Showing posts with label desktop publishing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label desktop publishing. Show all posts

PagePlus X3 Publisher Professional Review

PagePlus X3 Publisher Professional
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
We recently used PagePlus X3 to make a newsletter about our upcoming event. We didn't want to spend alot so decided to try out PagePlus. It was incredibly easy to use and we spent very little time learning the software. The Cut Out Studio helped to optimize the stock images we purchased by eliminating the background. When we were done we converted to PDF and sent right off to the printer. We received several compliments on the newsletter as well as some stickers with the company logo we designed in the Logo Studio. Great product and worth a try!


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PagePlus X3 is Serif's award-winning, affordable, Vista certified, desktop publishing powerhouse. With impressive design tools, professionally-produced templates, flexible layout capabilities, intuitive ease-of-use, PDF-editing and high-end output options, PagePlus X3 is the ideal solution for creating eye-catching, quality designs for desktop and pro-printing or the Web! PagePlus X3 brings the power of a professional design studio to any home, business, school, or club, with an unrivalled range of design and layout features alongside friendly tutorials and on-screen guidance and a customizable interface. It's never been easier to produce attractive business stationery, brochures, greeting cards, newsletters, posters, flyers, calendars, labels and even full length books!

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The Print Shop Design Suite Professional Edition Review

The Print Shop Design Suite Professional Edition
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I've been purchasing The Print Shop for about 5 years now, and this latest edition is the best one yet. I'm having so much fun exploring and tinkering with some of the new features! My creative projects are really going to pop after I start using this bad boy with a vengeance. :-)
At the beginning, I was puzzled as to why the installer did not launch when I put in the Install DVD-ROM. But, fortunately for me, I'm a bookworm and I actually took the time to read page 13 in the user's manual. It told you what to do if the program did not launch. For Windows XP, simply click the Start button, click Run, and type D:\Setup.exe. Make sure you substitute the letter for the actual drive you're using in place of the letter "D." Mine just happened to be "E." The Install Wizard popped right up and ran smoothly with no problems. I had it installed in less than five minutes.
Installing the Design Suite software was little tricky, but I soon figured it out. It didn't launch right away, either. For Windows XP, simply click the Start button, click Run, and type D:\launcher.exe. Make sure you substitute the letter for the actual drive you're using in place of the letter "D." Again, mine was "E." It will open up another window with about 4 files listed. Double-click the blue icon at the bottom and the blue and white Design Suite window pops up. On the right side of the screen near the bottom, you'll see 4 blue tabs. Each one is a different component of the Design Suite. One thing to remember: Leave the original blue and white Design Suite window running in the background. The reason for this is because every time you click on one of the blue tabs, you're going to open up a new window. Once you're finished with one of the programs, just close the newest window and go back to first one and click each successive blue tab. Continue to do that until all of the components are installed. Then you can close everything out.
All in all, it took me about 15 minutes total to install all of the components, including the time it took me to register them. The programs are easy to use and easy to navigate. I couldn't be more pleased with my purchase.
In the end, I'd recommend this software to all and give them this bit of sound advice: If you have problems installing ANY type of software, READ THE INSTRUCTIONS! A little reading at the beginning will save you a lot of time in the end. It's a shame the previous reviewer had such a hard time and couldn't complete in the span of a day what took me approximately 15 minutes to complete. Hope this review helps someone!

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The Print Shop Design Suite Professional Edition provides powerful tools for photo editing, drawing, illustration, web design, publishing, file management and creating PDFs. Includes: Professional tools for Photo Editing such as color correction, image manipulation, mapping functions and Web optimization. Get Tools for Drawing & Illustration that allow you to draw using pastel, charcoal and watercolor effects, create and edit vector art!Build and Design sophisticated Web pages without HTML coding. Includes dynamic web templates and tools to easily embed video and animation.The Print Shop Pro Publisher Deluxe Features comprehensive art gallery, page layout and professionally designed project templates to create brochures, stationery and more.Also includes file organizer and a PDF creator.

