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]

22 minutes ago, toxo said:

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

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]

1 minute ago, 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.

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.

1 minute ago, 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

 

 

There I go, teaching Grandma to suck eggs. 

[LatigoAmigo]

5 minutes ago, toxo said:

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

Golden chips.

[jcuk]

16 minutes ago, LatigoAmigo said:

Golden chips.

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]

32 minutes ago, LatigoAmigo said:

Golden chips.

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]

42 minutes ago, 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. 

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.

[chrisash]

The most modern software that is free to hobby guys and girls if Fusion 360. it is a easy to learn software but quite different from others

For leather workers the sheet metal feature allows you to build a 3D model easily and then have it automatically opened to show a flat image, so a empty box shape can be drawn in 3D and then opened up to show the base and four sides as a flat diagram for printing,

Also lots of ways to automatically make punch holes equal on each side of your design like the dieselpunk designs

Lots and lots of Youtube instructional video's done by experts at Autocad the Fusion 360 owners

(48) Sheet Metal Tutorial - YouTube

[mike02130]

Could I transfer and edit a PDF file on any of the above programs?

[jcuk]

17 hours ago, mike02130 said:

Could I transfer and edit a PDF file on any of the above programs?

Hi 

I confess i don't know anything about this and so my wife will type below:

Ok so the graphics editing software mentioned already will not edit PDF's. The best editor is Adobe DC however you have to pay for it. Free PDF editors are as follows:

SmallPDF
PDF-Xchange editor
PDFescape
PDFsamBasic

I haven't used any of these only Adobe so can't vouch how good they are. 

However there are ways around everything - You can screenshot your PDF and import it into InkScape ( importing will bring it as a new layer) add another layer above this and then you can use the pen tool to trace over the top and therefore edit as you see fit. Once you are happy you can delete the imported layer. Save your image then open word import your image, scale to size and then save as a PDF.

Hope this helps. 

JCUKS WIFE

Edited February 4, 2021 by jcuk

[toxo]

2 minutes ago, jcuk said:

Hi 

I confess i don't know anything about this and so my wife will type below:

Ok so the graphics editing software mentioned already will not edit PDF's. The best editor is Adobe DC however you have to pay for it. Free PDF editors are as follows:

SmallPDF
PDF-Xchange editor
PDFescape
PDFsamBasic

I haven't used any of these only Adobe so can't vouch how good they are. 

However there are ways around everything - You can screenshot your PDF and import it into InkScape ( importing will bring it as a new layer) add another layer above this and then you can use the pen tool to trace over the top and therefore edit as you see fit. Once you are happy you can delete the imported layer. Save your image then open word import your image, scale to size and then save as a PDF.

Hope this helps. 

JCUKS WIFE

You gotta love smarts.

[jcuk]

40 minutes ago, toxo said:

You gotta love smarts.

Yes i know, but she did once say to me when my football team were having a bad run much to annoyance to say the least, if they are that bad why don't you change your football team to which i replied you do realise a man would change his wife before he would change his football team. 

COYS

[mike02130]

1 hour ago, jcuk said:

However there are ways around everything - You can screenshot your PDF and import it into InkScape ( importing will bring it as a new layer) add another layer above this and then you can use the pen tool to trace over the top and therefore edit as you see fit. Once you are happy you can delete the imported layer. Save your image then open word import your image, scale to size and then save as a PDF.

I used Google translate to translate to American.  It only said "No Comprende".  Thanks for the info, I really don't understand but it is a starting point to figure it out.  Hell, my wife is in charge of setting up the VCR.

[Hardrada]

PDF has to be saved as 'editable' by the program used to create it in order to be editable in other programs. Not all PDFs meet this criteria.

For those that are not editable, you can import them ('place' them in Adobe's terminology) into a new file and then trace over them, same as you do when digitising logos or raster images.

[mariuspirvu]

On 2/3/2021 at 9:42 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. 

I second this. I use Inkscape for patterns and all of the graphics I need like logos, watermarks etc... I find it a really pity that people avoid it in favor of AI whose interface is less intuitive and slows you down. I get it, it's meant to serve as a language in a sense so that it can continue to be industry standard but for us non professionals I think we're paying for something we don't benefit from. I think Inkscape is more similar to Corel Draw which I never used but which had I to, I'd take instead of AI at any time due to its one time payment option. I must admit that AI is faster and works better on Macs but you'll hardly notice differences in performance if you'll not be doing advanced graphic design. Lastly, I think people tried it on Windows where it sort of lacks in performance almost the same as it does on Mac OS ( slow canvas rendering, zooming and other issues ) but were you to try it on Linux ( which is also free ) its performance might impress you. 

[JohnNixon]

On 2/5/2021 at 4:20 PM, mariuspirvu said:

I second this. I use Inkscape for patterns and all of the graphics I need like logos, watermarks etc... I find it a really pity that people avoid it in favor of AI whose interface is less intuitive and slows you down. I get it, it's meant to serve as a language in a sense so that it can continue to be industry standard but for us non professionals I think we're paying for something we don't benefit from. I think Inkscape is more similar to Corel Draw which I never used but which had I to, I'd take instead of AI at any time due to its one time payment option. I must admit that AI is faster and works better on Macs but you'll hardly notice differences in performance if you'll not be doing advanced graphic design. Lastly, I think people tried it on Windows where it sort of lacks in performance almost the same as it does on Mac OS ( slow canvas rendering, zooming and other issues ) but were you to try it on Linux ( which is also free ) its performance might impress you. Design software is essential for professionals in fields such as graphic design, architecture, and engineering. It enhances creativity, efficiency, and precision, enabling users to bring their ideas to life. From Adobe Creative Suite to AutoCAD, the right software can make a significant difference in the quality of work produced. For those involved in software development, understanding the nuances of creating a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is crucial. Exploring a Comprehensive Guide of MVP Development can provide valuable insights into efficient and effective product creation.

agree with you

Edited July 31 by JohnNixon