What programs are you using?

2448 Views 29 Replies 18 Participants Last post by nativesonjls, Jun 25, 2010

37Performance

Discussion Starter · Jun 23, 2010

I'm currently or was last using PhotoShop cs4 for all of my designs. What programs are you guys using, I'm looking to diversify my designs a little more

1 - 20 of 30 Posts

alvin6661

· #2 · Jun 23, 2010

coreldraw x4

nativesonjls

· #3 · Jun 23, 2010

Well Photoshop 7 is the one I have for photo work, but I've been using CorelDraw since version 2 for vector art and text layout, still have the VHS video the two developers made on its use, Corel 12 is the version I have on my home system.

Aldus freehand is good, trained with it in school. both will do the vector art and text you will need, it really comes down to which you are trained on. If your new to both just review the features.

I like Corel and the price is solid, it also has Photo-Paint, Trace and several other programs in it, will do color separations for printing, but I've always found Photo-Paint several versions behind Photoshop with filters and features over the years, just never managed to catchup, but still a strong photo editing program, very strong and similar in function to Photoshop, I start my work in it then finalize in Photoshop or move to it if it has a filter or function not in Photo-Paint.

Corel is very popular with the windows crew but Aldus Freehand started, like Photoshop, on the Mac so most stay with what they started with. Its your call.

I have trained with all of them and Autocad, 3dStudioMax, Rhino 3D from McNeel, Soft Image, Aldus Page-Maker, Frame Maker, Quark, etc. What ever was needed at the time in the office I worked in.

I'm seeing double, same thread but different????????????

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bungy

· #4 · Jun 23, 2010

I use Corel X4 , X5 for vector. I have X3 and 12 loaded as well.
Why? some of the older versions do some things better than the newer versions.

I have Adobe Design Premium CS4 as well, used mainly for file conversion. All production work is done in CorelDraw.

I get lots of art from customers as PSD or AI, so I open it in Adobe and convert to a format compatible with Corel.

nativesonjls

· #5 · Jun 23, 2010

Know what you mean, I have 3DStudio Max 8, but I still have version 3 on the system in case they have change modified or rework a feature that was solid on the earlier version, I still drop back to Corel 8 but I've finally got a handle on 12 and any tricks to work around changes, hope to have 15 soon

MX1CAN

· #6 · Jun 23, 2010

Photoshop CS3
Illustrator CS3
Corel Draw 12 & X4

So far we haven't found a major reason to upgrade any of our CS3 suite programs or our X4 Draw version to the latest releases.

bungy

· #7 · Jun 23, 2010

nativesonjls said:
Know what you mean, I have 3DStudio Max 8, but I still have version 3 on the system in case they have change modified or rework a feature that was solid on the earlier version, I still drop back to Corel 8 but I've finally got a handle on 12 and any tricks to work around changes, hope to have 15 soon

Corel is releasing service pack for X5 sometime in the next couple of months. Hopefully will make X5 more stable for those having issues.

bornover

· #8 · Jun 23, 2010

37Performance said:
I'm currently or was last using PhotoShop cs4 for all of my designs. What programs are you guys using, I'm looking to diversify my designs a little more

I use Photoshop and Illustrator CS4 daily. I have CorelDRAW X4 but very seldom use it.

miktoxic

· #9 · Jun 23, 2010

aldus isn't even around anymore. adobe acquired it when it bought out macromedia and it's no longer being supported or developed. i've had many programs over the years go the way of system upgrades and support. i've got a g5 which kicks butt but the newer software being developed now (that i use) is only useable on the newer intel mac platform. sucks.

illustrator and photoshop daily. indesign, flash close seconds. final cut pro and after effects not as much as i'd like.

amphibious

· #10 · Jun 23, 2010

Illustrator (or any other vector program) is pretty much essential for tshirt design since vector graphics seamlessly scale to any size.

8th Day

· #11 · Jun 23, 2010

Photoshop CS4 (pixel program)
Illustrator CS4 (vector program)
FlexiSIGN-PRO 8 (text manipulation and vinyl layouts)
ZBrush 3.5R3 (3D sculpting)

miktoxic

· #12 · Jun 23, 2010

god bless you guys and the 3d stuff. i've tried in the past but that's something i could never wrap my head around. "wrap my head around"........3d ........get it? yeah it's that bad. yikes!

MX1CAN

· #13 · Jun 23, 2010

miktoxic said:
god bless you guys and the 3d stuff. i've tried in the past but that's something i could never wrap my head around. "wrap my head around"........3d ........get it? yeah it's that bad. yikes!

Same here. I downloaded trials of Maya and others and while I could produce some decent results (mainly shiny objects with reflections etc,) I was never at the level that I wanted to be and I just gave it up. Maybe if I would have stuck with it like I did with graphic design programs I would be a pretty good sculptor

8th Day

· #14 · Jun 23, 2010

You guys should give ZBrush a shot. It's interface is much less technical than others I've used (3DS, Cinema4D) and is very similar to modelling with real clay. It has a much more organic feel to it.

Best of all, it's quite a bit cheaper (at $595) than most other 3D programs too...
Here's a link to the trial:
Pixologic :: ZBrush :: Trial

miktoxic

· #15 · Jun 23, 2010

8th Day said:
You guys should give ZBrush a shot. It's interface is much less technical than others I've used (3DS, Cinema4D) and is very similar to modelling with real clay. It has a much more organic feel to it.

Best of all, it's quite a bit cheaper (at $595) than most other 3D programs too...
Here's a link to the trial:
Pixologic :: ZBrush :: Trial

looks good. just gotta wait for the mac version. tick. tock.

8th Day

· #16 · Jun 23, 2010

miktoxic said:
looks good. just gotta wait for the mac version. tick. tock.

Oops. I hadn't noticed that.

IYFGraphics

· #17 · Jun 23, 2010

37Performance said:
I'm currently or was last using PhotoShop cs4 for all of my designs. What programs are you guys using, I'm looking to diversify my designs a little more

Like you CS4 looking to upgrade to CS5 if I find the right deal, also have Corel X4 but seldom use it.

Unik Ink

· #18 · Jun 23, 2010

Photoshop and Illustrator CS4 on mac

wonubee

· #19 · Jun 23, 2010

I use Corel Draw and Corel Photo Paint X3 and I'm getting close to upgrading to X4. Since I started using this forum I have found so many tutorials on how to properly use Corel Draw that I'm amazed at all it can do and how simple it is to use. It is so much less expensive than Photoshop and Illustrator and can do everything I need it to and more.

ScreenprintingDS

· #20 · Jun 23, 2010

photoshop cs2 w/ 10x12 wacom tablet
freehand 10
illustrator 10
streamline (old version)

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