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Quarkxpress 8 for mac/win with int Designer Xpert Tools Review

Quarkxpress 8 for mac/win with int Designer Xpert Tools
Average Reviews:

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I've been using Quark XPress for 15 years and I wouldn't have a successful graphic design business without it.
These days, designers have a big choice to make between Quark and InDesign. Although I am certainly an Adobe fan and I use Photoshop and Illustrator extensively, Quark will always be my choice for page layout and publication design.
I have used InDesign for short periods of time and it is a great program. I found that most of the features I use in Quark are there if you look for them.
However Quark has been the industry leader in page layout for so many years. It is a very powerful program and worth the price. Quark has better abilities to manage larger and more complex documents than InDesign.
Quark is a program that can be used very simply (for a one page flyer) or for a 500 or more page document. Quark's strength is in its ability to manage document layout. The use of master pages and style sheets is critical to consistency and efficiency in managing a document. The search and replace features are invaluable if used properly. I did a directory job in 1/4 of the time of another designer by using something called Xpress tags and the search and replace feature that allows you to replace text with a style sheet.
I know that InDesign is touted for its ability to work with native Illustrator files and Photoshop PSD files. Quark 8 also allows for a ton of integration from a variety of other programs including drag and drop of native Illustrator, Photoshop, and Flash files.
Quark has a great website listing all the integration possibilities (and compares them to InDesign) [...] Obviously it will slant to Quark's advantage since it is their promotional materials.
Quark allows you to create for print or web and has anchors and hyperlinks.
For me, Quark is a typesetter's program since its ability to control type, kerning, tracking, scaling, etc. is very precise.
I also like the ease and variety of tools and the ability to do mathematical equations in the measurements box when positioning objects/items. In other words,if you want to but a tab at 1.25 and your next one exactly .375 from there, you can go to the position box where 1.25 is listed and just put: +.375 and Quark calculates it for you.
I really like the ability to set runarounds and clipping paths to objects thereby wrapping text around objects with a lot of control.
Quark occasionally has issues when working in tables (crashing) but there seems to be a fix listed online. There use to be issues with the drop shadows that Quark creates but I think that has been resolved as well.
I use Quark for Windows and have no issues using it on this platform.
Even after 15 years of use, there are many features I haven't learned to use yet. Not knowing these features does not stop me from using the program effectively, it just proves that Quark is very powerful and diverse.
If you are a MAC user or and InDesign fan, please don't write comments about how much better they are. I'm not trying to say that they are not good. It is just my opinion that I prefer to stay with Quark than to switch to InDesign.


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Adobe Pagemaker 7.0 for Windows Review

Adobe Pagemaker 7.0 for Windows
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
the bottom line! Businesses that publish plenty and want a quick way to turn paper docs into PDF files or assemble catalogs from databases should turn to PageMaker.

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Desktop Publishing - Complete Product - Standard - 1 User - PC

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Adobe Pagemaker 7.0.2 (Upgrade Version) Review

Adobe Pagemaker 7.0.2 (Upgrade Version)
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To add a little to the previous review, it is an upgrade as it says. Typically any software upgrade expects to find a previous installed version, and this is no exception. My previous install is Pagemaker 6.5. The Pagemaker 7.0.2 upgrade found it, but it also asked me to enter its serial number, so write it down before you start or you'll have to exit install and then start again...damhikt. And of course it wants the new serial number which is on the CD box. Past that and all goes well. It does not overwrite or replace the previous version, so in my case I have a functioning 6.5 and 7.0.2 should I want that.
This new (and what I guess will be the last) release of Pagemaker doesn't differ a lot from 6.5. The biggest difference for me is it's compatibility with Photoshop PSD files. Pagemaker 6.5 issues a popup declaring that it doesn't know how to place this filetype, so getting a Photoshop image into this version requires working with a different bitmap filetype (jpg, etc.). But a PSD image places into Pagemaker 7 with no problem, even one that has been "Photoshopped" to include layers, etc.
There are some other bells and whistles, but for me the Photoshop compatibility is the heavy hitter.
Recommended.

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Photostory on CD & DVD 9 Deluxe Review

