Corel vs. Adobe... Should I switch? 1

[frenchtaquito]

Hi all, I have always used adobe programs, photoshop especially but I am considering going with Corel Draw rather than upgrading again. I couldn't find much help on the Corel site so I was wondering how Corel Draw users feel about it. The most important thing for me is being able to automate certain procedures (most of my tasks are extremely repeatitive. Photoshop has an actions palette for recording sequences. Does Corel Draw have something similar? Does the print merge feature let you import data from a text file or database? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
One more thing... What is the difference between Corel Draw & Photo Paint? Cheers

 

[viol8ion]

CorelDraw is a vector based program, more like Adobe Illustrator than Photoshop, which is raster. Each is excellent in performing the tasks they are designed to do, but if you are attempting the manipulation of photos and graphics in the way you would with Photoshop, you will be disappointed in CorelDraw. When in doubt, deny all terms and defnitions.

http://www.wuli.com

 

[frenchtaquito]

Thanks for the info, I really appreciate it.
Cheers

 

[Bananas]

Corel's equivalent to Photoshop is PhotoPaint. As viol8ion says, it is not really Corel Draw you want to switch to but if you buy Corel Draw you get PhotoPaint as well.
Yes, Draw does have a facility to record "scripts" to automate repetitive tasks.
Yes, Print Merge lets you import text from a text file, for example you could design a certificate, and type all the names into a text file and then print merge the two to print out a pile of individually named certificates.

http://www.therealperth.com

Joe Bananas' guide to Perth, Scotland

http://www.fawltytowers.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk

Bananas' tribute to Fawlty Towers!

 

[jcuenca]

Hi,

If you're considering changing from Adobe, you should check Deneba's Canvas. Maybe it's not as powerful as Photoshop, Indesign or Illustrator, but has many of their features with a much more simple interface.

It also has a simple automation feature (called "Sequences&quot. It supports lots of file formats, though I think it doesn't have database direct access. I guess it has the merge feature, but I haven't had the chance to test it.

 

[Dee]

Iam an Adobe user, and i just installed Corel 10! I found the shortcuts a lil harder than Adobe's. But there are some cooler things in Corel compared with Adobe. Question ppls, how do i select an ungrouped object and deselect objects i do not want in corel draw. (in Illustrator, you just drag your mouse over it to select and shift=select to deselect from selection) you guys gets?
cheeers!!

 

[viol8ion]

I think you are asking how to group and ungroup objects?

Select by dragging mouse from one corner to the next of the group of obects like you would in AI, and CTRL G to group or CTRL U to ungroup. You anselect items by clicking mouse on each object with shift key held down until you have selected all that you want, then CTRL G to group. When in doubt, deny all terms and defnitions.

http://www.wuli.com

 

[tjd]

Just drag across the objects you want then you can shift them as a group without actually grouping them. If you find you ar leaving somerthing behind, undo the move, Alt click til you dig down to the object yuo want then move outwards shift clicking til you got em all.ok? Oops! I've joined a club that'll have me as a member?

 

[Metacomet]

IS EASY, HERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TWO CAD METHODS, ADOBE PHOTOHOP AND COREL PHOTOPAINT ARE IN THE AREA OF "IMAGE EDITTING SOFTWARE" HERE YOU WORK MOSTLY WITH "BITMAPS" PIXEL BASED IMAGES, THEN, ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR AND COREL DRAW THEY ARE IN THE AREA OF "VECTOR EDITTING SOFTWARE" HERE YOU WORK WITH ALGORITMS GENERATED BY INSTRUCTIONS HAVING AS A RESULT, "CURVES" OR LINES, I HAVE MORE THAN 10 YEARS WORKING AND TESTING ALL BRAND NEW SOFTWARE THAT APPEARS ON RETAIL TRYING TO COMPITE WITH PHOTOSHOP, NOW DAY I CAN BE SURE "THERES NOTHING LIKE ADOBE PHOTOSHOP" FOR IMAGE EDITTING" IN WHICHEVER PLATFORM YOU COULD BE WORKING (MAC OR PC), PRE PRINT OPTIONS, AND SETTINGS ARE BETTER THAN THE OTHERS THAT ARE A SIMPLE COPIES OF IT.


HOPE THIS HELP...

GILL

 

[Dante808]

If you are thinking I say it's probably a really good idea, basically because of price and ease of use. The only bad thing I can think of is Photopaint isn't as stable, and it cannot manipulate LARGE files as well as Photoshop, by large I mean very large, normal people don't use very large files so you may not have to worry about this. And if you want to learn the platform of the market leader, well it aint Corel.

 

[diwin]

Buy coreldraw 11 graphics suite. It includes:

Draw - vector illustration and page layout.
Let me say that again....
Draw is a powerful professional-grade page layout program....and a vector illustration program.

Photopaint - bitmap editor, as good as photoshop (except on very large files)

R.A.V.E. - animations of any sort, including Flash-style.

Trace - bitmap to vector tracing par excellence.

Bitstream Font Navigator - Font management utility.

VBA - Microsoft Programming language that allows you to code 99% of the things you can do in draw or paint. Corel refers to any vba code as macros, but that is a misnomer: it is really an application. It also allows you to pull data from a database or spreadsheet, etc. This will allow you to create a printed catalogue from a product database, for example.

...and a few other nice things.
VBA was the clincher for me.

