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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: 647
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:
 Great power and features, but learning curve may vary April 6, 2008
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
The Corel line of graphics software has always carried the burden of being the second choice and often the second experience of Adobe software users. Those who encounter the software after experience with the main Adobe-produced rivals (Illustrator and Photoshop) will experience it very differently than those who are looking to learn professional graphics from the start with Corel.
Though I am a very experienced user of Adobe products, I tried to experience Corel Draw (the vector graphics portion) and Photo Paint (the bitmap graphics portion) with an eye toward evaluating it as someone who wasn't already comfortable with a different interface, but who was interested in a professional level graphics package, as well as someone who may decide to transition away from the pricier Adobe products. I will offer my perspective from both of these viewpoints:
As a newcomer to pro graphics:
There is a lot of power and flexibility. Photo Paint offers alpha channels, lighting effects, masking, and a good selection of filters for those who want to "play" with images. It is able to open and save to a variety of file formats and can rasterize vector images. A lot of functions are quite intuitive (e.g., image straightening, filter effects), though programs with the breadth and depth of a professional program have a great many levels and no one who is new to them can grasp them immediately or without underlying knowledge of what all the terms mean. It's important not to mistake this graphics package as one designed for the hobbyist or person looking to modestly tweak images for web pages. The complex functionality it possesses is to allow folks working in industries that need finer work to get it done and it certainly allows for that and more.
In terms of how easy it is to understand the programs, CorelDraw is definitely a lot tougher to grasp, but that is the nature of vector graphics programs. However, I do believe that the way in which points (which are called "nodes" in Draw) are edited when working with Bezier curves could be more intuitive. Having to select each node and change its type by clicking a button in order to alter the way in which the control handles work is tedious. It'd be much better to have a modifier key to "break" curves where desired.
The help files and tutorials are excellent and I had not trouble tracking down information to help me do what I wanted to do. However, an absolute beginner will likely need to do the video training for more hand-holding than I required. It's hard to get your head around the way computer graphics work, but Corel certainly provides the tools to try if the user is willing to take the time to learn. The software can only take you so far when it comes to something this complex.
Corel also provides a huge variety of templates, clip art and fonts which Adobe does not. This makes the entire package more appealing to folks who work in publishing but do not create custom content and mainly want to tweak clip art or stock images.
As an experienced Adobe user:
One immediately resists every part of the interface which does not conform to what one is used to in Photoshop and Illustrator. This is much more troublesome in CorelDraw since drawing works best when one can use the tools effortlessly to gain the desired result. If you're looking to make the change to break free of Adobe's higher prices, the first thing you have to do is be patient with the interface differences. Some gritting of teeth may be involved. You'll likely find, on the whole, that some things are better in Corel's interface and some are worse compared to Adobe's, though Adobe's interface has a more professional and polished feel. The filters in particular sometimes have a cheesy and clunky feel to them, though they are easy enough to use.
The second thing you have to do is make sure that all of your native file format files (.ai and .psd) have been saved into more universally accessible formats (EPS, TIFF) as neither PhotoPaint nor Draw will reliably open all Adobe native format files. In my tests, native Photoshop files always opened but sometimes with missing layers. When I attempted to open an Illustrator native file, I was told the file was compressed (though it was not) and that it needed to be re-saved in an uncompressed state. Resaving as an EPS file fixed the problem.
Conclusions:
* If I wanted to prepare myself for work in the graphics industry and wanted something less expensive than the Adobe CS package, I'd not hesitate to buy this suite to learn the ins and outs of professional graphics, particularly if I were planning on working freelance. However, I'd keep in mind that most publishers will work in Adobe software and I may need to learn their software eventually if I were to pursue office work.
* If I were working in a publishing industry which did small amounts of editing of vector and bitmap images and needed to do color adjustments for professional printing, I'd seriously consider the Corel Suite though I'd investigate how effective the color separations worked for my particular needs. However, I would not rely on it for layout work (nor would I rely on Illustrator or Photoshop for layout) unless I only worked with flyers, brochures, posters, or other very short documents.
* If I were an Adobe user looking to break free of the expensive shackles of Adobe software, I'd have to think long and hard before making the change as there would be some productivity loss getting acclimated to the interface and some differences in functionality that I may not want to accept.
Affordable, functional and easy-to-use April 5, 2008
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
CoreDRAW Graphics Suite X4 delivers a powerful yet intuitive set of graphics programs intended for busy professionals, graphics specialists and other interested end users. The product includes: CorelDRAW, a vector illustration and page layout software; Corel PHOTO-PAINT for photo editing and retouching; Corel PowerTRACE for tracing bitmap files and converting them to vector images; and a library of commercial-ready clip art, photos, fonts and templates. Corel has chosen to bundle this software and sell it a price point that offers a tremendous value to end users.
