Graphic Design

Ratings and Reviews of Graphic Design Software

Graphic Design Software

Choosing a graphic design, drawing or painting application can be a tough chore. And if you pick one that isn't "right" for you and

your business purposes, it can also end up being an expensive one as well. These packages can be very complex (for the professional graphic designer, or just the experienced user of graphics programs and compute technologies) or fairly simple (just the basics!). If you choose a more complex and powerful package - be ready to spend some time getting acquainted with the application or you'll never use it effectively.

Finally, before we get into "what to look for" in your application, we strongly suggest that if you require a complete portfolio of graphic design, drawing and painting applications, that you look purchase one of the "collections" available from companies like Adobe, Corel and Jasc. They'll give you a price break, and you'll know that your applications will exchange files and images smoothly. In other words, you'll have fewer tech support hassles!

Things to remember before you buy?

Your System: Can you say system hogs? Graphics programs will put a strain on your CPU, memory, and of course graphics card. Make sure your system MORE than meets the minimum requirements of the application. We also recommend that you invest in a good monitor. A good sized flat panel is best (17" or bigger) or a large tube (which will take up more space - but if you have it...). We at Home Office Reports are no longer "spring chickens" and enjoy the size and definition of a 19" flat panel display.
You: Know how much time you are willing to dedicate to learning and using the capabilities the software provides. If you aren't willing to spend the time, don't buy the most powerful, complex package!
Compatibility: Trust us! You're going to move those graphics files around - to text publishing, presentation and web design software. Make sure the output of the graphics applications you purchase can be imported (as objects, files or art) into your other business applications.

Web Home Office Reports

Ease of Use/Training: Is the software easy to use? If the software requires time to understand and use professionally, does the manufacturer provide training (included on the software CD, Web based or partner-based)?
Support: The more complex the software, the more important it is for the manufacturer to stand behind it and help you if you run into trouble. Make sure that the software manufacturer has a robust customer support site and process before you buy!
Features and Functions: If you need it now, make sure it's there. If you think you might need it later, make sure it will BE there if it already isn't! (Remember the old refrain - you get what you pay for!)
Upgrade Costs: Once you've invested in software, you'll have to keep investing in the upgrades. Make sure you look into the costs of upgrades (historically) for your software, or if it's brand new product, the track record of the company producing the software.

Ready to make a potentially big investment in graphics software? Let's get going!

Some vendors offer more than one package in this category. We'll review them in table format within that vendor's detailed review.

Graphic Design Software Review

Graphic Design, Drawing and Painting Software*

(Rankings - best, 5 symbols, worst, 1 symbol)

Company	Best For*	Simple Start-Up	Cost	Time Savings	Ease of Use	Works With	Support	Features	Overall Rating
ACD Systems	ARP	¹¹¹1/2	$$$	¹¹¹¹	@@@1/2	YYYY	ppp1/2	iiii1/2	%%%1/2+
Adobe	RP	¹¹¹	$$$1/2	¹¹¹¹	@@@1/2	YYYY	pppp	iiii1/2	%%%%
Autodesk	RP	¹¹¹	$$$1/2	¹¹¹¹	@@@1/2	YYY1/2	pppp	iiii	%%%%
Corel	ARP	¹¹¹1/2	$$$$	¹¹¹¹	@@@@	YYYY	pppp	iiii	%%%%
DAZ	RP	¹¹¹	$$$	¹¹¹¹	@@@	YYYY	pppp	iiii1/2	%%%%
Greenstreet Software	AR	¹¹¹¹	$$$$	¹¹¹¹	@@@@	YYY	ppp	ii1/2	%%%
Laughingbird Software	AR	¹¹¹¹	$$$$	¹¹¹¹	@@@@	YYYY	ppp1/2	iii1/2+	%%%%
Serif	ARP	¹¹¹¹	$$$$	¹¹¹¹	@@@@	YYY	ppp+	iii1/2+	%%%1/2+

* A = Amateur, R = Rookie, P = Pro

ACD Systems

Simple Start-Up - ¹¹¹1/2

ACD Systems' Canvas X applications are targeted as graphic design tools for the engineering, academic and scientific communities. As such, get ready for lots of capability and lots of complexity as well!

