Re: Corel/Adobe

At 3:09 PM 1/26/99, Martin Krzywinski wrote:
> I've never really tried either Illustrator or Freehand. I'd be really
> interested in a *functional* comparison between these three packages.
> I'm not really interested in learning curve or interface issues,
> because given enough time the only thing that's holding you back is
> the actual capability of the software.

Illustrator and FreeHand have areas of overlap, but FreeHand also covers a
larger space.

Both can be used to create single-page drawings for import elsewhere. It's
easy to bring illustrations to XPress, PageMaker, or Photoshop. If this is
the only work you do, then compare on the basis of artistic effects: meshes
vs lenses, brushes vs Xtras.

FreeHand is also a production graphics worktool. The difference is defined
by features such as multiple pages (of different sizes), radically larger
pasteboard, radically faster display, text and graphic styles, graphic
search'n'replace (vital!), stronger text and copyfitting abilities,
scriptability, graphic canopener ability, stronger print export (hex seps,
printer styles), stronger web export (HTML layouts, animated SWF, multipage
PDF). These aren't additional features so much as they are defining
differences.

Rephrased, both are drawing tools, but FreeHand is also a multipublishing
tool. It's strongly preferred by those who have demanding graphic work to
accomplish -- cartographers, newspaper syndicates, infographics, technical
illustration, package design, brochures, posters.

If your graphic chores mostly involve text-on-a-curve, though, then many
tools can fill the bill.

jd




John Dowdell, Macromedia Tech Support, San Francisco CA US
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