What is Xara?

It's a software company.

Xara was originally called "Computer Concepts" and began writing computer software in 1981.

Xara have evolved their current software line-up from DTP applications such as 'Impression' (1988) and vector graphics software 'Artworks' in 1992 (direct ancestor of Xara Xtreme) which was the worlds first vector drawing application to offer real-time vector anti-aliasing.

Since 32bit OS Windows 95, they switched to the Windows platform and re rwote Artworks to produce Xara Studio which was licensed to Corel who released it as CorelXARA (a marriage between the two company names).

From 2000, Xara released the software as Xara X which has since become Xara Xtreme.
Xara also developed Xara Webster, Xara 3D, Xara WebStyle and Xara MenuMaker.
Since version 4 of Xara Xtreme, a 3D extrusion engine similar to Xara 3D has been incorporated along with a html output filter to create a wysiwyg webpage from anything you can drawn on a page.

Xara Web Designer is a sub-set of Xara Xtreme which is their first fully WYSIWYG Web Designing software and is based on the Xara Xtreme vector graphics application UI.
Recently, version 5 of Xara Xtreme was released and encorporates all HTML functions of Xara Web Designer.

Not only does Xara Xtreme enable artists and designers to produce world class vector graphics easily (and on a par with the other well known vector graphics applications), it gives everyone the opportunity to flex their own artistic flair to produce truly unique results quickly and efficiently.
It is significantly faster than other software and much easier to learn (not to mention very much cheaper to buy!)

Where did the name Xara come from?
CEO Charles Moir, saw a girl called Zara on TV and thought that was an unusual name. But decided to make it bit more unusual by putting an X in place of the Z, so a bit like Xerox.

Interested in learning more?
► History of the Xara Group