish a monthly iPad magazine for just £345 for the first year.

For a complete overview of App Studio, visit www.quark.com/appstudio.