Which Graphics Software Do You Use ?

megrisoft · May 19th, 2006, 02:05 AM

I am starting this thread as general thread to take your views about grahics software like
Photshop, Paint Shop, Corel, or your favorite software...

Marc · May 19th, 2006, 04:40 AM

For logos and clipart I prefer to use Adobe Illustrator over Macromedia FreeHand. Last year Macromedia was acquired by Adobe and it looks as though FreeHand's future is unknown. That is too bad because competition between companies ultimately benefits end users. I pretty much use Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro for everything else.

May 21st, 2006, 07:16 PM

I use Paint Shop Pro X but not for work. I like to take photos with my digital camera as a hobby and PSP is very good. Photoshop is too expensive for my taste.

May 23rd, 2006, 12:25 PM

Wow Sue, you sure know your software!!

Wish I was an expert in graphics stuff

megrisoft · June 10th, 2006, 03:50 AM

Great Sue......You have good knowledge in this area about softwares!

EmbroideryDigitizing · June 17th, 2006, 08:23 AM

Certainly Sue, you know and are a oldie in graphics.

I use Corel Draw and Photoshop. Free hand is better and more widely used but im more comfortable with Corel Draw.

JuBilee · February 5th, 2007, 05:35 PM

We use Freehand on a Mac. I remember the Aldus Freehand 2.0 days and have worked my way up to Freehand MX. I have Illustrator CS on my Pc I use for embroidery but Freehand is soooo much easier to use. We also have Photoshop CS, Streamline, and Imagaro Z which works alot like Streamline. I think we have Freehand 9 on one of the Macs to help with artwork conversion. It was more of a problem when we first went to MX because MX wouldn't convert some of the old 3.1 and 5.0 files I had.

One program we use that I would love to find a newer version of is Letraset's Letra Studio. It is a ton easier to use than MX's envelope tool. I know Letraset is out of business, but if someone out there knows of another program I could use to replace it I would love to know.

Cyclone Signs · July 24th, 2007, 05:19 PM

I use Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and Croel Draw, and Painter X. Illustrator is my main program though.

johnshamblin · August 12th, 2007, 12:48 PM

Like Sue, I began using Freehand when I first started learning computer graphics in the late '80's. I actually bought both Freehand and Illustrator, but found Freehand to be more intuitive and easier to understand. I called Adobe, asked if I could return Illustrator for a refund, and they agreed! That gave me a good impression of that company.

I have mostly kept up with the upgrades and have the Macromedia MX Suite with Freehand, Fireworks, Dreamweaver and Flash and work on a new 24" Intel iMac. I consider myself a Freehand expert, and I'm pretty good with Fireworks and Dreamweaver, but Flash has got to be the most un-user friendly program I've ever tried to learn! I recently upgraded my Quark to version 7, but rarely use it anymore, since so many laymen do their own design.

It seems nowadays, everybody has a Dell and a clip art CD and think that's all it takes to be a graphic designer (so I could buy a scalpel and be a surgeon?). That's unfortunate. It's hard to sell graphic design to people who think they can do it themselves, yet have no training or experience, and don't know the difference in good design and amateur work. Our local community college recently advertised a workshop where anyone could "Master the art of Graphic Design in Two Evenings." I guess I should have attended because I've been a graphic designer for over twenty years, and I still haven't mastered it.

imadork · November 9th, 2007, 10:37 AM

I use PhotoShop and Illustrator.