Corel Vs. Adobe....

[Circleville Signs]

OK - I think this has been discussed before, but to be perfectly honest, I don't feel like searching for and reading through old threads - especially as fast as the software changes....

For the past 8 years or so I have pretty much used only Adobe products, with a smattering of RIP software and just enough Omega and Flexi that I'm not totally illiterate in them.

Currently, I'm running Adobe CS3. With Adobe's recent pricing change, however, I am SERIOUSLY considering a switch over to Corel. I'd like to have some of the folks who REALLY know both products join into this discussion so i can get a feel for the following..

1. How does the functionality compare in Draw and PhotoPaint vs. Illustrator and Photoshop? (keep in mind, I use Illustrator for about 90% of what I do).

2. For someone like me who considers themselves High intermediate/Low Expert in Illy and an Intermediate PS user, what kind of learning curve can I expect if I make the switch to Corel (I haven't touched a Corel product since Draw3).

3. System Resource Usage - How does Corel compare to Adobe as far as system resource usage (RAM lockups, etc.)

3. Cost/Benefit analysis - Obviously, Corel is drastically cheaper. Am I going to miss features that will make my life Super Easy if I go to Corel rather than upgrade to the newest version of Adobe?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Techman]

I don't feel like searching for and reading through old threads

Do a search. We discussed these points hundreds of times on a monthly basis.

 

[Circleville Signs]

Let me re-phrase. In addition to not feeling like searching, I'd like to have an actual reference thread that discusses these points all in one place. After reading your reply, I actually did a search for "corel adobe". I got about 2,000,000 threads as my results - and the vast majority don't discuss these points in detail at all.

 

[Locals Find!]

I use both Corel Draw and Illustrator. I am probably about the same or slightly lower in skill level as you in PS and AI.

I like Corel X4 for many things when designing signs. The fact that I can make the artboard larger and closer to the true size of my sign being one of them.

Also some features like being able to center up in the artboard with a couple of key commands is big plus for me. I have never used the color paint program at all even though I have it.

I also like the fact that if you use zetaprints.com you can design your templates quickly and easily using corel. Something you can't do with illustrator.

 

[David Wright]

I have used all of them. Photoshop vs. Photopaint will not be a good migration for you.
PS being way better.

Illustrator to Corel Draw should be good, both are excellent and powerful programs.

Like you, I am debating what to do with this new price change, not liking it at all. That said I feel I can a lot of mileage out of my CS3 PS. There isn't much I can't do in my old PS7, although I wouldn't consider myself a power user.

 

[OldPaint]

when i got into this computer end of sign painting,1992, i found a lot things that made the "old ways" of producing pounce patterns so much easier. no more buying those letraset letters and then making the words of the sign with them. i started out with 14 1/2" 9 pin printer, that i could run out of corel and produce 14" X 30" of pattern at a time))))) i also had illustrator, freehand. now freehand was about like corel, illy was to many flyouts and extra window on the work page for me, compared to corel, which was so much simpler to work with. freehand went away, wished they would kept that. so i got used to corel on VERSION 3!!! not X3))) and have found anything i can wish for a program to do, its in corel!!! when i was lookin to by a plotter, guy offered me a goober 4b. with 2-3 fonts, and additional fonts then was $100 each. he also didnt want to sell me his CAD-LINK card(another $300)to get it useable and was still wanting $4000.00 of it. well i was using corel and a 9 pin printer and had over 100 fonts in my computer that i could use without spending a $100 each for more. i found out that ROLAND plotters communicated with computers using waht is know as HPGL. Hewlett-parkard graphic language. which is the same thing corel used. so i waited a while till i found a used ROLAND PNC-1000 for $1600. i figured out how to communicate with that plotter from corel!!!! wala.......now iam cuttin vinyl, anyone of the 100 fonts i have in the computer, up to 30" X 30". this was the limitation of corels desktop. the plotter was limited to 19.5" X 62.90" so i figured out ways to work past these for larger signs. when version 7 of corel came out they increased the desktop work space to 150 FEET x 150 FEET, this was wonderfull. then i had to upgrade the plotter to get away from it 62.99 limit. i found a newer used ROLAND-PNC-1100. now i was set with a 24" wide, and i wasnt held at 62.90 length!!!! since then i have moved up to a ROLAND CX-300, 30", fast and quite machine i love it. i have never depended on a SIGN-SPECIFIC CAD program. i have had some experience with most of them and STILL used corel as i still do today to cut vinyl. i been using corel since 92, v.3 now using X3, and still find thing in there I DID NOT KNOW it could do))))))

