What Is Quire?

Developed by Getty, Quire is an open-source digital publishing tool that offers an elegant solution for creating dynamic publications in a variety of formats, including web, print, and e-book. In addition to being optimized for scholarly and visually rich publishing, Quire books are designed for longevity, sustainability, and discoverability.

Through the use of static site generation and plain text files, Quire makes it possible to preserve and distribute works in a stable and accessible format. Quire is flexible and feature-rich and can be used in its most basic configuration, or it can be customized, adapting to a vast array of use cases. Individuals at all levels of technical experience can use Quire. Our rapidly growing community includes scholars, curators, editors, designers, web developers, and the digitally curious.

Quire builds upon Getty’s expertise in traditional book publishing and is the cornerstone of the institution’s pioneering digital publishing program. Through the development of Quire, Getty is carving a path forward for individuals and institutions looking to solve the challenges of creating digital books that are not only as beautiful as the print books we know and love but are equally as enduring.

Institutions that have published using Quire:

Ad Hoc Museum Collective / Amon Carter Museum / Duke University (Digital Art History & Visual Culture Research Lab) / The Graphics Office / The University of Hong Kong (Libraries + Museum and Art Gallery) / J Paul Getty Trust (Museum + Publications) / Boston Public Library (Leventhal Map & Education Center) / Mills College Art Museum / Minneapolis Institute of Art / The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art / Northwestern University (Libraries) / Emory University (Pitts Theology Library, Candler School of Theology) / San Jose Museum of Art / Tilt West / National Museum of History and Art Luxembourg / Archivo José Carlos Mariátegui / Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields / Michael C. Carlos Museum, Emory University / Georgia O’Keeffe Museum / and more!

Quire has been used to produce:

Collection catalogues / exhibition catalogues / guides and toolkits / journals / online exhibitions / personal histories / proceedings volumes / reports / research projects / supplements to print publications

Features & Functionality

Is Quire Right for You?

• Quire is developed, tested, and used by Getty. Getty is committed to Quire’s continued use and growth in the field. Learn about Quire’s history.
• Quire is free to use. No proprietary software or ongoing maintenance is required. Learn more about how Quire works.
• E-book files are distribution-ready for Amazon, Apple, and other vendors; PDF files are print-on-demand ready, and the online edition can be hosted on any web server. Learn how to output and deploy your site.
• Quire is compatible with most operating systems, including macOS and Windows. See our installation guidelines for more information.
• No pre-existing technical skills are necessary. We are developing helpful tools and resources to support our users. Take our tutorial and browse our list of resources.
• We have a vibrant and diverse community of users who are available to answer your questions and provide guidance. Visit our Quire Community Forum.
• We are moving Quire towards an open-source, community-supported model, and are currently following open-source software standards. Learn why we choose an open-source model.
• For more detailed information about whether Quire is right for you, visit our Implementation Considerations.

Still not sure? Feel free to contact us for a one-on-one consultation to determine if Quire is right for you.