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bevstofko · Joined: 11 Feb 2008 Posts: 122 Location: www.stofko.ca

Or look for an older version of Illustrator on ebay.

lukaszb · Joined: 21 Sep 2009 Posts: 145

teekaygee · Joined: 02 Jan 2008 Posts: 1074

jagoda · Joined: 18 Mar 2009 Posts: 179 Location: Poland

I've bought Illustrator 10 months ago, when I've decided to draw vectors. Not easy decision because of prize but good decision because of program's posibilities and quality of images. Sometimes I still use Corel but less than before. Just sometimes. If you want to draw vectors as hobby - Corel is enough, if you think about expanding your skills - invest in Illustrator, the best choice. But sometimes it is better to invest in pencil and paper beacause without drawing skills even the best program is none too good.:)
Have a good shopping!

markbeckwith · Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2009 10:21 am

I use CS2, but in my opinion, Freehand MX was and still is better than anything on the market. Adobe take over Macromedia's Freehand and then shelve it. Go figure.

lhfgraphics · Joined: 26 Feb 2009 Posts: 1

I started out designing with Corel and have extensively used InkScape. In my opinion, neither of them compare to Illustrator. If you're going to purchase Illustrator just to properly save to EPSv8, you might as well go ahead and learn the application. That's a lot of money to throw down just for a simple save. The low price tag on InkScape (free) doesn't really matter if you can't save your files in the right format. Your application preference may depend on the interface differences, but I would like to point out that Illustrator has various plugins that change the interface, including one that simplifies it. Tons of other plugins add complexity and precision, usually in a CAD-like manner. Beyond the world of vector stock design, I can't live without Adobe's integration between their applications, specifically Smart Objects.

robertas · Joined: 09 Jun 2007 Posts: 58 Location: Lithuania

I use both corel and illustrator, but for vector illustrations that are in my gallery i use only illustrator 10 version. I just love it.

ddgrigg · Joined: 21 Apr 2009 Posts: 19 Location: Miami

Illustrator is industry standard. Its complicated (at first) because it gives you so many options that the others do not. Once you start using and understanding how it works, those other vector based programs will seem childish.

terifrancis · Joined: 09 Nov 2006 Posts: 184 Location: New Jersey, USA

I started out with CorelDraw12 but eventually bought a used copy of Illustrator at a very reasonable price at Amazon. The seller provided the transfer of license along with the manual and all the orginal packaging. If you shop for a used version, check the seller's reviews/ratings and make sure they will provide the transfer along with the cds. I prefer Corel in starting a new illustration, then save it as an AI8 file and import to Illustrator for final tweaks and touch ups. If I had started with AI in the beginning, maybe it wouldn't seem as awkward to me as it still does. If you're going to invest in only one, make it Illustrator ... it will most likely save you money (and hopefully make you lot of money) in the long run. : )

tekart · Joined: 29 Apr 2008 Posts: 25 Location: St. Louis, MO, USA

XARA might be a perfect alternative for you. This is what I have created most of my images with.

However, I will say that I had used Corel most of my career. It's great for black and white technical drawing. I just didn't like the way it handles color and the constant crashing. When I switched to Xara, it changed my life. I love that program.

I have to say though that I did eventually switch to Illustrator on a mac. I felt I was would be more marketable that way. I still run Corel and Xara through VMware fusion and Win XP.

In brief, I love the dependability of Illustrator. I'm confident that when a customer downloads one of my eps files that they will have no problems. BUT, if I want to get some done fast, it is Xara all the way.