 

[graphis]

Coreldraw is a vector editing application, Photoshop is bitmap/raster editing application. both are great in doing the different project requirements. In my opinion i need both. you see there are certain situations where a job can be faster done in either and then imported to the other. A combination of both applications can achieve superb results.

There is automation for repetitive tasks in corel and the print merge does let you import text from a text file.

Believe me using coreldraw will take you further in your creativity.

 

[Brushman]

Don't forget that the Corel Graphics Suite includes Photo Paint - very Similar to Photoshop. Photo shop is arguably the No. 1 but unless you are using bitmaps and doing alot of editing regularly I would suggest Photo Paint will do virtually all you want.
Alan

 

[diwin]

I reiterate:

Corel Photopaint is as good as Photoshop. It really is. It is better in some ways, and Photoshop is better in some ways. When you sum up the differences, they are EQUAL.
Except, Photopaint, as part of the Corel graphics suite, is way, way more affordable. Corel doesn't have the ego problem Adobe has.
Draw for vectors
Photopaint for vectors
Trace for converting bitmaps (raster) to vectors
R.A.V.E. for animations
Bitstream Font Navigator for font management.

 

[diwin]

Oops.

Should read ... Photopaint for bitmaps (raster)

 

[jimdevon]

Wow, this thread has grown to Biblical proportions. In case any one is still interested; I think the raster vs. vector discussion has been run into the ground so to put in my two cents, CorelDraw is equivalent to Adobe Illustrator (drawing (vector art)). Corel PhotoPaint is equivalent to Adobe Photoshop (photo editing or painting (raster)). The differences between Corel and Adobe are becomming blurred. I like CorelDraw better for most things (I am currently using v. 11), such as ease of use, and built-in features. However, there are some things that you can't do in Illustrator (the color settings are more in line with service bureaus, and Illustrator is really good for web design stuff). The other thing is that service bureaus do not like CorelDraw. Photoshop is the industry standard and with good reason, but even in this case Corel PhotoPaint has some cool features, like built in vignette choices etc. If you are sending out your stuff to service bureaus to be printed, use Adobe products. If you are printing to a desktop printer, I like Corel Draw and Photoshop. Better yet if you can get both. Jim

 

[diwin]

Service Bureaus.

There are many more service Bureaus now (2004) that take Corel input (masterfully) than ine 1996. We must keep upto date on the changes in the market place that happen over time.

 

[XenMonk]

I have been using Corel Products since it was 2.0 I'm using version 12 now. I am trying to also become proficient at Photoshop 7. I find that there are alot of things Corel has spoiled me on that in Photoshop are pains in the ass! One feature in Corel Photopaint I use all the time is New From Clipboard. I click it and bam, whatever is in the clipboard is now editable. In Photoshop (unless there is a similar method) I have to open a new file and then paste in the image. I'm probably just more fluent in the interface in Corel but I can tell you that I can do anything in Corel that an Adobe snob can do. I love Corel's stuff. It's also alot easier on the wallet!

 

[mikey69]

The difference is the same as that between Avis & Hertz!

Access makes all things possible. It even makes them intelligible

 

[nemso]

special for Metacomet

regarding: " NOW DAY I CAN BE SURE "THERES NOTHING LIKE ADOBE PHOTOSHOP" FOR IMAGE EDITTING" IN WHICHEVER PLATFORM YOU COULD BE WORKING (MAC OR PC), PRE PRINT OPTIONS, AND SETTINGS ARE BETTER THAN THE OTHERS THAT ARE A SIMPLE COPIES OF IT.
"
U sure man ? .. also I work in DTP - but I found some better than you. Is called Corel Photopaint.

First Point -> I am user of Photoshop too and I like some features but man - I toud you what I tould because I SPENT A LOT OF TIME FROM MY LIFE COMPARING THESE 2 PIECES OF SOFTWARE - POINT BY POINT, ALONG YEARS. Everyone have (-) or (+) points but finaly ( excepting plugins and effects wich are almost the same - anyhow comerciall plugins make a joke from all claimed differences like Polar Coordinates ), rendering speed, flexible inteface / workspace, plenity of output & input formats take me to consider MORE usable Corel Photopaint not the BEST ONE. Each one have all important features and give quality.

other point of view -> you said:" ...IN WHICHEVER PLATFORM YOU COULD BE WORKING ". Dont forget Linux dear Friend. Please. Because there you can use Corel Photopaint for Linux but Adobe Photoshop ...probably soon.

and a special point -> you wrote: " ...AND SETTINGS ARE BETTER THAN THE OTHERS THAT ARE A SIMPLE COPIES OF IT."

ok -> I ask you again U SURE ? - you dont know then nothing about Corel Products and SOFTWARE AREAS in wich Corel development are implied. U will find for example more Printers wich use Corel Draw than Ilustrator.. ask WHY. Adobe have indeed a good reputation in PS interpreters - but ..we discuss facts here our objective here is not the past history..

Here in Romania where Adobe Products are expensive - older Printers use Photoshop ( for image retouching [ they are still believe in mith of Photoshop ] ) and Corel Draw for PrePress & Clipart design. So they buy other product just for PrePress & the vectorial work. Why - because Usable Interface & Post Script render speed.

And about QUALITY OF PRINT - Adobe and Corel are two monster companies - they dont permit jokes with important things. believe-me the quality is the same.

SEE YA - respect for your job.