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CorelDraw X3 Graphics Suite

CorelDraw Graphics Suite X3 installed without a problem and includes the following:

CorelDraw for Graphic placement and manipulation; Corel Photo-Paint for image editing; Corel PowerTrace, to convert pixel images-to-scaleable vector art, Corel Capture, for screen capturing; BitStream Font Navigator; and Pixmantec RawShooter Essentials, a RAW format converter for digital photographers; and three CDs with over 10,000 images; 1,000 OpenType fonts; 35 Windows Glyph List 4 fonts; and 100 templates.

CorelDraw 9 was my last update and although over the years I learned to use it well I was glad to see that X3 is more user friendly. Both the Training Video and the Hints Docker that can be turned off or on in both CorelDraw and Photo-Paint are excellent. The hints are intuitive and change as you work. Both programs also include the new Image Adjustment Lab. When images need retouching you select the image then Adjustment Lab and it opens in a window that includes most common photo editing commands. Working from a central location is good but the best part is the snapshots of the image it keeps at the bottom of the window as you make corrections. When you are finished you can choose the best picture. This eliminates all risk as you experiment.

For those that are upgrading, Corel provides the option to highlight tools that are new since your last version. At a glance, you see the tools you might want to test. When an image in CorelDraw needs correcting "Edit Bitmap" moves it to Photo Paint and once the corrections are complete and saved the edited image appears back in CorelDraw. Only problem I have with this is that you must overwrite your original image. I'd like to see it saved under a new name automatically to make it seamless.

Dockers containing the key tools needed to make related changes to the page and they can be turned on and off keeping the window uncluttered are not new, but three have been added in CorelDraw. The Bevel gives a three- dimensional look to vector objects, the Filet-Scallop-Chamfer allows corners to be changed from rounded or scalloped rounds or clipped. And the Step and Repeat is used to create duplicates in a specified direction, interval ,and number of times. In Photo-Paint, Dockers have been added for channels and a text formatting.

Corel Draw's ability to now make complex star designs easily is a fun and welcome addition. After picking the star type, the Properties Docker allows changes to the number of points, shape, fills, borders and text wrapping options. Smart Fill allows the smallest spaces in a complex drawing to be filled with color without allowing leakage at intersecting lines. Not quite perfect every time but improved. We can now Crop in CorelDraw like in Photo-Paint. Also Boundary Line allows the creation of the shape of the outer boundary of an object leaving the center empty. It leaves the original on the page so you can decide if you want to keep both images.

Along with the new features some of the old ones have improved greatly. Reduced Nodes can take the number of nodes on an imported bitmap from hundreds down to double digits without affecting the shape. The addition of arrows on the selected node's control handles make manipulating easier. Control for fitting Text to Path has been improved with the addition of a Context Toolbar and the ability to do some repositioning with the mouse.

Exporting to a PDF is now possible and many controls such as password protection for security can be set. This worked better than in other programs that promised the same thing.

Both CorelDraw and Photo-Paint allow for greatly improved text handling. The Character Formatting Docker in Photo-Paint, and both Character and Paragraph Dockers in CorelDraw provide easy access to drop-caps, align, kern, typeface selection, justification and more.

Corel Photo-Paint is a powerful image editor. Working with a composite vector/bitmap document is easy because of Paint's close integration with CorelDraw. One of the best additions is the Cutout Lab. We can draw a line around a finely detailed section of an image and then cut it out saving only the cut out or both the original and the cutout. Other photo-editing programs provide a similar feature but the Cutout Lab is easy and produced good results with very little effort.

CorelTrace, renamed Corel PowerTrace, has been improved and is integrated within CorelDraw, It converts bitmaps to vector graphics. The program generates an adjustable color palette and several tracing styles. It isn't perfect yet but I hope they keep working on it.


Pros: CorelDraw Suite X3 is stable and works hard for both the home user and the professional. Integration between CorelDraw and PhotoPaint, and CorelDraw and CorelTrace is an excellent addition. Exporting to PDF works flawlessly. Lots of fonts and Graphics are included.

Cons: Font manager and screen-capture utilities could use an upgrade. Edit Bitmap should provide the option to save with a different name rather than overwriting the image. Align vertical and align horizontal work backwards. When I tried to e-mail customer support I was told that since I received a Not For Sale product I wasn't entitled to free support. I was disappointed in this restriction because I have enjoyed support on previous products.

The Bottom Line: CorelDraw Graphics Suite X3 continues to enrich performance. When I started I didn't think I needed to upgrade but I soon learned it was a wise move.

System Requirements:
MS Windows 2000, MS Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, Windows XP
256 MB RAM- HD 200 MB
Pentium III, 600 MHz Processor 1,024 x 768 or better monitor resolution
CD ROM
Price: from $370

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