RASTER PROGRAMS

Adobe Photoshop

Program intended for development and editing of raster (bitmap) graphics and surely a standard in the area. Its application is varied and it can: draw, paint, process or retouch the photographs, develop designer solutions, create web graphics and design program interfaces, and it also enables basic operations necessary for web page development etc. The demands of the modern graphic industry would not be possible without a program such as this one, and knowing it is not just an option anymore, it is dire need. The package also includes Image Ready program, used for creation of simple animations or menus for internet pages.

WEB: http://www.adobe.com | Tutorijal

Corel PhotoPaint

A program for development and processing of raster (bitmap) graphics, which in its early versions posed a great competition for Photoshop, but in time disappeared from the scene. The reason for that are options and functionalities which lag behind the Adobe product, as well as bad marketing. It usually comes in a CorelDraw package intended for creation and processing of graphic elements and it can be used as an alternative to Photoshop. Its additional advantage is the possibility to read and work with Photoshop documents. 

WEB: http://www.corel.com

Jasc Paint Shop Pro

Program intended for processing and creation of raster graphics which is behind the competition in the options it offers, but has gathered its market primarily with a very accessible price. Regardless of all these facts, this program will definitely satisfy the lowest demanding users, and people dealing with simpler types of photo processing.

WEB: http://www.jasc.com

Corel Painter

Narrowly specialised for drawing and painting, this program is ahead of all competition in that field. Painters and drawing artists, much more than designers or people working with photo processing, are its primary audience. It has a simple interface and is very good at simulating drawing tools such as pencil, pen, tempera, crayons etc. The use of graphic tablet and electronic pencil is recommendable in combination with this program.

WEB: http://www.corel.com

Macromedia Fireworks

Program for processing and development of raster graphics especially intended for internet pages. It usually comes in a package with programs such as Flash and Dreamweaver, and excellently complements their functionalities. It is for that reason that it is becoming more and more common. Its quality, however, cannot match that of Adobe PhotoShop or Corel PhotoPaint. It is closer to Adobe ImageReady

WEB: http://www.macromedia.com

 

VECTOR PROGRAMS

Corel DRAW!

This is a program primarily for development and processing of vector graphics, but it can also be used for page folding of graphics and text and it contains some simpler tools for raster image correction. As a program for development and processing of vector graphics, Corel Draw is one of the most popular tools in this part of the world. Although it lost the popularity it had during the mid 90s in the world market, it is still very popular in the area of Eastern Europe. The reason for that is a very acceptable price which includes a package of programs for different types of computer made graphics, and a relatively high quality.

WEB: http://www.corel.com

Macromedia Freehand

Program for processing and development of vector graphics of similar functionalities as the Corel product, but it is slowly imposing itself on the market as the leading program for that purpose.  The reason for that is its great interactivity with other Macromedia programs, especially Flash. Although these two programs have more or less the same capacities, the greatest difference between them is the interface, since Corel Draw’s is different from most of the other similar programs.

WEB: http://www.macromedia.com

Adobe Illustrator

On of the most common and most often used programs for development and processing of vector graphics. Unlike Corel Draw and Macromedia Freehand it is not versatile, but specialized in a very narrow area. It is intended strictly for development of vector illustration, the area in which it is definitely in front of its competition. Due to a relatively high price, it is mostly used in developed western countries. It is not intended for processing, page folding or working with pages. It is intended for people with propensity for art more than for people of technical profile.

WEB: http://www.adobe.com

Xara X

Xara X is a direct descendant of Corel Xara, a program which was very popular in the 90s, which has nowadays undeservedly lost much of its former importance in the field of vector illustration. Corel denounced the right to this program and Xara is now signed by a company under the same name. Although its interface is somewhat out of date, this program is still ahead of Corel Draw and Macromedia Freehand in its illustration capacity, and it can easily match Adobe Illustrator. Its main advantages are low demands, so it will not have problems operating on older or cheaper computers. Other functionalities of working with vector graphics are very limited. This is a good and non-demanding program, whose biggest problem is bad marketing.

WEB: http://www.xara.com