Photostory on CD and DVD 9 Deluxe
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I found out about this product by Googling for "Slideshow Programs". One of the first hits is a Top-10 Review showing that this product is superior to others. I normally rely heavily on Amazon customer feedback and there was only one entry. I went ahead and bought the product from Amazon, due to the fact that they are so good about letting your return products that don't measure up. After one day of playing with the product I came to some conclusions:
Pro: It's pretty easy to throw together an impressive-looking slideshow that promises to be outputted in various formats.
Cons: I was not able to produce a DVD that did not clip vertically on a 16:9 screen (even though I told the software not to expand horizontally). The quality of the display not sharp at all. I tried to produce a video file to be uploaded to my TiVo HD, but it informed me that I needed to buy an add-on encoder. After doing that, it failed with an error message. When I tried to get support I found that their method of support is a lame bulletin board site. Most of the problems are not in English. You can filter for English and then filter for the product. I found that others were reporting problems that hadn't been solved. Some major problems were outstanding after months or more than a year. The product claimed to have training videos, but they are no more than promotional videos. There does not seem to be enough documentation. There certainly isn't reasonable support available.
Hint: If Amazon.com sells 3rd-party books on a product, then you probably have a chance at success.
I ended up going back to the Top-10 list and then did research on ProShow Gold. Amazon.com doesn't sell this product, but they sell three 3rd-party books on it. Reading comments on the books shows that people are satisfied with the product. So I bought a license for ProShow Gold from the manufacturer's web site and turned around and bought a quick start book from Amazon. I paid as much for shipping as the book because I want to read it tomorrow!
In an hour of playing around with ProShow Gold, I've been able to do all the things I want to do. I expect to put together slide shows for DVD and MPEG-2 and, as I learn more about ProShow Gold, come back and make incremental improvements to the presentation.
Buyer beware -- unless you buy from Amazon and do your evaluation in 30 days!

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Simply import photos and video recordings, easily transform them into exciting slideshows with texts, music, and effects, burn them to disc with a DVD menu, and then enjoy them on TV with your DVD player or export for experiencing on the web, digital photo frames or mobile players.

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Serif PagePlus X4 Review

Serif PagePlus X4
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I have been using Microsoft Publisher for years having upgraded several times. But, Publisher is entirely limited by comparison to PagePlus and the price is right also by comparison. Much more flexible with far more opportunities for creativity. I was so impressed with this product I also purchased WebPlus which is one of the easiest editors to use and one of the most versatile.

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When you create publications, you inevitably do more than just layout and print the page. You write text, design graphics, enhance images, import content, and more, then share your work in print, as PDFs, or as emails. PagePlus X4 makes all this easy, it's a publishing package designed to be as flexible as you are.

All-in-One Desktop Publishing Studio
Unrivaled PDF EditingOpen PDFs and fully edit their contents with PagePlus X4 just like they are regular publications--so you can source and customise designs from almost anywhere. You can also combine PDFs, or pages from different PDFs, even when they've been made by different applications on different computing platforms.
Save time and money editing PDFs in PagePlus X4
Merge PDF files, add and remove pages, change their order
Fully edit text, move delete and reformat page objects
Repurpose deign elements from PDFs into your own designs
Make changes to PDFs you receive before forwarding them
Optimise images and protect content with PDF security

Enhance Images with Built-in Editing PowerInclude photos in your publications and make sure they're at their very best with the all new PhotoLab. Offering over 70 adjustments, corrections, filters and effects, with some incredible instant artistic styles, your images can really stand out from the page. And with a dedicated Image Cutout Studio you can remove photo backgrounds quickly, with no expertise required.
Professionally adjust and correct your photos
Apply adjustments with single clicks
Quickly remove blemishes and scratches
Easily select a specific area to apply changes to
Edit and undo changes at any time, your photo is unharmed

Create Impressive Logos and ArtworkFrom simple attention-grabbing shapes to logos and marketing-quality graphic design, PagePlus X4's powerful drawing tools make it easy to create stunning graphics. And in the Logo Studio, these tools are grouped together in a view that focuses on your drawing or logo without the distraction of seeing the rest of your page design.
Logo Studio offers 400+ ready-made graphics
Gallery has hundreds of other flashes and symbols
Add attractive style presets including glass and metal
Draw and combine shapes with full curve and node editing
Use impressive drop shadows, glows, and bevels
Even create your own effects and surface textures

Fantastic Word ProcessingImpressive text handling is at the very heart of PagePlus, so while you could write in a word processor of your choosing and import text, you can just use PagePlus to write! Enjoy all the usual formatting controls, plus fast-flowing text wraps, hierarchical paragraph and character styles, long document features, and of course the freedom to place text and other objects exactly where you want. Files you can import include Word 2007 & OpenOffice Writer!
Create Virtually Any DocumentCreate a massive range of document types, from regular sheets to folded menus and booklets, from tiny mailmerge labels, to massive posters and banners, from newsletters to newspapers.
Use Tables and CalendarsCreate your own attractive calendars--for yourself, your business, or as gifts for friends and family. Add tables to show data neatly, use formulae, even import data from spreadsheets or databases.
Fantastic Results--Fast
Create Beautiful Documents from TemplatesPagePlus X4 raises the bar once again, expanding the range of ready-made design templates so you can produce stunning documents in no time at all. Now featuring Theme Layouts--sets including business cards, flyers, newsletters and more--allowing you to add your own pictures and words resulting in a professional and polished design in minutes.
Over 2500 templates and ready-made design elements
Design Sets and Themed Layouts are instant stationery
Zoom in on the Template Wizard to see designs clearly
Choose which pages or design variants to start off with
Simply double-click images to replace them with your own
Import Word or other text documents, or write in PagePlus