Competing in a product category that is notorious for having steep learning curves, I personally found DRAW X4 to be a breath of fresh air. As a new user of Corel, I simply installed the DVD and began using the photo editing tools to great effect straight away -- without resorting to Help screens or the enclosed manuals (although you can also print hundreds of pages of documentation from the DVD if you want to). Similarly, CorelDRAW makes designing and publishing documents a snap with plenty of templates to get you started. All of this is a real plus for multitasking professionals who need access to great graphics software but cannot afford the time and frustration of sifting through seemingly endless help screens, myriad books or attending days and days of time-consuming and expensive training classes.
I was also pleased to find that DRAW X4 ran smoothly on my MS XP machine, considering Corel's touting of its MS Vista integration and the typically heavy resources that graphics programs tend to consume. Again, this helps enormously in work environments where the lines between marketing, communications, and graphics production tend to blur: if you wear multiple hats, you can open DRAW X4 and keep on doing the other things you need to do without missing a beat.
I highly recommend this breakthrough product to professionals, students or anyone else who might need an affordable, functional and easy-to-use graphics suite.
Clean and Intuitive Interface and Easy to Use April 5, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
A lot of people use Adobe Illustrator, but there is another very fine drawing program out there and this is it. Like with Illustrator you can design and create logos, ads, illustrations for websites and so much more. The program ships with a gang of royalty free software, 10,000 clip art images which you can use in your projects, 1,000 first class photos which you can also use. And 1,000 fonts, which is good for all of us who cannot afford the very expensive Adobe Font Library.
The interface is clean, intuitive and the program is easy to use, though I did watch the videos which came with it and they helped a lot. Also, this is a full fledged vector based program, just like Adobe Illustrator, but you can do page design with it as well, like you would in Quark Express or Adobe InDesign. However, sadly I don't think Photo-Paint in the suite measures up to Adobe Photoshop, but still, it's a useful part of the program.
All in all, I'd say you'll get your money's worth with CoralDraw X4. You can use it instead of Illustrator or Quark and InDesign and that's saying a lot, it really is.
A Graphics Suite that will Suit Just About Everybody April 5, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
You get a lot of good stuff with this package, besides just the Graphics Suite. Lots of folks will appreciate the 10,000 clip art images, but I didn't need them, so I deleted them from my hard drive. I also didn't keep the 1,000 high res photos from iStockphoto. I do use a lot of professional photos, but I have an account with iStockphoto and so I didn't need any extras cluttering up my hard drive. HOwever the 1,000 OpenType fonts, those I kept and I'll most likely used them a lot.
The user guide is easy to understand and the video training that comes with the program is, I imagine, helpful, though I only looked at it for a second as I'm pretty familiar with graphics programs, so I just dove right in. CoralDRAW X4 was easy for me to understand, though I'm an old hand at both Freehand (Mac) and Illustrator (Mac and PC), so I didn't expect any problems and didn't get any. If you don't have those programs, then this could easily be a drawing program for you. Corel PHOTO-PAINT was also pretty easy for me to figure out, though I use their Painter program a lot and am a dedicated Photoshop user. Again, if you don't have those programs and they are are expensive, and if you don't have a need for all the tools at your hand in Photoshop, then this suite just might be for you. It's easy to figure out, but if you need help there is plenty there. All in all, I'd have to say this is a graphics suite that would suit just about everybody.
 Worth the upgrade April 4, 2008
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
For those wondering if CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4 brings enough to the table to justify an upgrade, consider yourself invited to the buffet. X3 was nice, but overall X4 runs much smoother and integrates many more uses and tools, making it well worth the investment. Truly a leader in illustration and design, Corel has changed around their entire interface for X4, along with making everything easier to use with Vista. Another nice addition is the access to WhatTheFont online, which is a great resource for identifying fonts and using them in your own design work. Another huge upgrade over X3 is the Photo-Paint application, which really adds to the value of the overall package. In the end, Corel has managed to seamlessly integrate almost everything included in this bundle, providing an almost endless supply of resources and tools to get your ideas off and running. The only downside may be this is a difficult program to learn for a beginner, or someone more familiar with Adobe software and interface. If you are new to Corel, be prepared to spend a few hours getting used to everything, and don't be too concerned with failure when trying different features. Once you get it down, it is worth the trouble.
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