Hello

[-ecliptiC`]

Hello everyone, first of all I'd like to introduce myself.

I am Evan, or ecliptiC, and I am new to graphic art, but I am also a musician, gamer, and hopefully soon to be programmer.

I have been using Adobe Photoshop for a few months and I've gotten the hang of it.

Something that frustrates me extremely is making pictures from scratch. I don't think Photoshop is the right program to do it in, and I need a good one, one that I can make logos of basically any type in, using custom words (without having to use fonts and such)

But yeah, I'd like to learn how to make symbols and logos for bands, branches of metal specifically.

[steve.ledger]

Welcome to TG forms Evan,

I need a good one, one that I can make logos of basically any type in, using custom words (without having to use fonts and such)

What can I say?

Xara Xtreme, might be right up your street!!

[iamtheblues]

Just as Sledger said, Xara Xtreme seems to be exactly what you need.
Fully-functional trial downloadable at the link in Sledger's post above,
Cheap when you decide to buy it, very easy to learn, fast to use.
Not clunky to use like CorelDraw, and a lot less complicated than Adobe Illustrator than any of the other competition.
There are plenty of tutorials to get you started at Gary Priester's Xara Xone, too.
Saludos,
Bob.

[handrawn]

I repeat [ because my original post appears to have disappeared ]- there is always the free program inkscape, which has a lot of features in common with xtreme, and some, eg calligraphy pen, that you may find useful which xtreme does not have.

www.inkscape.org

That said xtreme has features inkscape does not have, so it would be a good thing to compare the two- xtreme has a free trial via the link sledger gave above


if it is permissible to mention xtreme in the photoshop forum, it is surely permissible to mention inkscape - [ lets face it, you could also use serif draw plus, although I would not recommend it myself]

[cursor]

Something that frustrates me extremely is making pictures from scratch.

That's precisely why Xtreme was created.
Give it a try!

[RTW1]

Photoshop has vector tools that can be used with text, simply add the text you want then convert the text to a shape, now you are free to use the path tools to reshape any way you want and the best thing is as it is a vector shape it will remain sharp at big enlargements.
The image that I have posted shows the unaltered font in the left corner and the doctored font in the centre.

[iamtheblues]

Xara Xtreme is pretty good at vectors and bending text too.
Some bitmaps in a couple of examples (pink text has drop shadow on cutout text and a floral fill) The original text, top right, is Mr Earl BT.
Saludos,
Bob.

[RTW1]

A program worth getting hold off to use in conjunction with Photoshop or Xara, is Expression 3. This program was been given free by Microsoft although I bought my copy just before the giveaway (sod).
The image shows vector strokes made in Expression 3 from text these are always editable.

[wasiliska]

Hello everyone and each one!!!