Cost - $$$

ACD product pricing is detailed in the table below.

Software	Price	O/S Supported	Overview	Features	Compatibility
Canvas X	$349.99 (download), $399.99 (home use), upgrades are $99.99, $149.99 or $199.99 depending upon OS and currently software version, Canvas X with media kit (clip art and videos) is priced at $399.99	Windows 2000, XP Macintosh OS X 10.2.6 or later	Drawing Environment for Business, Engineering and Scientific Professionals	Double floating point, 64-bit coordinate system Import, view and save more than 100 file formats Create PDFs ActiveX control support Image masks CGM engine 3D emboss Collaboration - markup pen, mark-up highlighter, circle redline, rectangle redline Unlimited zoom to 114,000% Document size maximum of 2,000 by 2,000 miles 2 billion objects per document, 2 billion control points per polygon or Bezier curve Support for 8 and 16 bit image data per channel per pixel Image filters - Gaussian Blur, average, add noise, median, dust, despeckle, sharpen, sharpen more, sharpen edges, unsharp mask, maximum, minimum, high pass hue saturation, levels, curves, brightness contrast, color balance, invert One-step image crop and scale Red-eye reduction Eyedroppers Image measurement filter performs quantitative analysis images, works on grayscale channels and gives information on selection including - standard deviation, average, histogram, area, perimeter, maximum, minimum Smooth polygon support Object Path editor gives access to X/Y numeric coordinate values of every point in a polygon, Bezier curve or vector object 2D Plotting tool can plot complex 2D equations in Polar or Cartesian coordinates spaces Page cropping tool Annotation tools Speaker notes Filters - close, dilate, erode, open, ultimate points, outline, skeletonize, distance map, make binary, arithmetic, binary logic, colorize, convolve	TIFF 8 and 16-bit images, DSV, DWG, CGM, SVG, CGM4, IGES, PDF, EPS, AVI, QuickTime, DXF/DWG
Canvas X GIS +	$649.99 (download), $699.99 (home use license), upgrades are $149.99, $199.99 or $99.99 depending upon OS and current version	Windows 2000, XP Macintosh OS X 10.2.6 or later	Drawing Environment for Business, Engineering and Scientific Professionals	All of the features of Canvas X plus Geographic Information System (GIS) data Take measurements in geographic coordinates, import industry standard SHAPE and GeoTIFF files 2,104 coordinate reference systems 67 operation methods (Mercator, Albers Conic Equal Area) 1,052 map projections 302 Geodetic Datums 21 angular units 45 length units GIS positioning manager handles projection settings, takes measurements, calculates projection errors	TIFF 8 and 16-bit images, DSV, DWG, CGM, SVG, CGM4, IGES, PDF, EPS, AVI, QuickTime, SHAPE, GeoTIFF
Canvas X Scientific Imaging Edition	$549.99 (download), $599.99 (home use license), upgrades are $149.99, $199.99 or $99.99 depending upon OS and current version	Windows 2000, XP Macintosh OS X 10.2 or later	Drawing Environment for Business, Engineering and Scientific Professionals	All of the features of Canvas X plus tools to measure, analyze, import and export digital images with up to 32 bits of floating point pixel data per channel Support for 8/16/FP32 depth images, over a dozen Image-J and NIH image compliant filters, direct access to numeric image data and support for DICOM format files Binary filters - close, dilate, distance map, erode, make binary, open, outline skeletonize, ultimate points Scientific filters - arithmetic, binary logic, convolve, expression, image math, colorize	TIFF 8 and 16-bit images, DSV, DWG, CGM, SVG, CGM4, IGES, PDF, EPS, AVI, QuickTime, 8 16 FP32 bit real image data in RAW format using ASCII or binary options, DICOM

Time Savings - ¹¹¹¹

Once you have figured out how to effectively use these powerful software packages, you'll see huge gain in your ability to deliver graphics and graphic designs to your publications and the web.

Ease of Use - @@@1/2

Ease of Use is in the "eye of the beholder" with these packages. If you are in an engineering or scientific field, these packages are highly "usable". However for the average user of graphics software, very complex and much, much more than required.

