Adobe Illustrator vs. Corel Draw

[fondu]

OK, so the Versacamm VP540 is ordered and on the way. I have been running and older version of signlab that has worked great for cutting vinyl but I need to upgrade to a better design program and would appreciate all thoughts. What are the pros & cons of AI or CD. Which will run better with the Roland? Which software will have fewer issues, and be easier to pick up coming from the Signlab environment?

 

[Jim Doggett]

CorelDRAW

 

[astro8]

both in my opinion, try and get both as soon as you can. Corel followed by Illustrator.

 

[RoyWraps]

Coreldraw Then adobe

 

[ProWraps™]

ruh roh. adobe vs. corel. this ought to get good. as a successful sign business owner i have ONE word for you:
BOTH!

you better know both, and have both.

 

[iSign]

both can work... I only have one though... been using it 15 years... never needed the other. When I say both can work, I mean either... I don't see any reason to have both!

 

[GAC05]

I'm with the "both" crowd.
Corel does some things better than AI and AI does some things better than Draw.
Dollar for Dollar you will get more tools out of the CorelDraw suite.
If you look hard the $200.00 Draw to CS4 sidegrade is still out there (I think).
Then you'll have both for about the price of AI alone.

wayne k
guam usa

 

[gps-hi]

Either one will do. As to which is easier, that's mostly subjective for standard vector drawing. Each has their own unique strengths and weaknesses in some of the special tools, but again either will work. If possible find friends that have them, sit down and try each to see which best matches your own personal taste.

Both are just tools and are only as good as the user running them. Either will be huge improvement over signlab's polyline tools.

 

[oakcitysigns]

Pat's suggestion of the trial is the best one yet... You should be able to get a decent idea of which one YOU prefer after using both for a month. Also, it wouldn't hurt to have both if you can afford it. I have used both for years, but when it was time to buy, I chose only Illustrator. I just prefer the interface, and I think the pen tool is a lot easier for me to use. Having said that, I do sometimes miss Corel Draw's capability of multiple pages in one file.

 

[FrankenSigns.biz]

I'm a Mac User. HOWEVER, I am impressed with CorelDraw. I do enjoy using it and would venture to say it is better in some ways than Illustrator. Aside from RIP's, it is the only reason I usually even venture near a PC. I wish they'd bring it back to the Mac. If you don't have a Mac, I recommend CorelDraw hands down.

 

[Checkers]

I'm not up-to-date with the latest version of either program. However, from my experience, the Adobe suite does better when it comes to good color management. Beyond that, both suites can do the same thing.
That being said, I'm more comfortable working in Corel, just because it's what I learned first.

Checkers

 

[Rick]

Pat's suggestion of the trial is the best one yet... You should be able to get a decent idea of which one YOU prefer after using both for a month. Also, it wouldn't hurt to have both if you can afford it. I have used both for years, but when it was time to buy, I chose only Illustrator. I just prefer the interface, and I think the pen tool is a lot easier for me to use. Having said that, I do sometimes miss Corel Draw's capability of multiple pages in one file.

You can have multiple pages in Illustrator and output a multiple page pdf from Illustrator.

 

[astro8]

Hi everyone,
To me it's not about which one I prefer for design, it's about colour management and file issues. If a customer sends me an Illustrator .eps and I open it in Illustrator on the Mac, what I see on my screen is what's going to come out of my printer.

I've come to trust nothing else for surefire results. If I open (or try to!) a .pdf or .ai file in Flexi, Draw or any other programme to do an edit ...I'm always left wondering if it will print properly. Am I going to get a RIP error? Am I going to get a bitmap box around a drop shadow or transparency element even though I saved/exported and have the RIP set up correctly (relative/relative)... I've had way too many issues over the years.

I prefer to design in Xara on the PC which is like lightning compared to either Flexi, Corel or Illustrator for that matter.

This is only my opinion. Some shops can get by with one major programme, if what they produce is mainly their own creations they have control over the process. Some shops (like mine) need every thing they can get their hands on. Especially if they receive files from all manner of sources, graphic designers, old corporate Quark files, Word files, some .jpeg someone copied and pasted into some obscure programme and exported as an .eps.

People might say 'Get them to convert it to an .eps and send it to you'. Truth is they either can't, don't know how to or can't be bothered. That's why we have a charge for design, vectorising and file set up, don't let customers make their problem your problem, charge for it.

I'm actually getting a bit off the track now.

But I reckon a copy of Draw and Illustrator in conjunction with your Signlab will get you by most of the time.

Good luck with the new printer.

 

[fondu]

Thanks for the feedback. I am now looking at Corel Draw X4 and am interested in the power trace, capture and font navigator features. Found this available online for $300.
As for the Adobe, I found a Creative Suite 3, premium (including dreamweaver, flash pro, photoshop, illustrator, fireworks, acrobat & contribute) for $370. I take it from the comments above that the Adobe creative suite will do the same features as the CDx4 including the trace, capture etc.?

 

[d fleming]

I use both but I use corel more. The inport export filters and copy paste features work well with my signlab. I can design and output much faster with corel. I also have a large clipart library from years of corel use that works well with signlab. Corels' mega gallery is very useful.

 

[MachServTech]

From a design and prepress standpoint Illustrator is the more accepted design tool. I understand how my color management will work going from Illustrator to Photoshop to Acrobat to Dreamweaver(web). Corel draw may have a better learning curve, but IMHO you will be better served in the long run by getting Illustrator. I have spent quite a few late nights trying to figure out why corel files were failing in my RIP. (some late night with Illy problems too though)....although it would be nice to have both programs on hand in case someone hands you one kind of file or another and you are having trouble rendering it.

 

[visualeyez]

I use Illustrator mainly because it is most compatable with the files I recieve. I rarely recieve a file designed in ANY version of corel draw (most files are unknowingly tagged with the program that created them). Today, Adobe is leading the market in design tools and the majority of graphic designers use Adobe products. Illustrator is perfect for opening all of those files, and the color management process they provide is very user friendly. Heck, VersaWorks for roland printers uses the Adobe RIP engine, as do many RIP softwares. My co-worker uses only Corel. He constantly has to have me open and convert files made from adobe software that he can't handle. I can't recall a single time I have had to have him convert a file for me. I have and can use Corel, and it does work well. In my opinion, it just isn't as good as Illustrator though.
On a side note, both need heavy modification to the tools and menus on screen, as the default setups are not intended for signmaking. Spending a few minutes to optimize your workspace and default settings goes a long way!

 

[iSign]

As for the Adobe, I found a Creative Suite 3, premium (including dreamweaver, flash pro, photoshop, illustrator, fireworks, acrobat & contribute) for $370. I take it from the comments above that the Adobe creative suite will do the same features as the CDx4 including the trace, capture etc.?

That most likely won't be legal.
It may have been legal, but it won't legally belong to YOU, unless you file a transfer of license document you need to get from Adobe & have signed by the original owner... which doesn't often happen by people selling perfectly good software at 25% or 30% of it's value... but good luck

 

[Air Art Girl]

Here we go again with the boxers vs. briefs thread, lol

 

[gps-hi]

briefs

 

[Pat Whatley]

boxers briefs