Archive for January, 2008

Corel today unveiled the newest version of its award-winning graphics suite, CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4. With more than 50 new and significantly enhanced features, CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4 provides users with the tools, resources and confidence to tackle a wide variety of projects – from logos and Web graphics, to multipage brochures, to high impact signage and digital displays. New text and page layout enhancements, market-leading file format compatibility, and an expanded collection of high-quality content make this powerful suite the ultimate design partner, helping users turn inspiration into stunning results.

A comprehensive suite of intuitive page-layout, illustration, photo-editing, and bitmap-to-vector tracing applications, CorelDRAW Graphics Suite is the trusted choice of millions of professional and aspiring designers worldwide. The latest version of the suite includes new tools designed to fuel the creative process, simplify project management, and optimize the graphic design workflow.

“As we developed the newest version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite, we consulted with users from a wide variety of industries. We sat with them to observe how they worked, gathering their feedback on how we could create an even better user experience,” said Gérard Métrailler, Director, Product Management, Graphics at Corel. “The end result is CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4 – a suite that provides users with easy-to-use tools that deliver outstanding results, while also having a dramatic and positive impact on their day to day productivity.”

CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4 features more than 50 new and significantly enhanced features, including:

Live text formatting: CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4 introduces live text formatting, allowing users to preview text formatting options before applying them to a document. With this time-saving feature, users can now preview many different formatting options, including fonts, font size, and alignment, removing the “trial-and-error” typically associated with the design process.

Font identification: CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4 now integrates with WhatTheFont, the online font identification service from MyFonts.com. Users can save time by quickly identifying the font used in existing bitmap designs, artwork or other images received from clients.

Independent page layers: Users can now control and edit layers independently for each page of a document, reducing the occurrence of pages with empty layers. Users can also add independent guidelines for individual pages and master guidelines for an entire document. This gives users the ability to create different layers on a page-specific basis, unconfined by a single document structure.

Interactive tables: The new, interactive Table tool in CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4 lets users create and import tables to provide a powerful, structured layout for text and graphics. Users can easily align, resize, or edit tables and table cells to suit their designs. In addition, users can convert delimited text and easily add and adjust images in individual cells.

Windows Vista integration: CorelDRAW Graphics Suite is the only professional graphics suite Certified for Windows Vista. CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4 has been designed to take advantage of the latest innovations from Windows Vista, while still offering a superior experience for Windows XP users. CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4 integrates with the desktop search capabilities of Windows Vista directly from within the Open and Import dialog boxes, enabling users to search for files by author, subject, file type, date, keywords, or other file properties. Users can also easily add their own keywords, ratings or other notes when saving files in order to better organize their projects.

CorelDRAW ConceptShare integration: The new CorelDRAW ConceptShare docker, accessible from within CorelDRAW Graphics Suite, integrates a valuable online collaboration tool directly within the user workflow. In a Web-based environment, CorelDRAW ConceptShare lets users share their designs and ideas with colleagues or clients in real time. Users can easily create multiple workspaces, upload their designs, and invite others to provide feedback or submit their own ideas without sending large files over email.

File format support: CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4 maintains its position as market leader in file format compatibility by adding support for Microsoft Office Publisher. Users can also expect seamless compatibility with Microsoft Word 2007, Adobe Illustrator Creative Suite 3, Adobe Photoshop CS3, PDF 1.7 (Adobe Acrobat 8), AutoCAD DXF and AutoCAD DWG, and Corel Painter X, making it easier than ever to exchange files with clients and colleagues.

Professionally designed templates: CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4 includes 80 professionally designed and customizable templates, giving users a springboard to the design process. Flexible and easy to customize, the templates are accompanied by Designer Notes that provide information on the design choices made for the template, tips for outputting a design based on the template, and instructions for customizing the template while still adhering to design principles.

Specialized fonts: An extended selection of new fonts in CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4 helps users ensure their output is optimized for its intended audience. This specialized collection of fonts includes single-line engraving fonts and OpenType cross-platform fonts, which offer enhanced language support for Latin, Greek, and Cyrillic outputs in WGL4 format.

Welcome screen: With a new Welcome screen, CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4 provides users with a centralized location to access recently used documents, templates, and learning tools, which include Tips & Tricks and video tutorials. To inspire users, the Welcome screen also includes a gallery that showcases designs created by CorelDRAW Graphics Suite users from around the world.

New Additions to Corel PHOTO-PAINT
* New! RAW camera file support: Corel PHOTO-PAINT now includes support for RAW camera file formats, enabling users to import RAW camera files directly from their digital camera. With support for approximately 300 different camera types and interactive controls that provide real-time previews, users can view file properties and camera settings, adjust image color and tone, and improve image quality, all from within Corel PHOTO-PAINT X4 and CorelDRAW X4.

