Devote Xara users who use Illustrator as well? What are your thoughts?

[Mcffee]

Who has same experience with both Xara and Illustrator and what are the most important differences for you? Why did you choose Xara when it's not for the affordable price? Do you think Illustrator is worth $40 a month? Do many professionals are using Xara and why?

[gwpriester]

At the end of the day, Illustrator and Xara (Designer Pro X10 for me) are just tools to help me express my ideas.

When I started using Xara (CorelXARA it was at that time), I was totally impressed by how easily and effectively Xara handled transparency, especially gradient transparent. It took Illustrator years to get something similar. At the time I started using Xara everything was intuitive and done on the screen in real time. AND FAST!

Illustrator is a great program and is the industry standard. But my clients do not ask what software I use. They like my work or they don't. But it is my work, Xara just helps me translate my ideas and visions into art and graphics.

[mwenz]

I use both (and other vector applications like CorelDraw) most every day. I am often required to turn over original assets for much of what I do for clients. In those cases I am most often required to turn over AI files. And at times I sometimes need/want to utilize some of Illustrator's functional differences to accomplish something.

In most all cases, even when I need to hand off AI files, the work is really done in Xara Designer Pro and at the end or at some stage, I export it for Illustrator and save a final version from it for the client. The same applies to Photoshop files: I do the work in something else and export a PSD file, open it in Photoshop and resave it.

XDP is simply quicker and easier for me to use.

As to Adobe's subscription's worth/value? A full-time subscription isn't for me. I stopped at CS6 on all Adobe's software with the exception of InDesign. Even for ID, I have had exactly one job using ID CC2014 and so it was done during the 30-day trial period. When it is time to update that project or if I get handed another CC job, I'll go month by month until it's done and then cancel. The only way I would do a year's subscription is if I had the jobs beating down the door that required CC's constant use. With the exception of that one job, most all my clients using Adobe products are mainly using CS5.5 or CS6 (with a single client still using CS4). And so those versions remain installed and used as needed.

Mike

[Gamerprinter]

I used to use Illustrator more in the past, and do use it very rarely still, however, 99% of my work is done in Xara for simple speed and ease of use, though it doesn't match tool for tool, Illustrator has more tools - I still prefer using Xara Designer Pro. And same situation as Mwenz, I has some cartographic art commissions next year and though all the creative work is done is Xara, the endusers are a Random House publishing concern and require files in PSD for Mac users, so I have the subscription for Adobe to open my creations then resaved in PSD with Adobe PS 2014 - and I use PS only to do that (well sometimes I do some color editing, painting when necessary, though rarely needed.)

[Grafix Smelter]

As others have commented here, both are tools that have their uses and limitations. As a design engineer I use a number of CAD/CAM/Graphics packages. Xara DP is my main drawing package for nameplates, panels and HMI (switches and displays). What little use I make of Illustrator is for file conversion to get my work out of Xara and create DXF files for my 3D & 2D workhorse packages.

[Michael]

I had to use Illustrator for the sake of file exchange. Admittedly, Illustrator is bullet proof, widely accepted and in the hands of those who persevere in using it and learn its idiosyncrasy a very good piece of software which comes with a hefty price tag. I stepped out using CS6 and never made the switch to CC. I've used Xara at home since it's first days on the Windows platform and love the fluid way it interacts with the user. Since three years I dumped Illustrator in the favour of Xara for my professional needs (Landscape architecture) and haven't used Illustrator since. (But only for file conversion)
Ease of use and speed has always been Xara's stronghold and I surely hope it will stay that way.So far the guys and gals at Gaddesden Place showed that they try to maintain that view. (Though the likes of Corel and Magix still try to bolt on tools the users don't really need..) In it's core the drawing engine remained untouched so it still is a very fast, easily to grasp drawing tool. Through the years it acquired good PDF export and the SVG export is on par with Inkscape (which is the pinnacle of SVG ouput). It still lacks a bit in CMYK output but for general and semi-professional use Xara is more than sufficient and crawls towards Illustrator's high standards. But you'll have to invest and you'll have to learn and convince the receiving end that artwork not necessarily needs to be produced in an Adobe package. I feel that I, as a creative designer, shouldn't need to be drawn back by the nitty-gritty of pre-press (ucr, separations, halftoning, screen angles,...). All I need is a canvas to render my ideas in a intuitive and fast manner. Xara delivers that exactly.

And all that comes with a price tag that is not to be compared with Adobe's or Corel's offerings. I'd recommend Xara to all those who want to draw and create without bothering about nodes, line segments or other distractions... It's pure joy!

[Albacore]

Like most people who have written here use certain tools to do certain jobs and Illy, Xara, PShop each can do certain things better than others. Some people will still use Freehand because they want and that's the way it should be I have it still on my H/disc. In my case certain jobs that I took on the companies that I worked for would only accept AI files as they felt that it was an necessity that all employees used this and only this software. Surprisingly over the years I have really began to like Illy and OK I dont use half of its capabilities but it is the brushes I think that sets it apart from others. That as well as the ability to choose RGB or CMYK artboards but most others can do this as well!

Having said all that I still use Xara for most everyday drawing and photo manipulation. Yes and I send PDF's for print regularly done purely with Xara and I do get good results but I would have to say that you really need a copy of Acro Pro to make it work really properly. I would say that about any vector programme output for print maybe bar InDesign is the only exception. If only Xara would refine their brushes and make them more vector based rather than a scattering of vector objects I would be much happier and stay current with there newer Pro versions.