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CorelDraw Graphics Suite X6 review

Our Rating :
Price when reviewed : £349
inc VAT

The extra applications don't add much value, but CorelDraw is still coming up with new ways to design sophisticated vector graphics

There aren’t many software publishers other than Adobe who can charge high prices for graphic design software, so the fact that CorelDraw is still going after 23 years and 16 versions suggests it must be doing something right.

CorelDraw HarmonyThe Harmony Editor: cheesy name, great way to experiment with colour palettes

It’s a vector-drawing application first and foremost, although the main application isn’t the only one in the suite. Photo-Paint is still here, like an unwelcome sidekick that CorelDraw can’t quite shrug off. It’s relatively light on features, with support for layer masks and adjustment layers but no Dodge, Burn, Heal or Blur tools, and nothing to compare with the array of extra modules in Adobe Photoshop Elements or Corel’s own PaintShop Pro software.

The suite also includes Connect, a powerful browser and search facility for the bundled vector and photo clip-art, as well as online content from Flickr, Fotolia and iStockphoto. Website Creator X6 is offered as a free download for registered users. This brand new product is available separately for £159 including VAT, but it’s actually just a rebranded version of NetObjects Fusion XII. Its code-free design tools are easy enough to use but the templates are dated, both visually and in their underlying code. NetObjects will suffice for a small business website that will remain largely static, but going beyond that level, the learning curve gets much steeper and the Help files are impenetrable.

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Price £349
Details www.corel.com
Rating ****

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