You can see for yourself the number of changes Corel have made to this great product. Consider our order on it’s way Corel.

You can check more of the changes Corel have made for this edition of the suite in the above link to the Corel website.

It’s been awhile since we’ve brought you some news this month. But here’s something to keep the graphic designers out there happy.

This was obtained from a Quark Inc press release (17/01/08), and if you’re as excited about this as we are, then welcome to the fraternity.

Press Release 18/01/08
Quark Inc. announced today Quark® Labs, a new portal featuring innovative QuarkXPress® 7 XTensions® that are not initially being released as commercial products. Designed as a testing ground for QuarkXPress technology and a community for QuarkXPress users and developers, Quark Labs offers free access to technology previews, proofs of concept and both new and familiar XTensions.

The new XTensions featured on Quark Labs are built to enhance a user’s experience with QuarkXPress 7 and increase productivity by automating common user actions. The XTensions on Quark Labs include Welcome Screen, Image Drag and Drop 1.0b, and ShadowCaster 3.3.

• *   Welcome Screen: Welcome Screen is a navigation screen that appears immediately upon launching QuarkXPress 7. It allows users to open recent projects, create new projects, create new libraries and more without clicking through a variety of menus or options. Welcome Screen also features training videos, an RSS feed of Quark-related news and is currently available for English-language Mac® environments.
• *   Image Drag and Drop 1.0b: A long-time wish-list item for QuarkXPress users debuts as a technology preview on the site. Image Drag and Drop 1.0b allows users to drag images from almost anywhere — folders, their desktop — and drop them into a QuarkXPress 7 document. The source code for this technology preview will also be available on the site.
• *   ShadowCaster 3.3: One of the most popular QuarkXPress XTensions of all time, ShadowCaster adds transparency, blend modes and special effects such as shadows, glows and bevels to QuarkXPress layouts. Version 3.3 is compatible with QuarkXPress 7.

In addition to access to new and emerging XTensions that are not available elsewhere, Quark Labs offers users and developers a way to communicate with the Quark developers who are creating new software for QuarkXPress 7. Visitors can implement and test XTensions concepts and provide both constructive and critical feedback.

“Quark Labs is all about moving technology forward through collaboration with the Quark community,” said Paul Schmitt, vice president of emerging technologies and strategic alliances for Quark. “By making our development ideas and concepts available we hope to solicit honest feedback that will positively affect the direction of both Quark and QuarkXPress 7.”

Quark Labs will be updated continually with new technology previews, concepts and XTensions. In the near future updates to the site will include enhancements for the Mac OS® experience as well as third-party application compatibility add-ons.

For more information and to access the new XTensions, please visit Quark Labs today at http://labs.quark.com.

About Quark
Quark Inc. (www.quark.com) is an innovative software company providing design, production, and collaboration solutions that are transforming the business of creative communications. Quark has provided award-winning software for professional publishers since its flagship product, QuarkXPress, changed the course of traditional publishing. Denver-based Quark Inc. is privately held.

Big Rock Graphics is proud to announce it’s full induction in our primary targeted market of Tweed Heads and surrounding areas. These surrounding areas include, but are not limited to; Currumbin, Kirra Beach, Coolangatta, Rainbow Bay, Tweed Heads, Tweed Heads South, Tweed Heads West, Bilambil, Cobaki, Kingscliff, Pottsville, Cabarita, Murwillumbah, Tyalgum, Chillingham, Wollumbin and beyond.

As a graphic design and IT&T consultancy organisation, Big Rock Graphics continues to deliver the finest, and highest quality within these regions. From general graphic design for your business stationary needs including business cards, logos and websites to your home needs for birthday banners, personal family letterheads and envelope design. If you can dream it then we can do it. Prices start as low as AUD$38* for business card design layouts. How can you go wrong? You can’t!

Big Rock Graphics also maintains the highest level of IT&T consultancy. From consulting for corporate internet and LAN network security to consulting on the best possible upgrade path for your family home PC. We can advise the largest multi-national conglomerate to the family home. From prices as low as $44* which have got to be some of the cheapest rates available.

Don’t be misguided by our low prices either. We ensure you are completely satisfied by the services of our highly qualified and experienced employees and also work with some of the highest qualified partners such as Microsoft, Intel, Nvidia and IBM. So you’re guaranteed, of first class service, every time.

Still have doubts? Contact our sales team today and be confident one of our exceptional graphic or IT&T consultancy staff will deliver what you seek. Whether it’s graphic design for print, web or video, for corporate or family, we can and will deliver! Don’t forget our highly sought IT&T consultancy services either.

Thank you to those that have supported us face these challenges and more. We couldn’t forget everything you have done for us if we tried.

Have a fantastic and prosperous New Year everyone!

*Prices subject to change.