I'm New, and software frustrated

[bwood]

I'm a semi retired broadcaster and my interests have turned to graphics and web design. I'm quite lost with the program contenders on the block at the moment.

I use Macromedia Fireworks and Dreamweaver - a nice combination - but am completely frustrated in the Graphic Design package community. Adobe seem to have a monopoly - everywhere I go it's "photoshop everything".

Freehand is all but gone - Illustrator is extremely large - Corel, - I have an interest but what the heck is the difference between Paint Shop Pro and Photo Paint in Corel. Corel draw looks good but has a learning curve.

Xara is why I'm here. I've dowloaded some trials and do like what they've done. Another problem is that many want to see "Photoshop, Illustrator" on a resume; rather than Xara Pro, Fireworks etc. What happened to a Portfolio containing things you've done - rather than the software.

Any thoughts I'd appreciate it. I'm creatively blocked at the moment. Xara rather perked me up!

Bill Wood
Expresiv Designs

[Intbel]

Photoshop is ideal for editing photographs.

Xara is perfect for drawing and can accomplish much, which for many, has made Photoshop redundant.

Illustrator is a waste of disc space and Adobe in general is heavy, cumbersome and as much use as a broadcaster with laryngitis.

The industry loves Adobe 'cos it is what it has always used and it is stuck in its stinking but comfortable rut.

Folks don't like change - it scares 'em - they prefer to maintain their comfortable illusions rather than widen their horizons.

Naturally, that is just my humble opinion and I regret I have no advice.

[bwood]

Ray - you just sealed my thot's on Adobe. Other than Photoshop there's lots of Image manipulators out there. I thank you for your 'no advice' and smile at your analogy of a 'broadcaster with laryngitis'.

Bill

[Soquili]

Hello Bill,

Welcome to Talkgraphics.

Photoshop and Illustrator are considered as the industry standard. Most graphic design offices learned one or both of those programs in school. Graphic Designers are not computer people so they stay with the program they learned and generally do not want to expand their horizons (as Raymond said in his shy, retiring way ). The Human Resources people for those companies require one or both programs because they were told to ask for them.

A good portfolio is more important as a freelance designer than a 'company' designer.

Paint Shop Pro and Photo Paint, two programs that do much the same work owned by Corel. Paint Shop Pro was owned by Jasc until Corel bought the company. The user base for Paint Shop Pro is large so Corel needed the shot in the arm to remain competative. Sales of CorelDraw and Photo Paint were not as high as they were in the 1990s.

Xara is a company that has been in business for 20+ years. They were known as Computer Concepts and produced software for RISC platforms before providing software for the Windows platform. For a few years Corel had a marketing contract with Xara for CorelXara. After the contract with Corel ended Xara updated the program and released Xara X in 2000. The current version being developed and in pre-market (my terminology) release is Xara Xtreme Pro. In January Xara Xtreme Pro is to go to CD production and release.

Xara Xtreme Pro is everything the market says it is. The fastest, most versatile vector graphics program on the market.

EDIT: I see you answered Raymond's post while I was composing a reply.

[bwood]

Thanks Bill Taylor -

I'm very much enjoying Xara - and the truth is so far it's terrific for what I do. I'm a little confused on the Photo optomizer which I use so much for the web - but I was able to complete a brochure for a neighboring Winter Festival event - Xara is very intuitive. Reminds me of Freehand when it was supported.

Have to brush up on the image optomizer though - I think the interface is throwing me off a bit, but Xara offers terrific support in the 'help' files.

I'm surprised and certainly overwelmed that a program can do so much and save in various formats. Loved the animation. I noted Xara default saved in the wpd. format - that's a connection to Corel.

Thank you Bill for the clear message on all the programs.

Bill
Expresiv Designs