CorelDRAW X3
An impressive-looking suite of tools, but how does it compare with the big guns?

Launched over 20 years ago, CorelDRAW Graphics Suite has continued to find favour among designers across the world, despite stiff competition from the big names in vector illustration.Compared with Illustrator, its approach to creating vector graphics is simplified and this has led many to believe CorelDRAW isn’t quite as capable. As its many users will testify, however, this simply isn’t true. In fact, Corel adopted the ‘integrated suite’ approach long before Adobe ever did and new applications have been added over time, including the powerful PHOTOPAINT for bitmap image editing and CAPTURE, a useful screengrab tool.

The vector animation program R.A.V.E. has finally been dropped, having proved little competition for the likes of Macromedia Flash, but this X3 bundle sees the introduction of two additional products: PowerTRACE and Pixmantec’s RawShooter Essentials.PowerTRACE provides a range of effective methods of converting bitmap images into vectors, from a simple quick trace through to more particular styles such as line art, clip art or low/high quality. The results are every bit as impressive as those you can get in Illustrator, although more detailed conversions can be almost too precise, with numerous unnecessary nodes created. Corel is one step ahead, however, and has added a tool that effectively reduces the number of nodes should you require this to bring your image back within editable reach and lose that more recognisably traced finish.

RawShooter retains its original Pixmantec interface, which takes time to get used to. But once you do, you’ll find the software is much more intuitive than Adobe’s Camera Raw plug-in for Photoshop. Edits are applied in real time, so you can gauge the amount of editing required using sliders rather than entering numeric values, and the integrated file browser enables you to easily access images and apply batch edits.

But it is still the vector application CorelDRAW itself that forms the heart of this suite, and there are plenty of improvements to be found. Fit Text to Path is now a standard feature in such software, but X3 introduces a new level of performance that enables you to dynamically position the text away from the path. The Smart Fill feature is intelligent enough to recognise which sections of an image you’re trying to fill without requiring a perfectly enclosed path, and the Crop tool presents another range of options not found in Illustrator with its ability to remove unwanted areas without the need to ungroup objects, break linked groups apart or convert objects to curves.

The range of features on offer may not quite match that provided by Adobe Creative Suite, but you do get some powerful core tools for your money. Corel’s bundle will continue to be popular among students and those who are on a budget but still require professional results.