 

[WildWestDesigns]

1. How does the functionality compare in Draw and PhotoPaint vs. Illustrator and Photoshop? (keep in mind, I use Illustrator for about 90% of what I do).

Most of my work is in Ai or in Draw, so I can't speak towards the migration between photoshop and photopaint, but functionally to me Draw and Illy are quite comparable. I really haven't seen one do something that the other can't do. Steps might be a little different, but both will get the job done.

2. For someone like me who considers themselves High intermediate/Low Expert in Illy and an Intermediate PS user, what kind of learning curve can I expect if I make the switch to Corel (I haven't touched a Corel product since Draw3).

There is some curve. I haven't found Draw to be as intuitive as some of the more hardcore Draw users claim it is, but it didn't take me long to get into the swing of things. But I was highly motivated to make the switch as some other programs that I am using for other things directly interface with Draw.

3. System Resource Usage - How does Corel compare to Adobe as far as system resource usage (RAM lockups, etc.)

I've never had a lockup on either program, but it seems like Draw uses less resources on my system then Illy.

3. Cost/Benefit analysis - Obviously, Corel is drastically cheaper. Am I going to miss features that will make my life Super Easy if I go to Corel rather than upgrade to the newest version of Adobe?

This one falls under the heading "it depends". The depends comes in with how quickly you take to the new system. Coming from Ai, almost exclusively, it more then likely won't make your life super easy initially, however, I can do things a little quicker with Draw then Illy, but my use for it may be different then yours.

I would say go for it, but I am still an Illy user at heart, so it's a tough call. In the end, both will serve you well I think.

 

[Flame]

1. Photopaint is a bit weak compared to Photoshop. Just not as many options and I tend to work slower in it. Corel and Illy will do the same thing, just in totally different ways, but usually less steps for Corel.

2. It will take a bit but I found Corel was easier to learn than Adobe. Just have to rethink how each tool works as they get the same thing done, in 100% different ways (if that makes sense. lol). Put in a few late nights and you'll start feeling it come on.

3. Hands down, far less RAM useage for Corel over Adobe.

4. I have Illustrator and CorelDraw, and feel no need to ever use Illy except to open files.

For me, I use CorelDraw for all vector and 95% of my work. Photoshop for any raster stuff, and editing photos. So Corel for vector, Photoshop for Raster. I think it's the perfect combo made in heaven.

 

[Rick]

These are trick questions because not every sign designer designs the same types of signs or we have developed workflow habits that may not be "standard" from one shop to another.

1. How does the functionality compare in Draw and PhotoPaint vs. Illustrator and Photoshop? (keep in mind, I use Illustrator for about 90% of what I do).

On Photoshop/Photopaint. Most everything I do is basic stuff, like remove existing elements to make a photo rendering, touch up here and there. On that part these programs are both equal. High end design work, Photoshop has the edge.

On Illy/Corel. if it's illustration or general sign work, they are equal in capability. It's all about workflow. On high end u\illustration work, they are equal (if the designer is capable) Without CadTools, Illustrator is almost worthless to me. Corel does not do multiple scales on a single page without going through some pain, layers suck in Corel. I have a library of section details in scale I can pull from a palette My workflow is, where I do multiple sign types where I am worried about proportion works on both programs, then when I start making my construction drawings Corel falls short because some signs need details in multiple scales.



