Amazon.co.uk Review
CorelDraw 12 consists of three programs:
CorelDraw itself for vector graphics,
Photo-Paint for bitmap painting and photo editing and
RAVE for creating animations. As in previous versions, there are also utilities such as
CorelTrace, for tracing bitmaps, and
CorelCapture, for screen grabs. You might think that by the 12th iteration of a graphics application, there wouldn't be much new left to add. Corel is ingenious enough to have though up some very useful improvements, though, such as the SmartDrawing tool. Draw a freehand triangle with this tool and it becomes a real triangle, draw a rough ellipse and it becomes a perfect ellipse, draw a freeform squiggle and it becomes a beautifully curved squiggle.
If you need temporary guide lines to help align objects, CorelDraw 12 provides dynamic guides, which you can snap to and later delete when you've finished with them. Talking of snapping, you can snap an object to snap points in other objects, with the target point highlighting as you drag near to it. Symbols, introduced in CorelDraw 11, save space in Web design by taking as much file space as an object, no matter how many copies of them you create. Now you can build libraries of symbols to re-use in different drawings and distinguish them from objects by their blue handles. CorelDraw 12 can delete arbitrary segments from drawings with the Virtual Segment Delete tool and use the Eyedropper and Paintbucket together to transfer not just colour, but properties like transparency from one object to another.
The only real improvement to PhotoPaint is the addition of a Touch-Up brush, which helps remove blemishes like dust and scratches from scanned photographs. Like the other modules of the program though, PhotoPaint can optimise finished images for export to Microsoft Office or WordPerfect Office applications and now provides a separate Export command to save images in a wide range of different graphics formats. The improvements to RAVE, the animation module of the Suite, are pretty much the same as in CorelDraw. They include the SmartDrawing tool, dynamic guides, which can be used from frame to frame in an animation, symbols (and their animated equivalent, sprites) and virtual segment delete. --Simon Williams
Manufacturer's Description
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 12 brings new intelligence to education. With smart design tools, it's now easier and faster to produce more creative and accurate shapes and objectsgiving teachers and students new tools for learning and new ideas for creating. Discover advanced features that increase productivity, such as real-time visual feedback. Work with other applications being used in the classroom, including industry standards like Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe PDF and Microsoft Office. With integrated applications for graphic design, page layout, digital imaging and motion graphics all in one box, CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 12 offers value that's second to none.
Designing just got easier with intelligent tools
New! Smart Drawing tool Get it right the first time! The application automatically recognizes shapes such as circles, triangles, arrows and parallelograms, and intelligently smooths curves while you're drawing, minimizing the number of steps it takes to produce graphics and extending your creative possibilities. New! Sketching capabilities The Smart Drawing tool in CorelDRAW 12 now allows you to quickly sketch a design or layout. It intelligently corrects inaccurate movements to help you place objects and draw shapes precisely, saving you significant time in your review process. New! Dynamic Guides Lay out objects easily and precisely the first time! When Dynamic Guides are turned on, temporary guides appear, which you can pull from the object snap points in your drawingcutting your design and re-purposing time dramatically! Time-saving enhancements help you meet important deadlines
New! Suite-wide integration With the seamless interface, you can switch between CorelDRAW 12, Corel PHOTO-PAINT 12 and Corel R.A.V.E 3 effortlessly to efficiently lay out and edit vector objects and bitmap images. New! Touch-up brush Remove defects in your images and see the results in real time as you apply the touch up to your images. New! Customization Customize applications by arranging the Menu Bar, toolbars, Property Bar and Status Bar to suit your needs. At any time, you can drag and drop controls within your workspace. Improved file compatibility streamlines your workflow
New! Wide compatibility Choose from more than 100 import and export filters, including Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG), AutoCAD, HPGL, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe PDF, to easily exchange files, review projects and share work. New! Export to Microsoft Office or WordPerfect Office Publish designs for use in your office productivity suite to enhance text documents by adding graphics published directly from CorelDRAW Graphics Suite to Microsoft Office or WordPerfect Office. New! Easy deployment and accuracy of production files Publish designs to PDF to ensure compatibility with service bureaus, and get instant feedback on final output from the integrated, advanced preflight system. One comprehensive suite gives you outstanding value
New! Comprehensive suite Get three industry-leading applications in one integrated, easy to-use graphics suite, all at an incredible price. New! Professional design utilities Instantly access a host of professional tools included in the suite, such as CorelTRACE, Corel Capture, Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications, Kodak Digital Science colour management system and QuickTime 6.0 Player. New! Supporting content Customize applications by arranging the Menu Bar, toolbars, Property Bar and Status Bar to suit your needs. At any time, you can drag and drop controls within your workspace.
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