Graphics and Design Software Buying Guide

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Modern graphic design software  has eased the stress of designers, as now company logos, home designs, creative photo editing, and much more can all be done with a few clicks of the mouse.   The ease of desktop publishing lets artists and writers take care of the big projects, while the computer takes care of the details.   

Your Options

There is no single best graphic design software program.  There are, however, specific programs that are better suited for certain tasks than others.  Though Adobe,  Corel,  and Quark  are often the top names in the industry, they are not the only choices out there, and each program has its own special characteristics.  We are here to bring you our top recommendations for desktop publishing  and graphic design,  whether you are a small business, in-house, or freelance designer.

Layout and Design

Adobe InDesign

Many PC  and Mac  users have found that InDesign  is the clear leader of the pack when it comes to layout and design software.  

  • It is available as a stand-alone package or in three Creative Suite bundles,  which also include Acrobat,  Illustrator,  PhotoShop,  and other programs.  
  • Features intuitive design and control that allow for easy switching between text editing functions and layout functions.
  • Most often used for newsletters, newspapers and other short form publications.

Products:

 
QuarkXPress

Although InDesign  now threatens its desktop publishing dominance, QuarkXPress  remains a formidable tool in the hands of professionals.

  • Handles text and images as different objects to be dropped into user-designed boxes and templates.
  • Features colour design catering to printing press features.
  • Remains the top choice for graphics specialists and publishers of larger print media (books, journals, etc.)

Products:

Serif PagePlus

Serif PagePlus  is aimed at novice and professional users, as it is on-point with programs such as InDesign  and QuarkXPress,  yet it is a strong competitor for Windows uers looking to step away from Microsoft Office Publisher.  

  • Combines ease of use and professional output options. 
  • Includes PDF, word processing, drawing, and advanced layout and typesetting.
  • Great for users looking to do creative web publishing with special effects along with logo production and photo enhancement.

Products:

Microsoft Office Publisher

Despite all of its detractors, Microsoft Office Publisher  is a big step up from consumer printing programs and is full of quality features for Windows  users. 

  • This program fills the void between price and professionalism. 
  • It is best for users on a budget who are still looking for creative design features.
  • It is a top choice for business use where Microsoft Office  products are the standard.  

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Illustration and Image Editing

Vector-Based Editors

Vector  images are scalable drawings created from mathematical calculations (don't worry, the computer does it for you!).  Vector images can be reduced and enlarged with little loss of quality.  

  • They say that vector images tend to look more "artificial," as they are made up of lines and objects.  However, they ARE much easier to create than bitmaps.
  • EPS, PDF, WMF and SVG are the most popular vector-based formats.
  • Vector-based editors  are best suited to deal with typography, logos, technical illustrations, diagramming and flowcharting.

Products:

Bitmap Graphics Editors

Bitmap  images are made up of dots, or pixels, and are dependent on the output device for proper sizing.  Reducing or enlarging a bitmap image beyond its original size can often result in distortion or jagged edges.   

  • Photographs or images composed of photo-realistic components are bitmap images. They can contain a great deal of detail but should be created at the size they will be printed. 
  • Popular bitmap or "raster" formats include JPEG, GIF, PNG and TIFF.
  • Bitmap graphics editors  are best suited for retouching, photo editing and artful illustration.

Products:

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