Apple Question

[jimzim75]

Hi All,
I been playing around with the apple that I got. In Corel Draw there doesn't seem to have the same amount of option
that are available on a PC. So switching over to apple, have most of you apple
users gone over to using Adobe Illustrator?

Point in case, is the interactive fill dialogue doesn't seem to be available the way it is on PC version of the Corel Draw 11.
Granted the Adobe Illustrator seems to be more powerful program. It going to take time to learn it. Time that I would
rather not spend. The more I learn about apple, the more it seems I going to have to learn Illustrator.
Jim

 

[Andrew Biggs]

Hi Jim

I know nothing of Apple computers but have you had a look at Corel X3 for the macs.

I'm using X3 on my PC and it's very good.

Hope this helps.

Cheers
Andrew

 

[Andy]

Jim,
What version of Corel are you running on the Mac? I have been using a Mac but have been hesitant to buy any older Mac version of Corel on Ebay because of mixed reports about compatability with the new Intel based machines. I'd be curious to know what you have.

 

[jimzim75]

Hi Andrew,
As far as I know Corel X3 is a PC program only. The only version that
was written for Apple/Mac is Corel version 11, and that's the only one.

Hi Andy, I have Apple pro-Mac lap top with a dual core processor
and the version 11 doesn't work on it. I think version 11 was written for
single processors format only.

I now have an Apple e-Mac which it does run on, I think because its
an older machine.

To get what I need out of a graphics program, it looks like I'm going
back to school for Adobe Illustrator. Oh well, maybe I can cheat on
the honey do list, my wife has got me doing. Ten minutes here, thirty
minute there, you know the drill.

Jim

 

[thekoabenchgoldsmith]

Aloha Jim,
I've been an Apple Macintosh user for several years. Havent used Illustrator for a while but I am familiar with its methods. Never used Corel seriously. Only looked it over on a friends Mac.

What are you using the application for? Illustrator is a very powerful application. It lets you work with line in some amazing ways. If youre using it for designing engraving I can't think, to tell the truth how you get the thick thin look of an engraved line but I have no doubrt Illustrator lets you do that. It's all about selecting segments of lines and using the anchor points to adjust that portion of the lines properties...thickness, color, direction, etc.

I am responding somewhat after ther fact...you may have already got the information you need.

Aloha,
Robert Booth
The Koa Bench Goldsmith

 

[RoycroftRon]

Another program to check out

I have a mac as well. I find Macromedia Freehand to be a fairly decent program for making layouts. I have not used corel so I do not know how it compares. Freehand is similar to illustrator but I find it a little friendlier.

 

[jimzim75]

Design stuff

Aloha Robert,
I wouldn't worry to much about response time on the threads.
With the work load that engravers have and customer asking where's
my job. I personally fit it emails to cafe' where I can. Case in point this
response.

I personally like Corel Draw mostly because it was the first thing I
picked to use for design for engraving. Sam and other engravers had
found it a good tool for lay out of lettering and designing of patterns for
engraving. It's not that other programs don't work equally as good or
better. For me it's comfortable and has exactly the tools I need in my
business. I don't use either word perfect or MS works for writing letters.
I use Corel Draw, because I feel it's more versatile.
For Jewellery estimates, I can draw up a quick picture of a ring
in a one to one ratio and then blow it up so the customer can see all
the details.
I was a bit upset because I couldn't find stuff on the Apple version
because the menus are laid out a little different than the windows version.
I was looking for tools but they're call preferences in the apple menus.
Preferences are also located on the other side of the window also. But everything
is there and works slightly better on the Apple.

I have started to teach myself with the help of www.lynda.com
Adobe illustrator. It seems to be a stronger program with a lot of
wiz bang stuff. So far, I'm impressed. It's still awkward for me to use
but will get better with more project I do.

With as much time as it takes to learn a new program, I try to spend my
time wisely. With me, I have to schedule time to study, other wise work and family would
not allow any time.

Jim

 

[Bill Tokyo]

Macintosh-Illustrator and Photoshop

I've used Macintosh for ten years, ever since shifting from Windows machines. I got tired of all the upkeep Windows evolved, and spending part of my week on repair, every week. Since making the shift ten years ago, I have been very satisfied with Mac.

My company is very graphics intensive and I have also taught drawing in art school, and it is hard to imagine
anything better for graphics than Macintosh.

Basically Illustrator works in a suite with Photoshop. Think of them as working hand in hand. I would
strong advise that you take the time to learn both of them, even if it means going back to night school
to do so. The depth to both of these programs is unbelievable. For what most engravers need, a few
months of study will suffice. I know of no serious graphics firm that uses Corel, and here in Japan no one
has ever even heard of it.

Probably the best way to learn Illustrator is to get four or five books on using it, set a weekend aside,
and sit down and learn it. Same for Photoshop. Then once you learn it, sign up for some classes at
your local Community College, correct what you are doing wrong and learn some things you've
skipped over.

Basically Illustrator is a Pov-ray type program and Photoshop a raster type program, which are the two broad divisions of graphics programs. Once you learn Illustrator, the step to CAD/CAM, painting programs and
other Pov-ray type programs is very small.

I personally feel that Illustrator and Photoshophis is a vocabulary so essential to anyone doing anything
at all in graphics--and this means engravers in particular--that no one can possibly afford to ignore it.

Bill

 

[jimzim75]

Hi Bill,
As I'm finding out Apple is a great platform for graphic, but not totally
without flaws. I have my son staying with us for a month between shoots.
He has the promac 2.3 dual core. I hear him muttering about Apple not
paying enough attention with OS 10.8.10 and spending to much time
on the iPhone stuff. He cured his problem by formatting the whole drive
then re installing OS 10.8.9 This was for procuts, an movie editing program.

I'm very happy with eMac. Me going back and taking classes turns into a time issue.
This is going to be true of at least half the engravers out there.
So my solution is to do internet courses. With www.lynda.com I can
wrap the courses around my schedule rather that trying to make 6:00pm
class that's fifty miles away. With the aid of some good text, the learning
seems to be going as fast as if I were going to night school.
An added bonus is that I can look into other classes on different programs
also. The other thing is the amount of information I'm learning can be a
challenge. So going back and looking a lesson again, is a good thing.

My son learned both programs on a weekend but myself. It's going to at
least take four days.

Jim

 

[Bill Tokyo]

Learning Mac

What your son says is true. Mac users have a tendency to praise Mac to the high heavens and act as though
it has no faults. Compared to Window platforms, it does not have many, but it still has them, and after all
is a durn machine. Learning the inwardness of the thing takes time.

As for learning programs, I think everyone has their own way. My own reason for suggesting four or five
books at once is that it seems that every book skips something important.

One thing that you will find once you get used to the Mac is that your work goes much faster than
Windows, because you waste so little time constantly going back and forth. We have three Macs and one Window machine in our office, and I find that doing work on a Mac always takes about 20% less time than doing the same work on Windows.

Anyway, good luck with Illustrator.

Bill

 

[Sam]

I've been a Mac user a little over a year. Is it perfect? Of course not. Like many things, it has it's pros, cons, and idiosyncrasies. It's been the best computer decision I've ever made, but might not be for others. For what I do (graphics, photo editing, web design, video editing) it's smooth, robust, and powerful. Also, my MacBook Pro beats the pants off any laptop I've ever owned.

Abigail still prefers her PC, and snickers at me everytime I have a Mac-related problem! / ~Sam

 

[John B.]

Abigail still prefers her PC, and snickers at me everytime I have a Mac-related problem! / ~Sam

But I bet it's a cute snicker, Sam!

 

[Sam]

Of course...she's as cute as a button!