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CorelDraw Graphics Suite 11 $529.00
CorelDraw 11 standalone $399.00
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 11 Upgrade $249.00
My first encounter with CorelDRAW Graphics Suite took place in the early 1990’s before the arrival of Windows 95. What impressed me the most at the time about the application was its overall layout and general user “friendliness.” Rather than offering intimidating menus and cryptic icons, this application seemed to literally invite the user to creatively play with an amazing array of accessible features. For PC users Corel was the only real powerhouse application for this OS at the time. Well that was then, this is now and we are into the eleventh incarnation of Corel’s Flagship Graphics Suite, CorelDRAW 11.
While high end computer graphics has been dominated by Adobe and Macromedia, Corel has always positioned their Graphics Suite as a high end professional tool. In this version, as well as previous ones, there are powerful editing features that make this anything but an amateur application. The big question is will it be adopted by high end users?
For those that do not need to contend with existing structures or graphic studios with a decided preference for one application over another, it will remain to be seen if Draw 11 will be able to hold its own among the heavyweights. It may even take time to see if serious non-professionals in need of a potent, but cost effective, graphics program will turn to CorelDRAW.
What will not take time to discern is the user friendliness of the suite. The staunchest critics of the application have applauded Corel for developing a perspective on design that is infinitely more intuitive than the competition. Even though Adobe Illustrator 10 is a powerful package, using it to maximum effect is not easy. The learning curve is still rather steep. The emphasis in CorelDRAW is on ease of use and availability of features. That consistency in approach to design is still present in this version as it was in the early ones that I first encountered.
From my very informal tests with CorelDRAW 11 running on Windows XP, things went smoothly. I experienced no real hang-ups or stalls. The interface is much more refined than I recall with previous versions. Although some have been critical of the new icons, I have to admit that I am rather fond of the purple icons as well as the general appearance of the interface. This is not so much a dramatic reworking of the original format as it is a refinement. Menus, toolbars and Dockers seem and feel much more accessible. There is a noticeable smoothness here that was not present before, and it makes a huge difference.
It is apparent that optimizing for Windows XP was an important feature. This makes all the sense in the world since CorelDRAW Suite began as a Windows application. Through the various incarnations, some of which I have experienced indirectly, the suite has grown and expanded with Windows. In some respects Draw 11 is still a bit Windows-centric. However, the differences between the PC and the Mac versions are slight ones. Editor's Note: CorelDRAW was also "carbonized" for Mac OS X. Mac users have praised the app as much more Mac-centric than past releases.
I discovered that CorelDRAW, unlike other applications in this arena, invites you to play with its array of features, which are still impressive. I found myself creating designs at 3 in the morning without so much as a glitch. The experience of creating in CorelDRAW 11 is inviting. To me this is the ultimate test of graphic software. If you can create on an application during the wee hours and find the process to be fun, then there is something to be said for that program.
On the feature side are such elements as: symbol support, beefed up color management, interactive drop shadows, a roughen brush, artistic media and the lens filters. For me the lens filter was fascinating. It allows you to turn a bitmap into an effect that impacts the image directly beneath it without altering the original image placed below. The roughen brush, another feature that caught my eye, permits lines to have a less polished antiseptic look. Naturally there are others, but the list is simply too long to go into detail here. The point being is that there is a great deal here.
The combination of effects, tools and fly out menus are as amazing as they are logical. For those seeking a vector design and page layout program that can do both with aplumb, one has to seriously consider CorelDRAW 11 as a complete package. There are few applications that come out of the box with this many features.
In a response to user demands, CorelDRAW 11 now includes user manuals. While the trend in software has been to include documentation on CD’s and omit dense manuals, it is nice to see the return of the thick documentation that powerful software demands. There are simply too many instances when a user needs a book rather than files on a screen to see how things are done. It is too bad that other software makers are not following Corels’ lead in this area. One of the elements that makes using Draw easier is the included documentation. With technical jargon kept to a minimum, the manual is an exercise in minimal efficiency that is comprehensive enough to be more than a perfunctory addition to the suite.
