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| CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4 [DVD] | ![CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4 [DVD]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51VF4KhO7lL._SL160_.jpg)
 enlarge | From: Corel
Category: Software
List Price: $429.00
Buy New: $299.07
You Save: $129.93 (30%)
New (32) Used (2) from $199.95
Avg. Customer Rating:  75 reviews
Sales Rank: 235
Format: Dvd-rom
Platforms: Windows Vista, Windows Xp
Media: DVD-ROM
Edition: Standard
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Shipping Weight (lbs): 6
Dimensions (in): 9.6 x 8.1 x 3.1
MPN: CDGSX4ENPC
Model: CDGSX4ENPC
UPC: 735163119206
EAN: 0735163119206
ASIN: B0012KZKZC
Release Date: February 22, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 A great program August 28, 2008
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4 is an amazing thing - it can get someone like me, computer challenged, where the creative, graphics and visual aspects are needed - I can visualize what I want, but have found it hard to put those thoughts in a file like I want them.
This product helps to just that - with remarkable ease.
This is a must for anyone who does a lot of visual creations with the computer, and Corel is one of the premier names in computer quality products.
An excellent product.
 A great solution for non-professional designers August 28, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
CorelDraw Graphics Suite X4 is a very solid program. It does most of what Adobe Illustrator does (vector-based graphic design) and much of what Adobe InDesign does (desktop publishing) in one handy application.
CorelDraw would be an ideal solution for a small business or organization that does a fair amount of advertising-creation and publication design in-house. With one application (well-priced when compared to buying both Illustrator and InDesign), the content creator can achieve very professional results.
The app is also friendly to first-time users. It offers more than 80 customizable document templates that will be useful to newbies. While there is still a learning curve for new users, the app has an intuitive interface that will help get the user up and running relatively quickly.
The problem for CorelDraw is that Illustrator has become the default vector app in the design/pre-press community. Professionals should still start with Illustrator and Quark and/or InDesign -- they're the industry standards. While CorelDraw is very good, it would need to be awesome to unseat Illustrator, and that isn't going to happen anytime soon.
CorelDraw has new file formats that enable docs to be shared between CorelDraw and Adobe apps. This is handy, but also shows which format and apps are the most common -- Adobe's. If you're in a design situation where you're going to have to worry about your files working in Adobe formats, you should just go ahead and use Adobe products.
Another thing: Because the Adobe products are the standard, there are numerous training DVDs and books to purchase that can help you get the most out of your apps. With CorelDraw, not so much.
I feel bad for good apps like CorelDraw. I wish I could talk just about the app itself and not bring in a discussion about Adobe's competitive products, but given the way the design industry works -- or any technology-based industry, for that matter -- you always have to bring the front-running application into the mix.
That being said, if you're not a graphic designer or a pre-press operator but are instead a multitasking, Windows-based employee at a company or organization who has been put in charge of creating brochures, pamphlets and the like, CorelDraw will answer your needs very well. If you're someone who doesn't need to share files often with design colleagues, publishing clients or service bureaus (who are most likely using Adobe apps almost exclusively), then you have no worries.
BTW, if you're already using CoreDraw, it's worth the upgrade. The font-identifying tool alone makes it worth it, at least for me.
Way more than I need - but a great product for professionals August 22, 2008
This review has been long in the making as I've struggled to find reasons to delve deeper into this massive software suite. I have no complaints about the user-friendliness of the programs. Corel is not hard to figure out and there are plenty of tutorials and help resources included. I've never attempted to use a graphics programs before, let alone the previous edition of CorelDRAW, so this was all new - and intimidating - to me. But I needn't be intimidated by anything other than the sheer volume of applications, because the drag-and-drop for formatting and such made things fairly easy to handle.
