I have been using Illustrator 10 on a limited basis for the past 10 years. It's the same version since downloaded back in 2000. I've never been able to update it since a 'friend' loaded it for me & it's not licensed to me. Hey, we've all done it.
I will be buying my own very soon & loading it to my PC however I've learned many things since using Illustrator & have been comparing products. I've been following Ben Diaz' chat about using Corel with envy & watching all his accomplishments.
I guess when you compare the two, Corel looks like it is the best app which does everything Illy can do & more. When you cost compare, Corel is by far the better price.
Some questions I have is that Corel has a feature to do photo editting. Does this replace the need to have Photo Shop? Would the Suite version be the best overall choice? Also, does Corel have the vector trace feature I've been reading about?
I've just down loaded the trail version for CorelDraw Graphic Suite X5. I've never used Corel before so I'm already seeing similarities between the two.
Any input from your experiences using either application is very much appreciated. Thanks. Posted by Todd Gill (Member # 2569) on :
It does have a vector trace feature - but so does Illustrator.
There's a lot to like about CorelDraw... I have both CD and Illustrator.... but use Illustrator 99% of the time.
Both have their +/- ....... Corel has a raster program included called Photopaint.... which I have not used much at all. I'm a photoshop guy.
If price is a consideration, I would probably advise CorelDraw. .
Yes, I'd be willing to bet we've all 'done it'... but get yourself a legal copy and learn to use it. You'll sleep better at night (I hope) knowing you actually own it.
Posted by Debbie Karr (Member # 11598) on :
Thanks Todd, I am mainly interested in the vector trace feature. Does Illustrator allow photo editting & vector tracing of photos? Obviously I'm trying to save some bucks at this point & want the biggest bang I can get.
Eventually I'm sure I will be adding Photoshop to my inventory.
Posted by Michael Gene Adkins (Member # 882) on :
Photo-paint just doesn't measure up to Photo-shop, from what I read. Photopaint is fine for what I do, and it is easy to use, but there just hasn't been a lot of development effort put into it. I doubt it will catch up anytime soon. It's almost like they are ceding the win to their competition.
Posted by Curt Stenz (Member # 82) on :
Debbie, Illustrator does not have any photo editing capabilities. As for vector tracing of photos, I do not understand just what that is. Although you could bring a photo into Illustrator and draw a path on a new layer. If you want to cut out something in an image, Photoshop works extremely well.
Posted by Debbie Karr (Member # 11598) on :
Yup, that's what I thought Curt. I'm very use to Illustrator & really have liked using it over the years but the price is about $200 more than the CorelDraw Suite. I think I'm going to have to do the trial version of each of these until I'm satisfied I have what I want.
Posted by old paint (Member # 549) on :
i have been using COREL since version 3, not X3!!!! 3& 4 had a trace that was decent. 5-11 or 12 no. X3 trace works really well. from what i hear/read X5 is even better. ive played with old versions of illy, but since i was used to corel, illy seems like so much confusion to me. photshop.....unless your into PHOTOGRAPHY/PRINTING is more then anyone needs. photopaint, comes with corel and i can do anything i need in it. this is sorta like the MAC/PC thing whatever you feel more comfotable with............use it.
Posted by Todd Gill (Member # 2569) on :
The 'trace' functions of both CorelDraw and Illustrator are just a starting point 95% of the time.
I've found that there is rarely an instance where a 'trace' can replace the good old fashioned elbow-grease of vectorizing an image from scratch. Unless you don't care about perfection and accuracy. :-)
Posted by Glenn Taylor (Member # 162) on :
If you're looking for something to do nothing but raster-to-vector and do it well, check out vectormagic.com.
I'm finding that it does a much better job than Streamline or CorelTrace.
Posted by Michael Gene Adkins (Member # 882) on :
My advice, if you aren't in a hurry, is hold off until corel X6 ... let's just say a little birdie is telling me that's when the real goodies are coming ...
fingers crossed!!!!!!!!
Posted by Ben Diaz (Member # 7319) on :
I don't think either program has a real great solution for tracing artwork as well as you would like. It may have something to do with the way the automated trace system works in theory before the practice is even carried out. It also makes a big difference what you are tracing (full color photograph vs black & white text). In the end though I really think there is no substitute for creating lines and nodes from scratch, and although I haven't used an illustrator since CS, I could never stand the way that program went about editing nodes and creating shapes (other than ovals & rectangles). I know alot of people don't even use that feature, but once you know how to do it tracing a bitmap from scratch becomes a much easier task.
Posted by Brent Logan (Member # 6587) on :
I get better traces if I simplify the photo in Photoshop... jack up the contrast, blur a little and then use a filter like Cutout or Poster Edges. This will eliminate a lot of the unwanted vectors and save on some cleanup time. This works good for mural patterns and things like that. Type & logos are another thing.
[ August 15, 2011, 05:04 PM: Message edited by: Brent Logan ]
Posted by Curtis hammond (Member # 2170) on :
hate to say it,, but vectormagic is lesser than illy or corel.
Posted by Glenn Taylor (Member # 162) on :
We'll have to agree to disagree. I've got all three and in my own personal experience I'm getting a much more accurate trace with VM.
Posted by Michael Clanton (Member # 2419) on :
you will get different opinions on the 2 programs, with each side offering good things--but in the end they do basically the same thing, just some slightly different methods to make them work well.
I use both programs (depending on the projects) and they both have useful features - I personally don't like the way Illustrator handles node editing and object selection - it really drives me crazy - CorelDRAW handles those functions exactly opposite of Illustrator.
as far as the Corel Suite---Corel offers a suite of programs that all work together within each other (for instance, you can be working in CorelDRAW, select a bitmap image, click edit, and the bitmap is opened in CorelPAINT - make the adjustments and close, it is automatically corrected within CorelDRAW-- this works with all of the programs in the suite)
CorelPAINT is similar to Photoshop and does many of the same things, including some of the plug-ins, but it is not quite as powerful as PS.
