Composition Zones are unique because they have the characteristics of items when you place them in a layout, but they behave like layouts when you edit their contents.

• Composition Zones item: An item that shows the contents of a layout that exists elsewhere. You can think of a Composition Zones item as a “window” through which you can see the contents of a different layout. The layout shown in a Composition Zones item is called its composition layout (see next definition). Each Composition Zones item gets its content from one (and only one) composition layout.
• Composition layout: A special kind of layout that is used only to provide contents for a Composition Zones item. You can think of a composition layout as the layout that is visible through the “window” of a Composition Zones item. Multiple synchronized Composition Zones items can display the contents of a single composition layout. However, a composition layout can be edited by only one person at a time.

When you create a Composition Zones item, QuarkXPress automatically creates a composition layout to provide content for that Composition Zones item.

When you add content to a composition layout, it automatically updates any corresponding Composition Zones items. The updates display in the Composition Zones items according to the preferences that are set for the layouts that contain the Composition Zones items (immediately, at print time, or when opening the project).

• Original Composition Zones item: The initial layout or user-defined area from which a Composition Zones item was created.
• Placed Composition Zones item: A Composition Zones item that you have positioned in a layout using the Shared Content palette.

Composition layouts are listed in the Shared Content palette. You can use this palette to place composition layouts in multiple layouts — in the same project or in other projects.

• Original host layout: The layout where a Composition Zones item was created.
• Host layout: Any layout into which a Composition Zones item has been placed.
• External composition layout: A composition layout exported as a separate QuarkXPress project. Another user can edit an external composition layout, and that user’s changes update in any host layouts.

When you export a composition layout, another user can edit that layout. The other user’s edits can be automatically displayed in any host layouts that contain Composition Zones items based on the external composition layout.

• Linkable composition layout: When you designate a linkable composition layout within your project, other QuarkXPress users can link to your project and use that composition layout to place Composition Zones items in their layouts. However, changes to a linkable composition layout can occur only within the linkable composition layout itself (by you or by other users who access your original host layout). Linkable composition layouts display in the Shared Layouts tab of the Collaboration Setup dialog box (File menu).
• Single-project composition layout: A composition layout that can be placed and edited only in the project where the composition layout was created.
• Linked composition layout: A composition layout you access by linking to a project containing a linkable composition layout. Linked composition layouts appear in the Shared Content palette and in the Linked Layouts tab of the Collaboration Setup dialog box (File menu). You can drag linked composition layouts from the Shared Content palette to your layout to place Composition Zones items.
• Shared content library: See “Working with shared content.“

Top right: A Composition Zones item displays as an item in any host layout. Bottom right: When you edit the contents of a Composition Zones item, you must open the composition layout. Left: The Shared Content palette lists Composition Zones items.