Design software.

[toxo]

I've noticed a lot of people use Illustrator for patterns. I use an older version of Adobe (Was Macromedoa then) Fireworks MX 2004 which is aso a vector program. I've used it for years but never for patterns. Can anyone tell me if Illustrator is so much better than Fireworks that I should buy a copy? Thanks.

[LatigoAmigo]

  On 2/3/2021 at 6:21 PM, toxo said:

Can anyone tell me if Illustrator is so much better than Fireworks that I should buy a copy?

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What I like about Illustrator for pattern making is the "offset path" feature along with the ability to create my own pattern brushes, plus I find the layers feature invaluable. You might be able to "buy" a copy, but I have only found Illustrator available by subscription.

[jcuk]

Hi JCUK's Wife here

 

I work with graphics my line of work and use Adobe Creative Cloud and all the apps within it. Like you i have been using Fireworks since the old Macromedia days and then when taken over by Adobe. I still use Fireworks and even used it within the last hour- Adobe stopped supporting it but you can still get hold of a version. 

So should you use it rather than Illustrator or inDesign? Yes absolutely it is easier to use and produces vector graphics. 

Hope this helps

JCUK

 

 

[toxo]

  On 2/3/2021 at 6:48 PM, LatigoAmigo said:

What I like about Illustrator for pattern making is the "offset path" feature along with the ability to create my own pattern brushes, plus I find the layers feature invaluable. You might be able to "buy" a copy, but I have only found Illustrator available by subscription.

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Of course! I'd forgotten it was a subscription. God knows what they're selling on Ebay then.

Fireworks MX 2004  I think cant be too far behind. It has layers and brushes, bezier curves and far more than I've ever used. If you watch some of the old Fireworks tutorials it's amazing the things it can do and I think it was hurting Adobe sales so they bought out Macromedia.

I use it for the basic stuff like cropping, merging pics, loads of different fonts, slimming a pic down from megabytes to kilobytes in a couple of clicks. 

And of course there's no subscription. If you can find a copy it'll probably be cheap as chips.

  On 2/3/2021 at 7:01 PM, jcuk said:

Hi JCUK's Wife here

 

I work with graphics my line of work and use Adobe Creative Cloud and all the apps within it. Like you i have been using Fireworks since the old Macromedia days and then when taken over by Adobe. I still use Fireworks and even used it within the last hour- Adobe stopped supporting it but you can still get hold of a version. 

So should you use it rather than Illustrator or inDesign? Yes absolutely it is easier to use and produces vector graphics. 

Hope this helps

JCUK

 

 

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There I go, teaching Grandma to suck eggs. 

[LatigoAmigo]

  On 2/3/2021 at 7:02 PM, toxo said:

If you can find a copy it'll probably be cheap as chips.

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Golden chips.

[jcuk]

  On 2/3/2021 at 7:08 PM, LatigoAmigo said:

Golden chips.

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Definitely not golden french fries or golden eggs

 

[Hardrada]

Corel Draw is still available as perpetual licence, i.e. a copy. Does the same things as Illustrator. If you've never used Illustrator you won't have a problem 're-adapting' to a new/different interface.

I'm still using CS4—for what I do, it's enough. If you want perpetual licences you'll have to scour ewwBay for used media.

[toxo]

  On 2/3/2021 at 7:08 PM, LatigoAmigo said:

Golden chips.

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Not gonna go through em all but there might be something here,

https://www.youtube.com/c/StartEducation/search?query=Fireworks

[jcuk]

Hi 

For those who don't have lots of money to spare purchasing expensive graphics packages - there is a free vector drawing piece of software called InkScape. This will do the job nicely and it has lots of tutorials on how to use it too. 

[DJole]

  On 2/3/2021 at 7:42 PM, jcuk said:

Hi 

For those who don't have lots of money to spare purchasing expensive graphics packages - there is a free vector drawing piece of software called InkScape. This will do the job nicely and it has lots of tutorials on how to use it too. 

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I have recently started using InkScape -- it's free, and it does the scalable vector things (with nodes and curves) that I use for leatherwork patterns.  
I used to use Corel Draw, a version from 20 years ago, but it no longer runs on more modern computers.