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JLP Asks – Drawing Software
By JLP | October 5, 2006
Do any of you have recommendations for drawing software? I’m looking for something that will allow me to design simple logos for use on my blog(s). I have used “Paint” which comes standard with Windows but it isn’t nearly as powerful as I need. I want something that will give me crisp, clear lines. Any suggestions? How much will I have to spend?
Topics: Blogging | 10 Comments »
October 5th, 2006 at 12:42 pm
It depends on what you really want to do with it. Top end stuff like Adobe Illustrator or Freehand are going to run $400-$600. On the other hand, Open Office has a pretty good drawing tool (better than Paint) and it’s free. You can get Open Office at openoffice.org.
I don’t really know anything about this one, but I’ve heard some good things and it’s free too – DrawPlus 4 – http://www.freeserifsoftware.com/software/DrawPlus/default.asp
October 5th, 2006 at 12:52 pm
How about MS’s Paint.NET?
October 5th, 2006 at 12:57 pm
Because of the popularity of digital cameras, there aren’t many drawing only programs – many are geared towards photo manipulation.
You could always try GIMP – it’s open source, therefore it’s free. http://www.gimp.com
You may also want to try Paint Shop Pro, but I haven’t used that in 5 years or so. http://apps.corel.com/lp/pspx/3360/
Photoshop/Illustrator/Freehand, etc, are all too expensive and powerful for the average consumer.
October 5th, 2006 at 1:23 pm
I use Adobe Photoshop at work, but I recc. using Adobe Elements. You can pick up a copy for $99 (less on sale) and it gives you most of the functionality of the full version. Surf over to http://www.adobe.com to try a trial version before you buy.
Good luck!
October 5th, 2006 at 1:34 pm
Here’s a second vote for GIMP. Given that I only use Linux on a day-to-day basis, it has done nicely in many situations for me. For 3D graphics, take a look at Blender at blender3d.org. I have used this before for more sophisticated logos and it has also done great.
October 5th, 2006 at 2:27 pm
Gimp is a good, free alternative to Photoshop. Painter is the premier natural drawing application.
October 5th, 2006 at 3:04 pm
Software choice will ultimately be up to you based upon your budget and preferences but I highly recommend a drawing tablet.
http://www.academicsuperstore.com/market/marketdisp.html?PartNo=743248
October 5th, 2006 at 4:10 pm
I prefer Photoshop. Of course, it’s a $600+ program. Less if you buy an old version. Alternatively, I’ll vote for GIMP as well. It’s free and is pretty darn close to a photoshop replacement.
October 5th, 2006 at 8:12 pm
I’m currently using Inkscape (free open source) as a temporary Illustrator replacement. If you want something to do logos, and want clean lines and the ability to scale a graphic without getting pixelated, you really do want a vector graphics program (like Illustrator and its competitors) rather than an image manipulation program (like Photoshop and its competitors). They take a bit of practice to learn, but its worth it if you’ll be doing this kind of work more than a couple of times.
Illustrator is the king of the hill, but expensive and probably overkill. (Much less expensive on student discount, though…)
Inkscape and SodiPodi are free open source projects. Not terribly polished, but effective. I don’t know if or how well they work on Windows. (I’m using Inkscape on OS X – works fine but definitely not a Mac app).
Some others I know about but haven’t tried:
Freehand and CorelDraw: at these prices, you might as well get Illustrator
Xara Xtreme: has some good buzz, but I don’t know much about it. Looks good on the website, though. $79
October 8th, 2006 at 9:31 pm
You might like to give Microsoft’s Expression design software a go. They’re offering free trial downloads.
http://www.microsoft.com/products/expression/en/default.mspx