For vector tracing, each one can do most of the basic stuff, but the best way is to manually draw with nodes and layers. Most of my uses for vector tracing involve black and white line drawings, so both Illy and Trace can give similar results depending on the original art...
Probably one of the best vector tracing features was built in Xara X-- Corel bought them out several years ago and I'm not sure how their product is now.
Posted by David Harding (Member # 108) on :
My observations would pretty much parallel that of Michael Clanton.
The full version of Corel X5 can be had online for a couple hundred bucks, a pretty sweet deal, and a salve for the conscience all in one.
Being able to double click and open a bitmap in Corel PhotoPaint and then close is quite handy. That being said, there are quite a number of bitmap editing tools already in CorelDRAW, limiting the number of times you might need to open Paint.
Mike Jackson had a nice article in a recent SignCraft about adding a sign to a photo of a building using Adobe PhotoShop. I read the article and picked up some techniques as I do from any writing of that sort. I was also struck by the fact that I could have done everything in that article completely in CorelDRAW without even opening up Corel PhotoPaint.
Posted by Russ McMullin (Member # 5617) on :
I'm with Glenn on this one. There is nothing out there that beats Vector Magic for autotracing. Period.
Posted by Si Allen (Member # 420) on :
Ditto on what David said!
Posted by jack wills (Member # 521) on :
Flexi-10...
Posted by Marilin Armeneau (Member # 12803) on :
If you're using your vector drawing program to create lines that can be followed by your vinyl cutter then I would go with CorelDraw. The node editing in CorelDraw is superior to what's available in Illustrator.
I've worked side by side with others using Illustrator and me using CorelDraw. When they saw how fast I could do things in CorelDraw it didn't take long for them to ask me to show them a thing or two. I've converted probably a dozen Illustrator users over the last 15 years or so and as far as I know they're all happy CorelDraw users now.
For new users I would also recommend CorelDraw over Illustrator. The simple fact that it's easier to learn is reason enough.
Dan
Posted by Russ McMullin (Member # 5617) on :
I would be interested to watch a screencast of a CorelDraw expert using the drawing tools. My old boss tried to convert me to CorelDraw, but he didn't have the skills to sell it.
Posted by old paint (Member # 549) on :
russ this is one of those things you need to find someone who does this and sit down with them......
Posted by Kevin Gaffney (Member # 4240) on :
Jack, I was a flexi user up to 7.6. Still use it as the rip for my large format. Ive since moved to Illy. My big gripe was the daft cost of flexi upgrades particularly if you skipped one or two
Posted by David Harding (Member # 108) on :
I've used Corel since version 2 or 3 and Flexi since version 3 or 4. I also beta tested for Flexi for many years and editions. Although I prefer Flexi for some things, for basic illustration, I think Corel beats it hands down. There are features removed from Flexi that were in version 5 and are still not back in the program.
Posted by Russ McMullin (Member # 5617) on :
OP, that is actually my point. So far I haven't met anyone that could show me the virtues of CorelDraw in person.
Posted by Michael Clanton (Member # 2419) on :
Russ- I would love to hang out! I used to have a designer buddy here in town and we would swap techniques- he used Illustrator. he would come over here, or I would go to his place and just watch and learn- kinda like the whole letterhead movement- some people can make stuff seem real easy when you can watch them do it.
Posted by Dave Sherby (Member # 698) on :
Russ, have you compared Vector Magic to Imagro Z? Just curious because I've seen amazing things with Imagro. It really shines if you need to vectorize logos with type as it identifies the type and replaces it with the appropriate font.
Posted by Todd Gill (Member # 2569) on :
There are SO many things I HATE about Illustrator... however, drawing with the 'pen' tool, being able to select paths by simply dragging across them, etc keep me at the Adobe feed-bag.
I have CorelDraw X5 too... and have used CorelDraw in significant spurts from version 3. Illustrator could take many lessons from CorelDraw... the simplicity of so many functions, yet Illustrator - in my opinion - has a superior vector drawing function.
They both have their sucky points.... CorelDraw is the better 'value.' But day in and out I use Illustrator... at least for now.
Wouldn't it be great if they merged and shared the best of both packages??
Posted by Curtis hammond (Member # 2170) on :
Illy is a good vector product. But it is always one piece short of being great.
You have to purchase expensive plugins so illy can work up to its potential.
With corel draw all you do is run it. Those plugins needed for illy are already covered in Corel for FREE.
Posted by Wayne Webb (Member # 1124) on :
I just vectorized this image in both Vectormagic and in SignWizard's trace module. SignWizrd's was quicker to access, easier to use, much faster, and did a better job.
the reason sign wizard trace is so good.....its the same trace as STREAMLINE 4.0!!!!!!! RUSS.................NO WONDER look where you live)))))) stop in sometime and ill show how great corel is, right on thru to cutting from it with no other added programs))))))
Posted by Wayne Webb (Member # 1124) on :
I traced it with both Corel 9 and x4. For me, SignWiz 6 beat those too.
Posted by old paint (Member # 549) on :
didnt know they had version 6.0 i know in v4 it was the same program as STREAMLINE 4.0.
Posted by Wayne Webb (Member # 1124) on :
Version 4 was the first one I bought; i think back in 1996 or '97, then upgraded to 6 a couple of years ago. They have version 7 now.
Posted by old paint (Member # 549) on :
great program. does things i wish they would put into corel. i really like the things you can do to text in the box......specially the ARC effect. its the best one of any program.
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