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Deneba Canvas was an innovative product. Under a new banner, ACD, the makers of ACDSee 5 (an image editing and file browser), has now taken Deneba’s Canvas under their wing. In this case, the acquisition was a bonus for Canvas, and it’s followers.
For those not familiar with Canvas, it is literally an all in one solution to page creation, image manipulation and vector graphics. Rather than providing separate applications for digital image documents and picture editing, Canvas is an all in one solution. Basically, think of the CorelDRAW Suite, only compressed into one program. The advantages of a single interface means learning one application, and not having to use various image and page layout programs. The disadvantage is having an interface that can become a bloated mess.
As many advantages as Canvas has, version 8 could never claim to having a lean accessible interface. In the latest rendition of Canvas, version 9, much has been done to make computing easier. The first is the smart tool box. When you select a tool from the floating toolbox, you suddenly have instant access to all of the options within that tool. So getting what you need is much easier.
Another ease of use feature that Canvas 9 sports is the properties bar. Bearing a strong resemblance to Adobe Photoshop’s properties bar, this one changes depending on the options selected. One does not have to search for every detail. With this new ease of use feature, the property bar becomes a morphing selection pallette that adjusts to the tools being selected.
I have also noticed that docking palettes to the right of the main screen offer yet another layer of user functionality. Now you have those important tools within quick grasp. In this area, Canvas bears a little resemblance to the flyout menus in CorelDRAW 11. Again, this is a smart addition, and much needed, in Canvas.
The major features added to Canvas have to do with greater functionality within existing feature sets. This means virtually unlimited zooming, image size, bezier points on curves and polygons and a slew of other under the hood improvements. Another great feature preserved from the previous edition is solid PDF support within the application, and support for nearly every file imaginable. I doubt if any program supports this many visual file formats.
Another huge change with Canvas is that it comes in several flavors. Each new version is geared toward a specific function with one version for scientific image editing, another for mapping and professional for graphic designers and basically general users. By doing so, Canvas is now customized towards functions, and to some extent breaking slightly with the one size fits all approach to application design.
On the plus side, Canvas 9 is optimized for Mac OS X and Windows XP, of course. But if you are running anything older than the most recent operating systems, you cannot run Canvas. This rendition is strictly for those who have updated to the latest and greatest. This offers yet another reason why all Windows users, and Mac users as well, need to make the migration to the latest operating systems for each respective platform.
I like to think of Canvas as being something of an underdog, and not too unlike the German Shepherd. Let me elaborate on that. The German Shepherd is a valued breed not so much for what it specifically does, but its overall ability to multitask. Being intelligent, trainable and large enough to perform as a workhorse, the multi faceted Shepherd fits in a variety of job situations well.
Canvas is much like that since it is really valuable in terms of the sum of its parts, and not in any one particular area. For those that want professional page layout functionality, more than basic image editing and do not want to worry with the expense, or bother, of having six or seven applications around, Canvas breaks down the process tremendously. Long known as an innovator, and much loved by some designers and technical illustrators, for end users and many professionals, there is much to applaud about version 9.
While it remains to be seen if professionals will flee the Quark/Adobe dominated world of professional layout and design, there is much here to recommend Canvas as a solid alternative. While I seriously doubt if Canvas can replace Photoshop, Canvas 9 does perform well as an excellent page layout program with some great image editing and vector graphics tools. Rather than look as Canvas as a replacement, it is better to view it as an alternative, or as part of an arsenal of tools. For the casual hobbyist, and those not needing to work within art departments that are committed to specific applications and platforms, there is a great deal to admire in Canvas 9.
For serious image work, I have to admit a preference for Photoshop 7 and Corel Painter 8 as the champs of visual editing as the perfect duo. Canvas is not all together weak in these areas. It is just that Painter and Photoshop are truly great as a combo that I doubt if any one application can replace. I do give an honorable mention to CorelDRAW as well, another much underrated graphics tool, that certainly is well worth having.
With Canvas 9, ACD has done a superb job of fine tunning an already solid program. By making access to features easier and a much more considerate user-friendly format as well, Canvas should be picking up some new fans quickly. This is one application well worth considering, particularly since it is now so much improved and refined. If you are running an older OS, you will need to update to the latest and greatest. This application can only run on the latest operating systems.
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