2. For someone like me who considers themselves High intermediate/Low Expert in Illy and an Intermediate PS user, what kind of learning curve can I expect if I make the switch to Corel (I haven't touched a Corel product since Draw3).

There is a migration .pdf on the Adobe site, it would be the opposite in terminology. I would say with on open mind, patience, reading the manual, and lynda.com, I could make the switch and be proficient in about 2 weeks.

3. System Resource Usage - How does Corel compare to Adobe as far as system resource usage (RAM lockups, etc.)

I do 95% of my work on Illustrator (Mac) I do have Premium Suite for my PC too. But I do play with Corel when I send off files to my Corel clients. My Corel crashes more than Illustrator even when I am not pushing it. There seems to be no rhyme or reason but if I use it 2-3 days, it punks out. I'm not a computer guy, never will be, so it could be my PC or when I use Corel on my Mac, it may be some setting. My AutoCad never crashes... My Illustrator probably crashes once every week and a half to 2 weeks. Usually when I push it real hard.

3. Cost/Benefit analysis - Obviously, Corel is drastically cheaper. Am I going to miss features that will make my life Super Easy if I go to Corel rather than upgrade to the newest version of Adobe?

Again, this depends on workflow. I design larger architectural sign projects, and then general sign shop type signs. Always in a scale. Illustrator with CadTools is better for my workflow habits.

In the end, I prefer Adobe, but if I had too, I can design in Corel.

 

[GAC05]

I have X5 and AI CS5.
I think it depends on what your workflow is.
I'd say if you spend most of your time generating artwork from scratch functionality is about even and it comes down to preference. With a heavy AI background Corel is not going to feel comfortable for a long time.

On the other hand if you have to deal with editing clients files most of the day Corel is going to come up short. Nothing reads AI files better than Adobe products.

If I am building up a layout it is done in Draw. I get files from ad agencies that I need to edit to either fit size requirements before I run them or change out info that needs updating. Illy gets all of this work.

Just this week I received a 6 page menu from Japan in AI pdf format.
The file was composed of high rez photos of food along with text that had not been converted to paths in both English and Japanese.
The file was 1.3 gigs compressed and opened up to just about 2gigs.
I could open and edit it in AI with only a few issues relating to long path names with unsupported Japanese characters and missing Japanese fonts.
Draw tired to open the file, it tried for a long time before turning over and dieing.
None of the import filters would work. I re-saved it out of AI as a pdf with all the text converted and the Kanji(?) removed from the path names and it still would not open up. This same file would open with the free version of Adobe reader.

I'm a long time Draw user and really enjoy using it but there are times when it is not the right tool for what I need to do.

wayne k
guam usa

 

[Gino]

For us, in the beginning, Adobe seemed geared towards the Mac-users and we were Gerber and AnAgraph.... mainly PC and Corel fit that bill quite well. Two friends of mine were Beta sites and would give me all the ins & outs of Corel. I bought the program, but they told me how to upgrade and get the most out of our software. The one guy became our computer wizard for years. Around 2000, we were getting so many AI files and they were beginning to get tougher and tougher to convert, so we made the change with Adobe 5.5, I think. We bought an older version at a computer show and then upgraded since. We still have Corel 10, but I can't remember the last time I, nor anyone else here used it. Since around 2000 and 2001, it's been Adobe all the way. I like it, but could never say one was any better than the other. They both do the same thing in the end and the way to get there may vary a little, but it's a personal preference and not a professional difference at all. Kinda like drinking a Coke or Pepsi, they look the same, they have the same calories and neither quench your thirst.... so why do some like one over the other ??

Seems the majority are still Adobe, so that's where we'll remain as I see it.

 

[Circleville Signs]

For me, what is driving this, is cost. I don't want to sacrifice my workflow at all, however Adobe's new pricing structure is flat-out ludicrous. And with X5 checking in at about 30% of the cost of CS5.5, I'm seriously considering the move....I'll still have CS3 on my machines for opening files, etc....

Just trying to weigh the pros and cons. And I definitely appreciate all the feedback!