I wish I could say I was a business owner, because in that case I would have many more uses for this program. Fooling around with the program for review purposes, I was able to create mock-ups of webpage layouts that looked pretty good. With more motivation (i.e. practical reason for using this) I am confident that I could do pretty well with DRAW. There are a lot of photos, clipart, and templates included - you can tinker around with this stuff for hours and hours. Not to keep driving at the same point, as much as I like this software I would love it if I had more I could apply it to. Perhaps in the future.
It takes up quite a bit of room to install - it requires a DVD-ROM drive (which should be pretty obvious from the product name that includes DVD in brackets) - and it took a long, long time to actually install. Not that I am complaining, I don't have the greatest system in the world. It is a fairly new computer though, so if you are working with a computer that you have been planning to upgrade -- I recommend doing so before trying to put this on your computer. I have no point of reference to compare this to, having never used a similar product. But I certainly have no complaints and no reason to bother with anything similar - this does it all.
USE the tutorial... August 18, 2008
I (In2Jesus) bought this program for my friend who enjoys doing graphic design. She had been telling me about Corel Draw for a few years.
She has a catering busniess and has tins that she uses for tea and used it to help create the tea tin labels. She said although it was very technical, once using the tutorial, she was able to navigate Corel Draw. here is her view of Corel Draw from using it on and off over the last six months.
"First, I want to say, this Corel Draw is humongous! At first glance, with all the booklets, the size of the program and the complexity of work, I was overwhelmed...THEN, since I am a girl, I have no problems asking for directions, I immediately went to the tutorial. The tutorial was like Jesus to a Christian. So enlightening and encouraging that I felt like a real experienced novice!!
Second, for the price, I think it is price gouging...but I really love what it did for my Fifth Anniversary digital pictures. For example, we were in London and had a server take a picture of us at the Ritz, and took the picture in front of a mirror causing the flash to glare at me. But with a little knowledge from the tutorial, I was able to get rid of it. I would defintiely recommend this to all my friends.
I was able to put my face on the on the body of Julia Roberts and it looked pretty darn convincing. Because we know that all we need to paste our head onto Julia Roberts.
My point is this, although it is a very expnesive product and the price itself would deter just about anyone but a coorporation, this package is worth buying if you are really into graphic design. It does things that I have barely begun to discover yet, and wont for months to come. I will be doodling around without creating my own graphics the tools for creating your own graphics are astounding and one of the booklets describes how the process works so I am excited to start the process!!!"
I hope this was helpful to all of you.
God Bless ~Amy
Somewhat of a competitor to Photoshop... August 16, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
If you do any kind of graphics creation at all on a regular basis, there is one reason why you MUST have this program: Converting images to vector graphics on a budget. In a nutshell, this means that you can infinitely reduce or enlarge an image with NO distortion, and still have money in your pocket. Other reasons? I have about 2500 fonts, and the font navigator is fantastic for finding just the right typeface. The screen capture software is of little use to me, but for folks who need screencaps from games, movies, etc., it might prove very useful. For fontaholics, obsessive clip art collectors, and beginners, the program comes with fonts and a nice starter pack of clip art so you'll be ready to start playing right away.
I have to admit, I'm not crazy about the interface. It's about on the same level as Photoshop for confusion, but there seems to be a trade-off in graphics programs: The more a program can do, the more complicated the buttons and menus. I only caught on as quickly as I did because I have used other programs for years, and knew to keep looking when I couldn't find or duplicate a certain function. Fortunately you'll never really be on your own.
What's great about Corel is that they have so many tutorials and great product support. Even if you've familiar with other graphics programs, you'll find new features to explore, and if you're unsure of something, you can always find help for it. You won't find the plethora of third-party books, classes and online tutorials like with Photoshop, but with Corel's resources and/or a rudimentary knowledge of other programs, you probably won't need them. This will require more effort, but for me the end results were worth it.
While I don't feel that this program is a serious competitor for Photoshop, it's a GREAT, less expensive alternative. If you want something more than Corel's Paint Shop Pro (another great product), but you don't have an Adobe budget, you should seriously look at this program.
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