Works With - YYYY

Canvas software works in the Windows and Macintosh environments.

Support - ppp1/2

ACD Systems' technical support site is comprehensive and well thought through. There are nice online forms, a good knowledge base and a helpful "how to" section. Included in the software purchase is 90 day phone, fax and email support (no "800" number however - it's a toll call so, if you don't have a "bundled" local/long distance package you'll pay long distance charges). Support is available 9 AM to 6 PM Eastern, Monday through Friday. After the initial 90 days, if you want support you'll be required to pay. Charges for support are: 1 call - $30, 5 calls - $150, 10 calls - $300, 15 calls - $450, 20 calls - $600 which is payable in advance.

Features - iiii1/2

Lots of functionality for the technical designer, scientist, researcher. When combined with ACD Systems DenebaCAD, technical illustrators and designers have an "end-to-end" graphic design, printing and publication solution that is robust and full-featured.

Overall Rating - %%%1/2

For technical illustrators working in and with professionals in engineering, scientific or research fields and/or using CAD software like ACD Systems' DenebaCAD, the combination of Canvas X (or one of its versions) and DenebaCAD is a great solution. Make sure you actually need the features and functions of the ACD Systems' applications BEFORE you buy. However, we do recommend these applications for technical professionals.

Adobe

Simple Start-Up - ¹¹¹1/2

Adobe's software is very powerful with lots of features and functions. Therefore, you'll have to make a significant time commitment to it. Practice will make perfect as you experiment to get the desired effects from the software. Like anything however, once you've mastered the software, it becomes much simpler and easy to use.

Cost - $$$1/2

You get what you pay for. Adobe's software is feature and function rich, and though you'll pay for those features and functions, you can be assured that the software has all the capabilities you'll ever need (until the next upgrade of course!). Adobe Illustrator is considered one of the "benchmark" graphic design applications. Many other vendors work hard to ensure that their software is "compatible" with Illustrator. (We at Home Office Reports use Illustrator for all of our business graphic design needs).

Pricing for Adobe products is detailed in the table below. Adobe also offers two software bundles that include Illustrator:

Creative Suite 2 Premium - includes Photoshop CS2, Illustrator, InDesign, GoLive, Acrobat Professional, Version Cue, Bridge, Stock Photos and DreamWeaver for $1,199.00, $159.00 for the upgrade.
Creative Suite 2 Standard - includes Photoshop CS2, Illustrator, InDesign, Version Cue, Bridge and Stock Photos for $899.00, $349.00 for the upgrade.

