Which other brand graphic design software do you use and why?

[Egg Bramhill]

I like the idea of Sprite Sheets (Art boards?) they save multiple image requests & downloads. One file can serve up all.

[handrawn]

artboards can be very useful for organising work

so can nested layers - also completely missing from xara - nested groups are not the same thing because they alter the construct of the objects

[timhines]

I hadn't come across artboards before, although I've probably done something similar in the past using a large page. A nice concept, and I see that Affinity Designer has artboards. Something to try out in future.

[Acorn]

I generally use photoshop as it is easy to use and that can save time. Now, I am looking for a tool from Xara.

Do tell how you are getting on with Xara Cloud.

Acorn

[pauland]

artboards can be very useful for organising work

Definitely. In my posted example there are close on 70 artboards in the one file. It's super useful organising them visually and in the one project file.

[MarcT]

HI,

-Photoshop for bitmap editing, it's so nice to have this option of an external editor in Xara.

-Illustrator for mesh warp, line distortion, astute phantasm plugin, client demands and pains in the neck .

-Moi3d for more technical graphics - Like Xara it's the most no nonsense and productive option I've found.

Marc

[stevegill]

I'm no graphics wiz but I started using Affinity Designer. I have been getting into animation lately and AD integrates into the animation software workflow, whereas XDP doesn't.

AD had a steep learning curve for me but it's an excellent program. Still, there are some surprising omissions from its feature set.

I still use XDP as well. Some things are easier and faster in XDP.

= Steve

[handrawn]

well graphic design covers a wide range of possibility - everything put together is designed more or less, and if it's for art, it's a graphic

I've just switched over [from SAI2] to PS CC for drawing line art with the cintiq pro - if this is for animation then I can import it into Harmony which will vectorise it, and then I can colour it in that program - if it's not for animation it does not ususally need to be vector and I would PSD it into SAI2 and do the colouring there as it is a lot more straight forward to do flats/highlights/shades in that program; and then back to PS if it needs any plugin effects - if it did need to be vector I would use inkscape for vectorising the lineart [because you cannot export vector from Harmony]

I still use xara for vector asset when that is easier to put together in an external program, but to be honest this is tailing off

Personally I would prefer Illustrator CC to Affinity Designer, but unless the asset takes off again in a big way i could not justify the cost, xara designer is adequate as things stand for vectors - for raster affinity photo I really like a lot, but now i have PS I am unlikely to use it so much

as I said in a thread oh about 18 months ago, if you work with others and they use PS/Illy, then it is often cutting your nose off to spite your face if you dig in and refuse to sync for the sake of saving a few quid a month

[pauland]

if you work with others and they use PS/Illy, then it is often cutting your nose off to spite your face if you dig in and refuse to sync for the sake of saving a few quid a month

That's what has kept Adobe alive for so long - total market dominance when working in teams. It's why I have had an Adobe suite licence for years - interworking with clients.

It's not just about saving a few quid - if you have distributed/corporate clients and they are working with Adobe assets then we have to do the same or they go elsewhere.

So far I have avoided renewing my Adobe licence for close on one year. The adobe market grip is strong, but it is loosening.

[browj2]

I'm no graphics wiz but I started using Affinity Designer. I have been getting into animation lately and AD integrates into the animation software workflow, whereas XDP doesn't.

AD had a steep learning curve for me but it's an excellent program. Still, there are some surprising omissions from its feature set.

I still use XDP as well. Some things are easier and faster in XDP.

= Steve

@stevegill

I just recalled this and wanted ask about the animation software workflow. You say that "AD integrates into the animation software workflow, whereas XDP doesn't" however, Xara has animation and integration with Magix video products. What does AD with respect to animation that cannot be done with Xara animation?