# Alternative to Corel Draw?



## Lakeman (Jan 21, 2006)

I am looking for an alternative and CURRENT programme for Corel Draw. Alternative needs to be able to open my numerous cdr files. Corel tell me they have no plans to upgrade Draw for the iMac. I regularly send my cdr files as pdf's, but only stable in Acrobat V5. So any ideas or recommendations?
Regards to all. Lakeman


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## simbalala (Jan 21, 2006)

I think Illustrator will import CDR files natively. Otherwise you can save them as EPS from Corel and most drawing programs should be able to read them.


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## Lt Major Burns (Jan 21, 2006)

CorelDRAW! hahahahaha 

sorry. Graphics Snobbery.

Get yourself a copy of the pro's choice, Adobe Illustrator.  learn how to change your ways in terms of drawing vectors (the adobe system is not as easy, but far more powerful, much like the rest of the program) and start doing prepress properly.  as the program uses the PDF system to draw the file when you are working on it, every .ai file will open in Acrobat.


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## Lakeman (Jan 22, 2006)

Thanks for the advice Lt Major Burns. I have only been using Corel for fairly simply tecnical drawings (buildings etc), not Graphic Design. Anyway, I'll look at illustrator, and any other suggestions that come along.  Lakeman


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## sgould (Jan 22, 2006)

For simple technical drawings, I've switched to MacDraft.  It's very similar to the old MacDrawPro.  I only need MacDraftPE (the "lite" edition) but there are more complex options and one that allows you to view AutoCAD .dwg stuff.

http://www.microspot.co.uk/


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## Thank The Cheese (Jan 28, 2006)

I learnt on Corel Draw thanks to the idiots at my university, but have since switched to Illustrator. It's quite the learning curve, but once you do you will wonder how you ever put up with Corel Draw (though there are still a couple things I preferred in CorelDraw, but whatever). 



			
				simbalala said:
			
		

> I think Illustrator will import CDR files natively. Otherwise you can save them as EPS from Corel and most drawing programs should be able to read them.



Actually this isn' the case. At leats not as far as I can tell. Illlustrator attempts to open CDR files, but every single .cdr file I've thrown at it it has said it s an unknown format. 

The way I got my corel drawings to illustrator is by exporting them in COREL as Illustrator files, and THEN opening the .ai files in Illustrator. Sometimes I got some weird colour combos and lost drop-shadows, but nothing too bad. 

So my advice is open the .cdr file in Corel, then go to File > Export and choose Adobe Illustrator in the Format drop-down menu.


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## inquistette (Jan 28, 2006)

is thank the cheese still here?


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## Lakeman (Jan 29, 2006)

To Thank the cheese: Am on the Illustrator trail, thank severyone.


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## Lt Major Burns (Jan 29, 2006)

Thank The Cheese said:
			
		

> I learnt on Corel Draw thanks to the idiots at my university, but have since switched to Illustrator. It's quite the learning curve, but once you do you will wonder how you ever put up with Corel Draw (though there are still a couple things I preferred in CorelDraw, but whatever).
> 
> 
> 
> ...



exactly my story.  corel was very powerful in its own way (dynamic dropshadows, gradients, the very simple but effective node system), but just does not have the full array of pro-options... colour handling was poor, for example.


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## Lakeman (Jan 30, 2006)

Thanks for all the advice and help. Will get to grips with Illustrator and export my .cdr files to re-open in Illustrator.


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