Software	Price	O/S Supported	Overview	Features	Compatibility
Illustrator CS2	$499.00, $169.00 upgrade	Windows 2000, XP Macintosh OS X 10.2.8 through 10.4	Vector-Graphics Software for Designers and Web Developers	Create vector or raster graphics Create vector or raster-based slices from objects, groups or layers. Apply drop shadows and other editable SVG effects Layer generation Image map generation Pixel review - see how vector objects will appear after rasterized for the web Bend, stretch and twist text and graphics Compound shapes Resize, rotate, reflect or shear objects Blend between objects Transparency, masks, fills Pen, pencil, brushes, automatic shapes for drawing PDF layers support 3D shapes and type treatments, add lighting, wrap artwork around shapes 200 templates, 100 OpenType fonts Live trace and paint Colorized grayscale Text underline and strikethroughs Adobe Photoshop layer comp support Adobe Bridge Wacom tablet support Multi-page PDF export Page tile overlap control Mobile content creation	Export PDF, EPS, Photoshop, TIFF, GIF, JPEG, WMF, EMS, SVG, Macromedia Flash, CGM, DXF, DWG, BMP, ASCII and RTF, PDF
InDesign CS2	$699.00, $169.00 upgrade	Windows 2000, XP Macintosh OS X 10.2, 10.3	Professional Layout and Design	Transparency controls - drop shadows, feathering and other editable transparency settings to text and graphics Create tables from text, spreadsheets and databases Support for OpenType fonts Graphics preview Long document support (books) Includes Adobe InCopy for editorial authoring Story editor - integrated word processor that handles text spanning multiple frames Place and print native Photoshop CS files including tritones, duotones and quadtones as well as PSD and TIFF files that contain spot channels Nested styles Running headers and footers in tables Stroke style editor Automatically style imported XML documents or add structure to formatted content by mapping XML tags to paragraph and character styles or vice versa Document presets Adobe Photoshop and PDF layer support Anchored objects Repeated transformations Shape-to-shape conversion Noise and spread for drop shadow control Color picker - RGB, CMYK or LAB colors Adobe Bridge Object-level formatting InDesign snippets that can be shared with colleagues or used in other documents Load paragraph, character and object styles from other InDesign documents Drag and drop text Dictionary management (multiple dictionaries) Frame-level baseline grids Footnote support XML table tagging Multi-page Adobe PDF files	Export XML, SVG, tagged Adobe PDF (eBook) PSD, TIFF, Photoshop, Word, RTF
*Freehand MX*	$399.00, upgrades begin at $99.00	Windows 98SE, ME, NT 4.0 (service pack 6), 2000, XP Macintosh OS 9.1 and later or OS X 10.1 or later	Design Solution for Print, Internet and Macromedia Flash	Create and edit designs and illustrations Flexible set of vector-based tools Reshape graphic primitives Produce immersive presentations and click-throughs Build persistent relationships between objects Symbol libraries High resolution realistic appearances Design, lay out and animate Macromedia Flash MX movies Multiple attributes Action tool - drop complex actions between objects, symbols, pages Connector lines tool Live effects - apply complex distortions and effects without altering original
*Director MX 2004*	$1,199.00 $399.00 upgrade	Windows 2000, XP Macintosh OS X 10.2, 10.3	Create Rich Content and Applications for CD/DVD-ROM, Kiosks and the web	Create applications that can access, launch, and control other applications from within the Director MX executable. Works seamlessly with Macromedia Flash MX products Create accessible content for web, desktop applications and CD/DVD with self-voicing Broadcast quality animation Particle systems - rain, fire, water Multi-resolution mesh Subdivision surfaces Physics DVD video, event coordinator, controller component JavaScript support Sprite and channel naming Supports 40 media types XML parsing	RealVideo, QuickTime, Windows Media, AVI, MP3, WAV, AIF, RealAudio, JPG, GIF, PNG, BMP, PSD, TIFF, PICT, SWF, HTML Macromedia Flash 7, Macromedia Fireworks 2004

Time Savings - ¹¹¹¹

Once you have figured out how to effectively use these powerful software packages, you'll see huge gain in your ability to deliver graphics and graphic designs to your publications and the web.

Ease of Use - @@@1/2

With any Adobe package, you'll get back exactly what you put into it - in time and effort. Although their software is not "simple", Adobe strives to balance capability and usability. With that said, expect to spend some serious time with the software before you are comfortable and the software is highly "usable" - especially packages like Illustrator!

Works With - YYYY

All of the Adobe software is designed for both Windows and Macintosh environments - an Adobe tradition.

Support - pppp

The Adobe support site is comprehensive and well designed. Adobe offers a multitude of training classes to help you get started and improve your utilization of their software. Additionally, Adobe provides a forum for users and experts to discuss problems, solutions and even interesting new ways to use the software to solve business problems.

Features - iiii1/2

Illustrator is the "gold standard" for graphics software in the industry. Everyone tries to "beat" or be "compatible with" Illustrator. Adobe has also surrounded Illustrator with other application tools to enhance workflows, publishing and image conversions. InDesign is Adobe's flagship product for document layout and is a powerful tool for professional content managers and desktop publishers.

Overall Rating - %%%%

Adobe has a continuing strong reputation for delivering software solutions that are designed with the graphics professional in mind. If you are planning on developing high end graphics for your Web site, Adobe's software is always a sound, reliable choice. And, when combined with their strong technical support and training programs, make Adobe a leading contender for all high end graphic software requirements.

Autodesk

Simple Start-Up - ¹¹¹¹

Autodesk's graphic design software is straight forward to install and set up for use.

Cost - $$$1/2

Pricing for Autodesk software products is detailed in the table below.