 

[Rick]

For me, what is driving this, is cost. I don't want to sacrifice my workflow at all, however Adobe's new pricing structure is flat-out ludicrous. And with X5 checking in at about 30% of the cost of CS5.5, I'm seriously considering the move....I'll still have CS3 on my machines for opening files, etc....

Just trying to weigh the pros and cons. And I definitely appreciate all the feedback!

I had Design Premium CS5.5 for my Mac, but I'm upgrading my CS3 for my PC this month. The thought about switching crossed my mind too. In the end, my workflow works very well. I would have to adjust too much in Corel.... but I would love to spend that 750 bucks on DJ equipment instead of upgrades...

 

[Rick]

Double post?

 

[Ponto]

...I'm a long time Draw user and really enjoy using it but there are times when it is not the right tool for what I need to do.

wayne k
guam usa[/QUOTE]


This for sure,... but rarely do I not have my CS3 applications and CorelDraw on at all times... CD gives you a lotta' bang for the (Canadian) dollar... in the end, practice makes perfect with any application.

JP

 

[RobbyMac]

As others have mentioned, Photopaint pales in comparison to photoshop.
I use corel for most design and illustration.

I can work way quicker in corel than illustrator. Seems to take 3x the mouseclicks to do anything in illustrator compared to corel, primarily because I don't have the gazillion hotkey combos memorized for illy. Working with effects, dragging objects to layers instead of copying and pasting, etc seem more user friendly and interactive.

I design haulers at full scale (53') vs illustrator's artboard size limit. If needed, you can apply a scale to your file, and the rulers match the given scale.

Corel does have a limit when exporting raster images (It still exceeds illustrators though). Theres a workaround where to convert to bitmap, edit the bitmap (takes you into photopaint) and save out from there. Generally you won't run into this unless you're doing haulers and need really large raster images.

Corels file sizes are miniscual compared to illustrator. When you duplicate objects (raster, vector, etc) corel puts that info in the file, instead of doubling your file size because theres now 'two' of that object like illy does.

Corel has an autobackup feature, and a rescue feature which is pretty handy (info can be found in another recent thread).

Color changes/swatches are top notch in illy. It's the one feature I really wish corel had (maybe that and the navigator pane). Corel has a find/replace feature, but it's almost too detailed that it's cumbersome to use.

Obviously theres a hefty amount of people using illustrator in the world, and as the industry standard it's up to you to find workarounds for opening/saving files using adobe formats.

 

[bob]

Yet Another Ford vs. Chevy thread.

Whatever you use, only an amateur gives undo reverence to its tools. A skilled hand can use whatever. You know what you want to do, the only issue is how you do it in whichever platform you might find yourself using.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

Yet Another Ford vs. Chevy thread.

Whatever you use, only an amateur gives undo reverence to its tools. A skilled hand can use whatever. You know what you want to do, the only issue is how you do it in whichever platform you might find yourself using.

That depends on your particular application for the software. There can be clear times when use of Draw works more then Ai in my situation, especially since I have a program that has Draw interfaced directly into it.

Same thing with the trucks. You might have need for front lockers or just want them, something you can't do with Chevy, because the have limited slip front axles.

It all depends on what you need or want more.

 

[bob]

That depends on your particular application for the software. There can be clear times when use of Draw works more then Ai in my situation, especially since I have a program that has Draw interfaced directly into it.

Same thing with the trucks. You might have need for front lockers or just want them, something you can't do with Chevy, because the have limited slip front axles.

It all depends on what you need or want more.

Twaddle, they'll both get you and your cargo there. You might favor this or that feature over another but they will still get you where you're going even if not equipped to your exact specifications..

 

[Terremoto]

Yet Another Ford vs. Chevy thread.

Whatever you use, only an amateur gives undo reverence to its tools. A skilled hand can use whatever. You know what you want to do, the only issue is how you do it in whichever platform you might find yourself using.

Would have to disagree. I use hand tools, power tools, and software tools daily. I take pride in my workmanship and refuse to use crappy tools!