If you are tired of having to struggle with Adobe Photoshop, and can't seem to avoid
using multiple design tools to create your graphics, shake hands. I get easily flustered
and yearn for the days when tools such as these were far more all-inclusive and intuitive
and less modular. In fact, one of my favorite design tools was Professional Draw by the
people that developed Astound, but alas, it died after the Windows 3.1 platform was
retired by Microsoft. Shame.
So when I downloaded a trial of Corel Xara 2.0, I was, well, astounded. It reminded me
a lot of the features I enjoyed with Professional Draw, but it included some of the more
powerful features of Photoshop -- like variable transparency. All within one package. A
few minutes of experimenting proved to me that I had finally seen the tool I was looking
for. Corel Xara 2.0 is the bomb!
It would take several pages to discuss the long, long list of features and
"special" effects possible with Xara. Suffice to say, the old magazine print ads
which showed examples of graphic layouts designed with Corel Xara were not far from the
mark. I'm nobody's idea of an artist. Most of what I wind up using is comprised of
modified clip art elements. This tool allows you to use the same approach but create far
more beautiful and polished looking graphics with minimal effort. It won't transform you
into an artist, but it will add a degree of artistic quality to your work.
For instance, a friend wanted to purchase a nice Powerpoint theme for $200 from a well
known design house. It contained a photo element of a group of business people talking in
a huddle around a conference table. The photo image started on the left side of the slide
and gradually faded out into a gradient color on the right. Very slick and pretty. I
recreated the same effect within five minutes with Corel Xara 2.0. Without being an
artist, and without even taking the time to learn the intricacies of the tool.
My advice: before you buy another graphic tool, check out Corel Xara and see and feel
the difference. This is the way graphic design was meant to be for the rest of us. Click
the banner at the top of the page for more information.
Reviewer's Note: Since this review was published, Corel Xara
has changed hands and the product has been upgraded to Xara X. For more information about
enhancements and new features, please click the banner at the top of the page.