Software	Price	O/S Supported	Overview	Features	Compatibility
*Autodesk Showcase*	Contact Vendor	Windows XP Pro	Graphic Design and Presentation Authoring	Import 3D models form Autodesk AliasStudio or CAD software Prepare models for visualization and design review presentations, apply realistic materials (car paint, glass, leather) to the model and place it in an environment for context Present design data with realism and accuracy
*Autodesk* ImageStudio	$1,499.00	Windows 2000, XP	Graphic Design Software	Complementary solution for designers using MCAD applications Import models from CAD software via IGES or STEP formats Library of common materials - car paint, plastic, glass, rubber, woods, metals, woven plastic, sandblasted glass, metal grill, fabrics, modify materials, assign textures to materials, projected textures to simulate the look of materials such as upholstery, fabric, cloth and wood Decals - place and position imported images such as labels, logos or model-enhancing details, alpha channel support for TIFF files Virtual Environments - presets for scene set-up and lighting, predefined environments for photo studio setups, backdrops for in-context visualization, surface evaluation, image based lighting environments including optimal lighting, shadows, reflectivity, backgrounds AliasStudio compatibility mental ray Rendering Interactive Rendering Render Scheduling Satellite Rendering QuickTime Output Large Data Handing - work with complex models, X-ray display mode 3D Model Import - AliasStudio, Maya, IGES, STEP, STL Rendered IMage Formats - TIFF, GIF, Maya IFF, JPEG, Windows Bitmap, Alias PIX, QuickTime movie, QuickTime VR, EPS, RLA, Softimage .pic, Targa 3D model export - Maya, mental images
*Autodesk S*ketchBook Pro	$199.00, upgrade $99.00	Windows 2000, XP Macintosh OS X v 10.3 or later	Graphics Software	Sketch, annotate and present Easy-to-Learn - features gesture-based user interface Drawing Tools - pencils, pens, markers, airbrushes Natural User Interface 2D and 3D Software Interoperability Productivity - snapshot tool, next image, previous image flips pages like in a paper sketchbook

Time Savings - ¹¹¹¹

Autodesk's tools are, in the main, for the professional user. They'll be a big boost to professional designers.

Ease of Use - @@@1/2

You'll get out of this software what you put into it. Don't expect software this robust to be simple to use and you won't be disappointed - or frustrated.

Works With - YYY1/2

Autodesk's software is, in the main, designed for the Windows environment. However, SketchBook Pro is also Macintosh compatible.

Support - pppp

Autodesk includes 60 days of telephone support with their software. Their support desk is open Monday through Friday 7 AM to 5 PM Pacific (we hope that's when you have your problems!!!). Autodesk also has a comprehensive web support site with an extensive knowledge base and discussion groups to help you out. Training is supplied by third parties (you can find one near you at the AutoDesk site). After the first 60 days, Autodesk offers phone support either through subscription ($149.00 yearly) or on a per incident basis ($65 per incident). Obviously, if you think you may need to make 2 calls per year, a subscription is the way to go!

Features - iiii

Capabilities and functions designed for the professional user - most often for those seeking to integrate graphic design with their CAD drawings. Tools for creation of realistic models as well as basic drawing.

Overall Rating - %%%%

Worth the money if you have the need - robust software for the professional user.

Corel

Simple Start-Up - ¹¹¹1/2

Corel's painting and drawing packages have, like Adobe's been around a long time. They're "time tested" and capable. However, painting and drawing packages by their nature are somewhat complex. You'll need to spend some time with the application (and/or optional training CD) to make using the applications "simple".

Cost - $$$$

Corel has a variety of packages available at a number of price points. We detail pricing in the table below.