Coming in at 464 pages for the CorelDRAW manual and 263 for the PHOTO-PAINT, it is well worth the time for first time users to go over these documents. My advice to anyone using this program is to keep them handy. Although there are certain conventions common to vector design applications, there are some marked differences in the way Corel approaches them. Certain names and functions deviate a bit from those used by Adobe Illustrator. For those coming to Corel from other applications, as well as those new to this kind of software, referring to the books enclosed will alleviate a great deal of confusion and blind hunting and pecking for functions and features.
Another big plus for Corel Graphics Suite is the inclusion of those little “extras” that aid in the design process. In CDGS 11 these features include: Bitstream Font Navigator, (available only in Windows), Corel Capture (Windows only), CorelTRACE, Duplexing Wizard and interestingly enough Ominpage SE. While these applications may not be essential, they are certainly worth having and certainly add value to an already feature dense application.
As if that were not enough, Corel also adds additional CD’s that include art work, photos, fonts and clip art. Encompassing five CD’s, the sweep of the suite is broad. Just as far reaching are the supported file formats. JPEG 2000, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Macromedia Flash, Adobe PDF, XML, GIF, Flash and many others are supported by CorelDRAW. In my very informal tests, I had no difficulty exporting to Adobe Illustrator 10 and Photoshop 7. These relatively new programs read the files created in Draw 11 without issue.
Revved up and improved for version 11 is R.A.V.E. 2. Basically it is Corel's answer to Macromedia’s Flash. This program permits quick and easy animation with a minimum of fuss and confusion. Much like the enclosed Photo-Paint 11, which is Corel’s answer to Photoshop, both can be best seen as accessories rather than replacements for those respective programs.
While both R.A.V.E 2 and Photo-Paint 11 have their merits, I doubt that serious users of either Flash MX or Photoshop 7 will abandon either. This is not to say they are not solid worthy applications, they are. R.A.V.E, is certainly user friendly and great for new comers to animation. I just doubt that power users are going to gravitate towards these applications.
With Adobe Photoshop’s dominance taken as a fact, software makers, at least for now, may have to concede the crown to Adobe. On one level Corel has already made this admission by not making Photo-Paint 11 available as an independent program. In the past it was possible to do so, but apparently no more. If you want Photo-Paint, you must purchase the Suite. Oddly enough, CorelDRAW 11 is available as a stand alone application minus Photo-Paint.
I have to admit I was a bit skeptical of this version of CorelDRAW. What truly turned me around was working in the Corel environment. There is a certain understanding of how people use computers that makes this feature rich suite less daunting than others in this area. After spending a few hours working with CorelDRAW it becomes clear that there is more here than meets the eye, and certainly more power than one might expect from just a brief glance.
While CorelDRAW is user friendly, this application does not hold your hand. As well written and as helpful as the tutors may be, this is very much a professional tool that demands an investment of time to get the full effect. For those that simply want Web pages or resumes fast, this is not the application for you. There is an implied assumption on the part of the program that the user be somewhat familiar with working in a vector based program. On the plus side, it is not difficult to do. It simply requires time spent going through the enclosed documentation first.
In a bold move, Corel has wisely opted to include both the Windows version and the Mac version in one box, thus releasing them simultaneously. Not only does this alleviate a lot of problems for Corel, it makes sense for end-users as well. Both versions are optimized for their new respective operating systems. So you should not experience any issues running CorelDRAW 11 on OS X or Windows XP.
While the box mentions the minimum requirements for Windows, I would strongly suggest running CorelDRAW under XP with at a least 512 MB or more of RAM, on a 40 GB hard drive. There is a lot here, and I feel the best effects may be achieved by running the suite under the latest OS with as much processing power and memory as you can find.
The addition of clip art, extra fonts, and the various attendant applications round out what is already an excellent value. When one factors in the manuals and the extra CD’s, totaling five in all, CorelDRAW 11 emerges as a powerful application with enough muscle for demanding users. While there are those who view CorelDRAW as little more than an application past its glory years as the premier Windows graphics application, there is enough in this rendition to make a cynical user think twice. For those seeking value and features, CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 11 makes a convincing case for being taken very seriously as a unique powerful professional application.
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