Name of design software-HELP

don't forget xara!

i can't wait to get a computer so i can teach myself that program. it's a lot easier to learn than illustrator as well as actally faster to use, a little lacking in some features, but in the $300 version, can do 90% of the same stuff and it's much cheaper than illustrator too.

there seems to be issues with coreldraw having it's own vector graphics format, but xara does pdf which illustrator can read as well as illustrator's format and it also supports their plug in filter effects as well as doing decent photo editing and basic website design.

i don't like the sound of illustrator's complexity or especially that you now need to RENT the program for $30+ a month after you "buy it". i don't like greedy companies, but just because they dominate the market, they think thay can do whatever the want.

they alienate themselves against struggling and starting out artists that aren't guaranteed an income and can't afford to lose money on a program they might not actually get the chance to use.

if you want a freeware program, inkscape does vector graphics too and is very full featured, though complicated to learn too.

whatever you do, make sure you get a program that does vector graphics. then, you can be assured that your artwork will look good at any scale you shrink it or blow it up.

some programs use bitmap which is good for photorealistic effects, but if you try and blow a bitmapped image up to billboard size, it will look hideous with jagged edges. i used to hate that even working at desktop resolutions toying around with photoimpact which is better suited to photo editing than creating artwork, though it does have a nice toolset, but bitmapping sucks.

read some reviews for xara lite ($97) and pro ($299) to see if the program appeals to you. you don't have to go to college to learn it either as they've made a ton of tutorials.

affordable, high quality results, in an easy to learn program that actually works faster than the competition sounds perfect to me.