Software	Price	O/S Supported	Overview	Features	Compatibility
Painter IX.5	$429.00 CD, upgrade $229.00	Macintosh OS X 10.2.8 or later Windows 2000 or XP	Graphic Design and Art Creation Tool	Custom colors Create brushes with Brush Creator Sketch Effect creates line art and sketches Over 400 brushes in 30 mediums (acrylics, airbrushes, blenders, calligraphy pens, chalks, charcoal, cloners, colored pencils, conte, crayons, distortion, erasers, felt pens, gouache, impasto, oils, palette knives, pastels, pencils, pens, photos, sponges, sumi-e, tinting, watercolor Digital water color - paint stays web between sessions, wet fringe of digital watercolor brush strokes can be changed dynamically Artists' Oils Painting System - apply paint blends created in Mixer palette, each brush dab loads brush variant with finite amount of oil, as oil runs out brush stroke becomes fainter, brush strokes interact with any paint already on canvas Snap-to-Path Painting Quick Clone to transform photos to paintings KPT Filters Included: KPT Gel, KPT Goo, KPT LensFlare, KPT Lightning, KPT Pyramid Paint, KPT Reaction, KPT ShapeShifter	Integrates with PhotoShop
Painter Essentials 3	$79.00	Windows 2000, XP Macintosh OS X 10.2.8 or higher	Graphic Design Software	Turn photos into paintings - painting palettes, quick clone, sketch effect, cloner tool Digital art - artists' oils, digital watercolor, rotate flip canvas, erase tool, rubber stamp tool, multiple layers can be hidden or displayed, nozzles and patterns, 75 natural-media brushes Draw and paint - quick start tutorials, training videos by lynda.com, quick guide palette	Paint Shop Pro X, Corel Photo Album, Adobe Photoshop CS, Adobe Photoshop Elements, Apple iPhoto, Wacom pen table support
Graphics Suite X3	$379.00, upgrade $169.00	Windows 2000, XP	Graphic Design Software	Smart drawing tools - smoothes curves while you're drawing Sketch a design or layout Dynamic guides Text control and high quality text rendering Align and distribute text features Includes Corel Draw, Corel Photo Paint 12, Corel R.A.V.E. 3,CorelTRACE, CorelCapture, Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications, Kodak Digital Science color management system and QuickTime 6.0 Player Includes templates, tutorials and Corel Update PowerTRACE X3 bitmap-to-vector tracing solution PHOTO-PAINT X3 image adjustment lab adjusts color, tones and creates snapshots of photo adjustments Hints docker 10,000 clip art images, 1,000 fonts Interactive fit text to path tool Create password protected PDFs 100 CorelDRAW Design Collection templates CorelDRAW Handbook - Insight from the Experts book Overprints preview Crop tool	Export to Microsoft Office or Word-Perfect Office, AutoCAD DXF DWG support, Unicode support
DRAWings X3	$999.00, upgrade $179.00	Windows 2000, XP	Graphic Design for Apparel Industry	Embroidery output Imports common vector images and converts them into embroidery stitches Includes over 50 presets for popular fabrics Stitch types can be changed from a library of popular outline and fill stitches Embroidery designs can be saved in most popular formats for home and commercial embroidery machines Includes automatic thread matching of colors to most popular industry thread color charts Roughen and smudge brushes 3 point ellipse, rectangle and curve tools Live effects with real time feedback Add sequence control to individual shapes Wings Modular embroidery software included 10,000 clipart images and photos, 1,000 OpenTypefonts, 35 Windows Glyph List 4 PowerTRACE - convert bitmaps into editable vector graphics Image Adjustment lab - controls for color and tone corrections in bitmaps Hints docker - context sensitive information about currently selected tools Automatic sequence strategy - top to bottom, bottom to top, left to right, right to left, small to large, large to small, inside to outside, outside to inside
Creative Editions	$19.95 each	Windows 98SE, ME, 2000, XP	Templates and add-ons for Paint Shop Pro	Creative Edition 1 - 600 artist resources, 250 Picture Tubes and frames, 150 selections and masks, 250 textures and patterns Creative Edition 2 - 500 resources, 250 Picture Tubes and frames, 30 masks, 220 textures and patterns
Scrapbooking Editions	$9.95 each	Windows 98SE, ME, 2000, XP	Templates and add-ons for Paint Shop Pro	Scrapbooking Edition 1 - heritage, fun, shabby and elegant resources with 11 templates 50 background papers, embellishments Scrapbooking Edition 2 - layered collage look, mimics rubber stamping, 29 background papers, 10 templates 30 embellishments Scrapbooking Edition 3 - family history, 10 templates, 23 background papers, 29 embellishments Scrapbooking Edition 4 - wedding and holiday, 10 templates, 31 background papers, 25 embellishments Scrapbooking Edition 5 - whimsical designs, 13 templates, 27 background papers, 17 embellishments with bright colors, polka dots, stripes Scrapbooking Edition 6 - 100 backgrounds Scrapbooking Edition 7 - over 100 embellishments

