What is the best graphic design software?

[GraemeKerr]

I was wondering what the best graphic design software was. I have found the new Adobe Creative Suite has had rave reviews and seems to be a very useful application.

I would appreciate any advice anyone may have .

Cheers,

Graeme

 

[vigo]

Personally I like Macromedia Fireworks MX 2004, others find Photoshop etc works well for them. Download all the demos, try them out and see which one fits your style.

 

[Eagle]

 
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite for me. Cheaper than Adobe products, far more powerful and it imports/exports to and from all major Adobe formats anyway... so it wins hands-down.

Corel

 

[spid3r]

adobe photoshop.

 

[ARTzWeb.net]

Corel draw is also a much more difficult program to learn. I think it all comes down to what kind of graphics you want to design.

For the web, photoshop is a very powerful program. Ok it might not have the ability to make flash movies as Corel does, but when it comes to developing web site graphics I think photoshop is king.

As a free alternative you might consider www.gimp.org, which is a nice tool but without a nice interface.

 

[Eagle]

Corel draw is also a much more difficult program to learn.

I've only ever heard that from 'Adobians' who then try out Corel - it's only natural that they'd have a spaz about the different interface. :wink:

As for web graphics, well - I don't have any difficulties. 8)

 

[Juvanescence]

Hasn't this coversation been brought up someplace else.. :?

You should try as many programs as you possibly can. You can download 30 day trials or even get them on a coverdisk before you decide.

You don't want to go spending lots of money on something you don't like. :!:

 

[Eagle]

Hasn't this coversation been brought up someplace else.. :?

It certainly has - all over the web. But I have the right to defend my corner, no?

... :wink:

 

[Juvanescence]

It will be Mac vs PC all over again. :roll: :wink:

 

[Eagle]

 
...sshhhhh!

 

[will7]

There isn't one. I use a combination of:

Macromedia Fireworks MX
Adobe Photoshop CS
Jasc Paintshop Pro 8.0
Adobe Illustrator

And I'm soon gonna add some Corel software to that set. They all have their good points / bad points, but, I use Photoshop the most by far, so I'd recommend that!

 

[mobyme]

Glad to see Paintshop pro 8 get a mention; it is a superb package that can do everything the better known packages like Photoshop can do, yet costs peanuts. The interface can be a little difficult if you are used to one of the other packages but a few hours behind the mouse soon cures that. Beware of Fireworks if you intend to put anything into print, it really is garbage for this mode, but can produce some spectacular results for the web especially text.

 

[WSC-Will]

"Best" is very subjective. Personally, I prefer to use Adobe Photoshop because I've used it for years and I find the UI very intuitive (because I've used it for years!).

 

[CG Effect]

The best one is the one you most like to use buts its got to do what your clients want.

 

[pbresser]

The best one is the one you most like to use buts its got to do what your clients want.

I don't see how the client's wishes have anything to do with it as the graphics produced on all the packages are available in all the standard file formats: TIFF, JPG, GIF, PNG etc, etc. It is true that each package has its native format for files that are wip, (photoshop and elements use PSD, Paint Shop Pro uses PSP - don't know if that's true now that Corel owns PSP program) but you'd never supply a graphic back to a client in a native file format 'coz they are unlikely to have the original software to view it.

I've used quite a few packages (in Windows and Mac - but prefer Windows) over the years and before Corel took over Paintshop Pro, I was an avid supporter of this package. The user interface is now far more complicated that is was in say, Version 7 (still available if you want it) to the point that simple tasks appear more complex to carry out now.

Photoshop, and its lighter version, Elements, are very good packages and every bit as intuitive to use. Elements lacks a masking function - which can be a pain - but there are some things you can do to overcome this. It also lacks the ability to work with CMYK/RGB channels which you cannot overcome. The price difference for these functions is dramatic however, so if all you are doing is resizing pix and tarting them up for web graphics go for the cheaper option.

There are other programs around for doing this work however, and they are free. The GIMP (the GNU Image Manipulation Program) www.gimp.org/ is an open source graphics programme that appears very powerful (albeit confusing to move to from PSP or PS) and does everything that Elements does at least, but I haven't tested it extensively, so it may even do everythig that Photoshop CS does.

The other very powerful program that's free to use is www.irfanview.com/ that provides batch processing on images so you can resize, rename, shove images into new directories, sharpen images on the way through (and has other filters too), convert from one file format to another and a whole bunch of other stuff to make image conversions on multiple images much easier/faster. It even has a passable slideshow function built in.

 

[Webstuff]

I use photoshop, photoimpact, fireworks (occasionaly), and a couple of others, with ImageMagick (command line programme) for batch processing. I think ImageMan's point is aimed at the finished effect, such as 3d / 2d / various effects that can only accomplished in certain types of image making equipment. For example; anim8or makes lovely 3d objects, but can't make a complex background / navigation image.

 

[Desmond Brambley]

Photoshop, combined with Illustrator and Fireworks, plus with the support of a decent 3D modeller will cover just about every eventually.

The other thing you need, above all else, is talent. Back when I were just a kid in this field, we did everything with pantone pens, paint, scissors, glue and creativity. Nowadays the software has taken some of the craft element out, but the results are worth the time and trouble learning a new package.

 

[epiphany]

I used fireworks for a couple of years before I moved onto photo-shop, it took a while to get used to it (it does with any of these programmes) but after a while you can really see why it's the market leader. It's not just the fact that it is a better programme but the level of tutorials, free textures, styles and all the other stuff that are useful to a designer, are unsurpassed by photo-shops competitors. In saying all that, if cost is a major factor just buy paint-shop-pro