# Corel Draw



## Akkarin (Mar 15, 2006)

Why did Corel stop making Draw for the Mac? I really like it on the PC. I am new to Macs and thought this would be on the Mac.

What is the best alternative to Draw on the Mac? I know Draw well and have used it and it's vector drawing tools for years. Will I find it hard to switch over to another application.

Thank You!

Akkarin


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## camgangrel21 (Mar 15, 2006)

try Photh shope.


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## Thank The Cheese (Mar 15, 2006)

Best vector based alternative is Illustrator. I found myself in a similar situation as you 6 months ago. my Uni taught me Corel Draw, but then I found no one used it in the industry, so I needed to learn something else. 

It was a bit of a learning curve for sure, but now that I know Illustratotr I just dont know how I could use anything else. At first it seems like it is much more cumbersome and over-complicated compared to Corel Draw, but you can do much more complex things once you get the hang of it. 

The way I learnt Illustrator was through a VTC.com video tutorial, but there are plenty of good books too, I just hate reading


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## fryke (Mar 15, 2006)

camgangrel21 said:
			
		

> try Photh shope.


Even if spelt correctly Photoshop isn't a vector-based graphics application. I'd, too, say go with Illustrator. There are basically two vector graphics applications used in graphics design around the world, and that's Adobe Illustrator and Adobe FreeHand (was Macromedia FreeHand before Adobe bought Macromedia). And while both applications have a big user-base, it is believed currently that Adobe will merge some of FreeHand's features into the next version of Illustrator, effectively killing the former competitor's product.

If Illustrator is too much and too big for you, there are some cheaper solutions. Some things may be achieved with OmniGraffle, for example, which is a very nice tool in its own, but might not do what you actually want.


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## Akkarin (Mar 16, 2006)

I think Illustrator is the way to go for me. Some of it is similar to Draw thankfully but there is a learning curve there I think. Pity as I liked Draw but I think Corel are looking more to the PC user only and people who just tinker on home projects now. They really are falling behind Adobe I feel now more and more. Which is a shame as Corel in the old days was a big application. 

I do have a vtc.com account but I like books also; so on your advice I will be using these resources to move to Illustrator. 

This is annoying because I read a huge Corel 12 book not long ago. Computing never seems to stop evolving. One reasons I am saying goodbye to PC's is I think Mac are coming back strong these days. I don't want stuck on a PC if there is shift to Mac in the computing industry.

Thank you for your help to this new Mac user.


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## simbalala (Mar 16, 2006)

Corel Draw was never in the same league as Illustrator or Freehand.

The home user base is more appropriate for Corel.


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## Lt Major Burns (Mar 16, 2006)

Corel has a wonderful way of drawing vectors, really simple and intuitive, but also powerful. however, a good all-round piece of software that does not make.

Illustrator is just the most powerful vector-to-print industry-level piece of software.  my advice would be to just get a hold of how the pen tool works.  that would be the key difference.  it works, to some extent, like an advanced polygonal lasso tool in photoshop.  try tracing round things.


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## Akkarin (Mar 16, 2006)

Yes, you guys are right. Since my last post I have picked up a book and done 1/2 the vtc.com tutorial on Illustrator CS. I have to say I am surprised by how much more it has to offer. There are concepts that carry so I have found it easy enough to move over, so far.

It does not change the fact I really liked Corel Draw and I still praise it for price and what it offered - NO I will not here a word against my X vector software. It was my fault I was seeing Illustrator on the side.

Seriously though thanks for the help once more I find this forum great for helping me move to Mac. Perhaps one day I can help likewise.


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## Lt Major Burns (Mar 17, 2006)

also, i really like the live gradient, live transparency and live drop shadow tools in Corel, they were really good, and illustrator has nothing as easy as that (anyone tried to add a gradual translucency in illustrator?  it's not the most intuitive....).  however, Illustrator has more print production tools than you shake a stick at...


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## Natobasso (Mar 17, 2006)

Looks like bankruptcy had a lot to do with it:
http://www.macedition.com/op/op_corel_20000525.shtml


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## Akkarin (Mar 19, 2006)

Sadly yes Corel are finished. Adobe is just to far ahead now for them IMO. Yep Corel did make a big mess of it.


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