Time Savings - ¹¹¹¹

Corel's drawing and graphics design applications will help you more quickly and efficiently develop images for your documents, publications and web site. Purchase and perusal of the optional training CD will speed up the education process, making you more productive, faster.

Ease of Use - @@@@

With any Corel package, you'll get back exactly what you put into it - in time and effort. Although the software is not "simple", Corel strives to balance capability and usability. With that said, expect to spend some serious time with the software before you are comfortable and the software is highly "usable".

Works With - YYYY

Corel's graphic design software works in both Windows and Macintosh environments.

Support - pppp

The Corel support site is comprehensive and well designed. Corel offers training programs online and through third parties as well. They also sponsor newsgroups where users can trade information on using the software, problems and fixes. Additionally, their online knowledge base is comprehensive and easy to navigate. If you need to call Corel from the U.S. you'll pay long distance charges. Canadian customer calls are toll free.

Features - iiii

Corel's graphic design software has all the features and functions that most home business owners will ever need - at a competitive price. Not quite all the features and function that are in Adobe Illustrator, but then you're not paying as much either.

Overall Rating - %%%%

Corel is sort of like Avis - number 2 and trying harder. They aren't quite Microsoft in Office Software, and not quite Adobe in graphics and publication software. However, Corel's pricing is competitive, and if you are unwilling to "shuck out the big bucks" for Adobe Illustrator, Corel's offerings will probably meet your needs - and more.

DAZ

Simple Start-Up - ¹¹¹

DAZ offers the Carrara graphics software line for the "higher end" web designer and creative user. The packages are robust - simplicity is in the eye of the beholder. We suggest you get some training or help with these packages.

Cost - $$$

DAZ offers a number of graphic design applications. Pricing is detailed in the table below.