Learn New Skills with Tutorial Videos and GuidesWe're not the only ones who think PagePlus X4 is easy to use, but If you're new to desktop publishing, new to PagePlus, or just new to this version, you can create fantastic and professional results the easy way using the Learning Zone. Accessible from the redesigned, streamlined Startup Wizard, the Learning Zone gives direct access to online video tutorials and more so you can painlessly improve your publishing skills.
All the Controls You Need Within a ClickThere are so many ways PagePlus X4 makes the design process smooth, you'll hardly realise you're working. Changing font, fill, line style and more is easy using an on-screen Studio that combines content, controls, and guidance. The rest of the interface is smart too--whatever you select on your page, you'll get instant access to the right tools and controls to suit. You can select, edit, resize, move, rotate, set defaults and more without even changing tools.
Customisable Workspace and ShortcutsWhether you like instant access to all formatting controls, or a totally clean design interface with customised keyboard shortcuts to make your workflow quick and smooth, PagePlus works like you do.
Dynamic Layout AssistantsAligning text, artwork and images is easier than ever in PagePlus X4. On top of layout guides, grids, margins and alignment tools, new dynamic guides make being neat a natural and automated process.
Flexible and Versatile Publishing
Press-Ready PDFs and Colour Management Get the best possible results with professional full-colour printing, safe in the knowledge that your ouput will be compatible with any print shop, whether they use PCs or Macs. PagePlus X4 produces PDFs to the industry-recognised PDF/X-1a standard, files containing all your design elements, fonts, and colour information for accurate reproduction.
Save as PDF with industry-standard PDF/X-1a settings
Include press marks, crop marks and bleed area
Add passworded PDF open/edit/copy/print security
Choose PDF display options, include hyperlinks and bookmarks
Manage colour palettes, models, and ICC colour profiles
Design using RGB, CMYK, HSL, Pantone and spot colors

Print Any Size on Any Printer--Even Double Sided Get great results every time--PagePlus can scale designs to fit any size paper, and a Duplex Wizard prepares single-sided printers for double-sided output, saving paper and giving polished results.
Print Special Documents Without Headaches Everyone can print impressive folded, tiled, repeated, multi-chapter and other special documents, effortlessly. PagePlus will intelligently resequence, renumber, and turn 'n tumble pages when needed.
Design PDF Forms and Multimedia PDF Slideshows Take your print designs and give them an entirely new dimension, without leaving PagePlus. You can design corporate or other forms in PagePlus, save as PDF, and have customers or others fill in the form electronically. Serif automatically emails you their responses, free of charge. Alternatively add page transitions to your designs, include audio and video, interactive buttons and more, and save as a multimedia PDF slideshow ideal for business presentations.
Publish Websites and Send Designs as HTML Emails You multitask at work, home, school, and everywhere else, and so does PagePlus. Once you've created business documents or other publications, you can easily incorporate your designs into websites created directly in PagePlus X4's web publishing mode. Extra functionality opens up to give you web-specific tools and controls, so you can create and publish engaging, attractive and efficient web sites that complement your other designs.
Great Compatibility
Import, Edit and Share as PDF Get designs from anywhere, and share with anyone thanks to PagePlus X4's impressive PDF editing power, unrivalled in a desktop publishing program. Being able to open and edit PDFs means you can rework designs made with any other program, from a PC or Mac, then you can publish as PDF for sharing with anyone--whether they have PagePlus or not.
Open and edit PDF files like normal PagePlus publications
Publish as PDF for highly-compatible sharing
Make efficient PDFs for speedy email transmission
Host PDFs online or share with others for remote printing

Word Processor Document Support While PagePlus is more powerful and flexible than the average word processor, you can still import word processed documents with pictures straight into PagePlus designs for speedy layouts. You can import Microsoft Word documents (including Word 2007), Rich Text Format, Text files, and OpenOffice.org Writer files. Plus if you also have Microsoft Word installed, PagePlus can use it as a converter in the background to support even more text file formats.
High End Graphics Compatibility When collaborating with professional designers, you may need to use some graphics like EPS and PSD that usually require very expensive software to open. PagePlus handles these like a charm.
Complex Publishing Made Easy with Data Merge You can create some sophisticated documents very quickly with PagePlus X4 by merging databases and pictures into your designs, bringing data into tables, and using spreadheet functions.
Get Artwork from Anywhere Add popular image formats to your designs; PagePlus supports 28 different file types.
Import Audio and Video Enrich slideshows and websites with embedded media including MP3 and AVI.
Share with Other PagePlus Users Package files with all fonts and graphics, and even share X4 files with X3 users.


