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Graphics and Design Software

In the old days of print media, it tooks hours of careful clipping, pasting and preparing before even getting a periodical off to the printing press. Complex kerning and tracking methods could lead a graphic designer to waste valuable time shrinking and expanding text to make it fit properly on a page. No more do designers have to take such pains to perfect minute details. Indeed, computers will do that job for them. Modern graphic design programs have revolutionized the design process, from photo editing to layout to publication. Desktop publishing lets designers and writers focus on the big stuff, while the computer takes care of the details.

Layout and Design Programs

When the first edition of PageMaker came out in 1985, it was actually less useful than old fashioned publishing. Frequent crashes, the inability to manipulate text and discrepencies between display and printed output hurt the usability of early programs. However, twenty years later, its difficult for a graphic designer to imagine returning to non-computerized layout methods. There are two main competitors in the layout and design software market. Each has a storied history and each has its own special functions and utility. There are a few third party manufacturers, but their software is lacking and can generally not be considered a replacement for either of the big sellers (though Apple's Pages program is a good place for home users looking to learn the basics).

Adobe InDesign

Quark XPress

Illustration Programs

Though there may never be a proper digital replacement for paint and canvas, computer-based illustration programs have developed their own unique functionality. The features at an artists fingertips are near limitless with these applications. They are particularly useful for editing scanned or uploaded images and performing need effects tricks. Cropping, airbrushing and blurring have never been such easy tasks. There are essentially two types of illustration software: vectorbased editors and bitmap graphics editors are suited as complimentary programs as opposed to competiting ones. Both can have some animation capabilities.

Vector-based Editors

* Vector-based editors are best suited to deal with typography, logos, technical illustrations, diagraming and flowcharting. * EPS, PDF, WMF and SVG are the most popular vector-based formats. * Popular vectorIllustrator'>Adobe Illustrator and ConceptDraw.

Bitmap Graphics Editor

* Bitmap graphics editors are best suited for retouching, photo editing and artful illustration. * Popular bitmap or "raster" formats include JPEG, GIF, PNG and TIFF. *Corel Painter are popular bitmaps graphics editors. There are also applications that can function in both program types. These applications have grown increasingly popular and most competiting nonPro'>Corel PaintShop Pro.