Software	Price	O/S Supported	Overview	Features	Compatibility
Carrara 5 Pro	$549.00, $169.00 upgrade	Windows ME, 2000, XP	Animation Software	3D Primitives - cube, cylinder, cone icosahedron, infinite plane, plane, sphere, fountain, terrain, text, tree, target helper Volume Primitives - cloud, fire, fog, 4D clouds Animation - key frame, motion path-based, physical, behavior-based, particle systems, inverse kinematics, key frame editing, key frame at time 0, animation preview controls, storyboarding, editable motion paths, move entire motion path, align and bank, align, do not align, ease in ease out, point at behavior, object tracking control, 2D plane constraint, axis constraint, ball joint constraint, custom constraint, lock constraint, shaft constraint, slide constraint, bezier tweener, discrete tweener, forula tweener, linear tweener, oscillate tweener, velocity tweener, joint orientation, graph editor Sounds Support - multiple soundtracks, import WAV files, import AIFF files, move sounds in sequencer, display waveform, save sounds with movie Cameras - conical, isometric, spherical, depth of field, raytraced depth of field, focal length, animatable, frame aspect ratios tracking controls, title and action safe areas Bones Skinning - skeleton creation tool, attach skeleton, detach skeleton, send bones to reference position, edit bones influences over a vertex, edit bones influences over multiple vertices, edit object with skinning in vertex modeler, compatible with morph targets, inverse kinematics solver, IK chain tool, IK target helper, forward kinematics, automatic skinning, joints constraints, automatic calculation of bones influences, weight maps painting Environments - images as background, movies as background, HDRI backgrounds, bi-gradient background, color background, formula background, backdrop, environment reflection map, cloudy fog, distance fog, sky simulation 3D aura Interactivity and Preivews - Open GL support, software interactive rendering, bounding box rendering, wireframe rendering, lit wireframe rendering, flat shaded rendering, gouraud rendering, textured rendering, sketch rendering, antialias wireframe, wireframe working box, solid working box, transparent working box, object silhouettes, rendering mode degradation, level of details, front view, back view, left view, right view, top view, bottom view, isometric view, camera views, multiple views, two views, three views, four views Lights - point at behavior, spot, bulb, sun, moon, distant, ambient, environment lighting, animatable, images or movies as gels, color control, intensity control, falloff control, half angle, range, angular falloff, angle control, cast shadows, shadow intensity, raytraced hard shadow, raytraced soft shadow, soft shadow, soft shadow resolution, soft shadow blur size, soft shadow bias Light Special Effects - volumetric 3D light cones, volumetric 3D light cone gel, volumetric 3D light cone turbulence scale, volumetric 3D light cone turbulence lumpiness, volumetric 3D light cone color, volumetric 3D light cone intensity, volumetric 3D light cone 3D shadows, volumetric 3D light spheres, volumetric 3D light sphere turbulence scale, volumetric 3D light sphere turbulence lumpiness, volumetric 3D light sphere intensity, cross screen, cross screen glow size, cross screen star size, cross screen angle, cross screen branches, cross screen intensity, glow, glow size, glow intensity, nebula, nebula radius, nebula angle, nebula branches, nebula intensity, pulsator, pulsator size, pulsator thickness, pulsator angle, pulsator intensity, stars, star size, stars thickness, stars angle, stars intensity, variocross, variocross size, variocross thickness, variocross angle, variocross intensity, lens flares, lens flare editor, lens flare presets, lens flare brightness, elns flare light glow, lens flare streak intensity, lens flare streak color, lens flare streak rotation, lens flare halo color, lens flare halo intensity, lens flare halo scale, lens flare reflection type, lens flare reflection intensity, lens flare reflection scale, 3D aura, per object aura, glare Modeling - spline, polygonal, text, metaball, terrain, tree, formula, subdivision, convert to other Spline Modeler - center section, next section, previous section, go to section, create section, create multiple sections, remove section, fill cross section, disconnect section, skin shape to shape, skin point to point, scale selection, rotate selection, combine as compound, break apart compound, convert text to outlines, translation extrusion, pipeline extrusion, symmetrical extrusion envelope, symmetrical in plane extrusion envelope, free extrusion envelope, reset envelope, straight preset, spiral preset, torus preset, surface fidelity, pen tool, convert point tool, delete point tool, add point tool, draw rectangle tool, draw rounded rectangle tool, draw oval tool, draw polygon tool, draw text tool, group section, ungroup section, multiple cross sections in skin plane, hinging bezier handles, aligning bezier handles, scene preview, ghost menu, bevels, low polygon modeling, subdivision surface modeling, move, resize, rotate, weld, link, unlink, detach polygons, flatten, send to drawing plane, deform, decimate, triangulate, subdivide, surface subdivision, fill polygon, empty polygon, invert selection, save selection, multi-save selection, restore selection, select polymeshes, vertices, polygons, edges by name, deselect polymeshes, vertices, polygons, edges by name, select polymeshes, vertices, polygons, edges by shading domain, deselect polymeshes, vertices, polygons, edges by shading domain, individual polygon polyline manipulation, smooth edges, crease edges, name polygons, name edges, name vertices, align, set polymesh size, boolean union, boolean intersection, boolean subtraction, name polymesh, flip polymesh normals, insert sphere, insert polyhedra, insert cube, insert cylinder, insert array of rectangles, insert rectangle, insert oval, extrude, sweep, lathe, loft, organic, add thickness, offset surface, sphere of attraction, polyline tool, 3D marquee tool, magnet tool, delete tool, add tool, crease tool, animated primitive, scene preview, ghost menu, duplicate, duplicate with symmetry, replicate, flip, dynamic extrusion tool, shading domains, tesselate tool, selection mode, active tool properties, interactive cursor, shading domain - create, delete rename, backdrop image, textured mode, UV editor - planar projection, box projection, cylindrical projection, spherical projection, move, scale, rotate, cut all or part of a projection, export 3D view,

Menu:

In This Section:

Hot Topic:

Graphic Design

Graphic Design Software

Graphic Design Software Review