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Serif DrawPlus

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Serif DrawPlus Editor's Review

For vector illustration and publishing needs, a majority of graphic designers and media agencies rely on expensive and feature rich apps from industry behemoths like Adobe and Corel. However, for intermediate level users or freelance designers, there are less expensive choices available. If you find the price tag of Corel’s graphics site steep and are not fond of Adobe’s subscription based packages, opt for Serif DrawPlus. Released by Nottingham based Serif Ltd, this is a versatile vector illustration software that also packs in decent bitmap manipulation tools. The new release is aimed at users who want professional looking results without taxing wallets heavily.

Serif DrawPlus has modest hardware requirements compared to many of the rival apps. Users with Windows XP SP3 and later versions can use it. The app offers support for 64 bit Windows versions, which means users can work with larger and complex files in less time without facing system slowdowns. The installation is not tedious and it prompts you to install Apple QuickTime 7. The app provides support for pressure based stylus tablets for professional quality drawing and also packs in a pressure calibrator.

DrawPlus has a number of intuitive tools that resemble Illustrator’s functionality. The toolbars and drop down menus have been placed atop the screen while rulers are at both sides for measurement benefits. The comprehensive toolset is located at the screen’s left side. At the screen’s right side there is the Studio- which has been segregated into 3 departments. The app lets you import major graphic file formats including PDFs. It can also import Illustrator AI files without hassle.

There are some notable new features in this version of DrawPlus, apart from 64- bit support. The arc tool and Spiral tool are quite handy and they will benefit cartoon artists much. The app also offers enhanced text wrapping and control including text flow around objects. The color palette has also been improved to an extent. You can create color palettes from specific images and now DrawPlus offers support for Pantone GOE colour system.

With the app’s QuickShapes tool you can make 3D and 2D shapes and combine them to make complex figures. The Instant 3D button can turn the shapes you draw into 3D. However, the 3D control and tweaking options are somewhat limited. You can tinker with lighting and texture but there is no individual node based editing option. However, DrawPlus’s Brush and Pen tools are quite exhaustive and users who love drawing will feel blissful about the variety available. You have in depth control over single brushstroke. You can pick from sponge, fog, chalk, marker pen and many similar brushes for simulating realistic painting.

Another notable feature in the app is its Keyframe Animation Studio. With it, you can animate gallery of objects along vector lines and export them in Flash or video formats. It is quite user friendly but at best aimed at beginners in animation.

The Stencil Tab is a welcome addition. A range of handy stencil templates lets you paint using masks quickly. Apart from the provided stencil shapes, you can create custom shapes from images and save them under Stencils tab. The bundled Auto-Trace Studio is another commendable component in DrawPlus. You can turn bitmap images into vector artwork using this feature quickly. Vectors are immensely scalable and when you combine them with stencils, there is literally no boundary to creative drawing.

While DrawPlus is an app you will use more for drawing than printing, Serif has thrown in extensive printing and output options. You can export in variety of PC image file formats and inclusion of PDF/X-3 standard is icing on the cake. Its Export Optimizer offers you a preview of what the drawing will look like, with a WYSIWYG side-by-side display.

However, the app still has some problem areas that need to be ironed out. While Serif touts about DrawPlus’s native 64 bit support, at times the app can respond sluggishly. Some edits do not get rendered unless you zoom out or in. DrawPlus does have a crash recovery mechanism but it does not retain recent changes made to the drawing.

Positive Points:
 -   Decent pricing, offers bang for the buck.
 -   Native 64 bit support.
 -   Useful tools like Stencil Tab, Auto-Trace Studio.
 -   Intuitive workspace, Lower learning curve.

Negative Points:
 -   3D tool lacks extensive control.
 -   App becomes sluggish and crashes occasionally.

Conclusion:
Serif DrawPlus may not be the most perfect vector drawing application but it offers reasonably good performance and feature set for its price. The features like Auto-Trace Studio, Stencil Tab and Keyframe Animation Studio help users unleash their creativity. The user friendly interface and wide file format support makes working with the app simpler. The minor glitches like basic 3D controls and occasional slowdowns can disappoint professional users but others have no reason to complain. One might want to consider Adobe Illustrator for heavy duty usage.

Rating: 3.5/5







Serif DrawPlus Publisher's Description

DrawPlus offers the complete drawing and editing experience. Simple vector drawing tools help you create custom lines, shapes and curves, with advanced tools for targeted drawing, merging and blending. And because the final image is a vector drawing, you can easily rescale artwork without losing quality.

Free download from Shareware Connection - A popular drawing software for web and print that includes cliparts, fonts

Publisher: Serif | License: Shareware | Price: -
Version: X6 | Platform: WinOther
Released Date: 03-08-2009 | Rating: 5 | Title: Serif DrawPlus

Author Url: http://www.serif.com/
Program Info Url: http://www.serif.com/drawplus/index.aspx
Download Url: http://www.serif.com/drawplus/index.aspx

More downloads from Serif DrawPlus publisher Serif:

Affinity Designer - Professional graphic design software for the Mac.

Serif DrawPlus related downloads:

DejaVu Serif Condensed - DejaVu Serif Condensed is a TTF character that was created in order to assist you in modifying the overall aspect of your digital papers.

DejaVu Serif Bold Italic - DejaVu Serif Bold Italic is a truetype font that will allow you to change the regular appearance of your written documents.

Serif Pixel-7 - A classic serif pixel font.

Usher Fonts TT - Rubicon Usher sans serif font, accurate and well hinted.

Hudson Condensed Fonts TT - Rubicon Hudson Condensed sans serif font, accurate and well hinted.

Shareware Connection periodically updates pricing and software information of 'Serif DrawPlus' from company source 'Serif' , so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it. Software piracy is theft,  Using 'Serif DrawPlus' crack, password, serial numbers, registration codes, key generators is illegal and prevent future development of Serif DrawPlus.

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