Computer layout

[Timgraver]

Starting with nothing is adobe illustrator or CorelDRAW the best choice. Price and ease of use both matter

 

[monk]

i use corel. i'm told adobe is good, but adobe no longer sells the program, they rent it on a monthly basis. there's also gimp & inkscape available free on line

 

[Timgraver]

i use corel. i'm told adobe is good, but adobe no longer sells the program, they rent it on a monthly basis. there's also gimp & inkscape available free on line

Would one of the free ones online work with the lettering and monogram dvds Sam sells on his site?

 

[monk]

my guess is-- import what you want from the dvd into yer computer, then import it into one of the freebies. maybe they can import directly from the dvd. not sure, just a guess. in the mean time-- practice letter and monogram layout. such, if mastered, will allow you to save time and maybe even do lettering where computer layouts aren't practical. good luck, and don't be discouraged if frustration comes along.

 

[pmace]

Not sure about Corel but my experience is that Illustrator has a very steep learning curve. A lot of features to learn, most of which are not what I would consider intuitive.

 

[papart1]

look into Affinity......50.00 and its yours including all the update.

 

[Jonathan.Silas]

Not sure about Corel but my experience is that Illustrator has a very steep learning curve. A lot of features to learn, most of which are not what I would consider intuitive.

All of Adobe is like that, incredibly powerful manipulation, but farrr from intuitive. I'm still running photoshop 7 and I'm scared after every update that it's no longer going to work since its every bit of 15 years old.

 

[sam]

Coreldraw and Illustrator do the same thing. Either is more than adequate for what engravers might need. I used Coreldraw until I went to Mac 13 years ago and switched to illustrator. I don't recall either one being more difficult to learn than the other. They are both vast and powerful applications. Illustrator is subscription based which sucks, but is a necessary evil for many of us.

 

[monk]

i use corel on my macbook pro. i added a program called, "parallels". this add-on allows the use of certain windows-based applications. as mentioned, corel can be a real bugger for those that have never used a graphics program.

 

[Archie Woodworth]

i use corel. i'm told adobe is good, but adobe no longer sells the program, they rent it on a monthly basis. there's also gimp & inkscape available free on line

Also consider Affinity Photo and Designer...both are just as capable (Profesional strength) as Adobe products and only a onetime investment of $50.00....no recurring monthly subscription requirements. I have used Photoshop and Corel for 20 plus years...once I started using Affinity products, I’ve never looked back.

 

[monk]

archie: 50 bucks ! that sounds like a good deal. do you know if a free trial is offered ?

 

[gtsport]

I've used Corel since the '90s, originally for more artsy stuff, now mostly for engraving transfers and 2D designs for a small CNC mill. It is overkill, but who says you can't swat flys with a Buick?

 

[Timgraver]

T

Starting with nothing is adobe illustrator or CorelDRAW the best choice. Price and ease of use both matter

Thanks everyone. I ordered CorelDRAW suite 12 disc for less than $30.cant wait to get it and learn