Any suggestions on a good draw app?

[the8thark]

Hi,

Well I am after a draw app for a few things. And the only one I know of is Corel Draw (I think it's called). I've never used it though. At the moment I'm making by with the draw part of Appleworks. But it's far from pefrect.

I would need a little integration with the app though. So I could import the draw files into places like photoshop and the like.

I'm just asking for suggestions on what good draw apps are out there.

Thanks in advance.

 

[D3v1L80Y]

http://www.adobe.com/products/illustrator/

 

[dtownley1]

well, I think it depends on what you mean by 'draw'. It's very vague. As DB suggested, illustrator is a good program, but if you've not used anything like it before, it'll be a very steep learning curve.

If you want something for digital painting, Painter is a very popular choice. Though, if you want to import into photoshop, why not just used photoshop? It'll do most things you want, so there's a simple solution.

It's really hard to recommend anything when you only use the word 'draw' though as it could mean anything - ranging from simple KidPix images to the infinite possibilities on offer from any of the apps already mentioned. So I think more details would be needed before we could narrow anything down for you.

 

[D3v1L80Y]

Photoshop is fine for simple shapes, but anything more than that should be done in a proper illustration application, which Photoshop isn't. Photoshop is an image editor and it is just plain clunky to draw complex objects with.
Using Illustrator (or something similar) to draw your objects is by far the smarter and more recommended way of doing things.

 

[the8thark]

Thanks for the advice.

I don't need a general paint program. As I can make most of my images in Photoshop. And I use Imageready for making animated gif pics for various purposes. I'm not sure what else Imageready can do. But for what I need it for it and photoshop does fine.

And I've had a look into Illustrator. I today borrowed my friends disc with it on and installed it. It's only version 10.0.3 I don't think that's the latest. And yeah I am familiar with many of it's functions thanks to using the Apple Works "draw" function for a while now.

And I have to say this Illustrator does what I need it to do quite well. I'm not sure of all the term names the program uses. But making vector based images and editing images made in photoshop. Sure I'll find more uses for illustrator in the future. But at the moment it does the job I need it to.

Thanks everyone.

And Btw is illustrator CS - CS 3 much different from the version 10.0.3 I have now.

And I have done a little research around the place since reading these replies. And it seems that Illustrator is more widly used in the indusatry than Corel and other draw apps.

 

[technologist]

Illustrator CS3 is two versions up from CS, and it's a Universal binary for Intel Macs. It's also a $200 upgrade.

Illustrator has ruled the Mac vector drawing market for some time. It's only competition was Macromedia FreeHand, and now Adobe's bought out Macromedia and is doing its best to make everyone forget that FreeHand ever existed.

Corel tried to break into the Mac market a couple of times with CorelDraw, and gave up both times.

 

[MacHeadCase]

If you really want a vector drawing app but aren't ready to pay Illustrator's steep price, you might want to look at alternatives. And if it is to be used with your Intel-based Mac, you'd probably be better off getting CS3 anyway as that version is Universal Binary.

You might give Freeverse's LineForm a try as you can download and try it out.

And another vector drawing program is ZeusDraw which is Universal Binary as well.

Both of them are recent apps so for sure they won't have the full functionalities and features that Illustrator has though. BUt they cost a fraction of the price and they will get new features on each and every new version.

 

[the8thark]

Thanks for all the advice. And I decided I'm gonna save up for the CS3 upgrade. I really like that it's universal and it has all the features I'll need. And similar to the version I have. . . well kinda. As learning to use it in the first place took a while.

I'll have a look at those other options also in the mean time too. As an alternative till I get CS3.

Yeah I'm happy now. I can get back to work. Thanks everyone.