Which Graphics Software Do You Use ?

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

I use PhotoShop and Illustrator.

Adobe® Illustrator CS3 for vector art. I used to work for Adobe® in their troubleshooting / customer help department and the grapic art business seemed to really like that software. Photoshop® CS3 if I need to work with photographs, and InDesign® CS3 for all my page layouts

J.R.

Corel Draw Package, Adobe if needed.

I use Corel Draw because that's what I'm used to, I used other programs but I liked the power for the price with the Corel package. The learning curve is a bit steep with Corel Draw beceuse of it's layout of menues but what you first learn to use you feel more comfortable with forever. I have used Corel to design a skeleton clock works and church banners using the layers to save individual patterns and I think now that I'm used to it's layout of menues I could never realy like any thing else. Take a chance, time is more important in developing skill than exposure to the perfect program because it doesn't exist anyway.

yes like DennisGladx i used corel draw for about 2 years now (and i'll love it 4 ever) and separate my art work with ghost script ( it is legendary prog now i can rip on my hp 1020 printer )

Quite frankly it's difficult to beat Photoshop & Illustrator, but whatever works for you. I have found that the operator is the most important piece of the jigsaw, if you can't use it no software will work.

we use Corel and I am very happy with it! :)

InkScape, Its a vector program thas free.
Google "Inkscape" for the down load.
I can't compare this with any other because its all I've used. Works well for me.

CorelDraw for Text and Vector Graphics - export to PSD for seps
PhotoShop for Seps (more control and easier)

i use photoshop, illustrator & indesign cs3. the suite is excellent, but i wish i knew dreamweaver & flash better.

I use Corel Draw and some Photo Shop.

Laurie :)

I thought id chime in I use, Illustrator, Corel Draw, Photoshop, InDesign, Dreamweaver, Lightroom, Premiere Pro, and a few others.

what about freehand. It's almost all we use. Am I missing something.

I too learnt on Freehand and loved it, but it lost out to the big boys. It does things that you still can't in AI or Corel.