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Serif PagePlus Essentials Review

Serif PagePlus Essentials
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(More customer reviews)
Serif PagePlus Essentials
This program has oodles of possibilities.
With the templates provided you can create greeting cards, invitations, resumes, banners, flyers, calendars, homework projects, signs, notices, thank you cards, postcards and more.
On the website there are additional downloads for more templates of the various content above.
In terms of interface, the program reminds me of MS Word, so I found it easy to maneuver. I am using Windows Vista and installation was a snap and just took a few minutes.
As far as completing a project, it's as simple as dragging and dropping graphics and photos and typing in your titles and any wording.
My 12 year old daughter and I have completed a calendar, birthday card, flyer, door hanger and newsletter. I think this software is great for beginners as it is simple to navigate and complete projects quickly.
If this turns out to be too basic but you like the format then you can upgrade for a fee on Serif's website.
I have included a quick video so you can see how this works.
It's a simple program for beginning designers. I highly recommend it.

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The easy way to create sophisticated, unique designs--fast. PagePlus Essentials has all the templates, word processing, graphic design and layout tools you need for stunning calendars, invites, cards, newsletters, signs, flyers and more; all wrapped up in an easy to use, affordable package.
Attractive templates and instant graphics mean you can design fantastic documents in no time. View larger.

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Quarkxpress 8 Upgrade for mac/win with int Designer Xpert Tools Review

Quarkxpress 8 Upgrade for mac/win with int Designer Xpert Tools
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I've been using QuarkXPress since 1994 and I would not be able to do a good job as a graphic designer without it. It is part of my layout arsenal including Illustrator and Photoshop.
I know that InDesign is also a great program but since I started with Quark, I'm staying with Quark as long as they continue to deliver a great piece of software.
The truth is, I looked into getting an Adobe Suite but Adobe did not make it easy or inexpensive to do so. I own 5 other Adobe products that are already included in the suites but I would have had to pay full price (minus $100) to buy a suite. $100 was the only break Adobe would give me as a loyal customer. So for a minimum of $1300 I could buy the basic suite. It just wasn't worth it since the only thing I didn't have was InDesign.
So, getting back to Quark 8.0 upgrade. I upgraded from Quark 7 because I purchased a new computer running Windows 7 64 bit. I wasn't sure if Quark 7 would be compatible but I decided it was just easier to upgrade and be done with it. I've had no problems running on 64 bit Windows 7.
There are some great new features (that really should have been part of the program to begin with).
1.) When you import a picture into a picture box and that picture is larger than the picture box, you can see the rest of the picture faded back (when you unselect the picture box, it goes away). This really helps in positioning a picture. Additionally, you can rotate and scale by grabbing picture corners.
2.) The tools/measurements have more options. For example, the measurements box now gives shortcut access to just about anything like alignments, tabs, runarounds, drop shadows, etc.
3.) Font choices in the measurements box actually displays a sample of the font.
4.) You can create a plain box. Not a picture box, not a text box, just a box to be used for fill or whatever. That box can later be defined as either text or picture.
5.) The object alignment options are now the same as Illustrator, flush left, flush right, center, flush top, flush bottom, distribute evenly both horizontally or vertically, etc. and are easy to get to in the measurement box.
6.) You can import native Illustrator (.ai) and Photoshop (.PSD) files although I try not to do this since I eventually go back to make them flattened files before publishing.
7.) It is much easier to edit shapes with the expanded Bezier tool options.
8.) Just about every tool has been enhanced with more options or more common options and shortcuts from other programs.
There are really too many changes to keep listing but Quark's website has a lot of detail as well. I'll try to come back and update as I come across new things or crash issues.
I have had just a couple of crashes in the two months I've been using it. They seemed to be related to text reflow and table editing -- two things that I had trouble with in previous Quark versions.
Other than that, I have had no trouble in setting up new projects, editing previous versions, exporting for print or navigable PDF's for online posting.
The thing that keeps Quark as an industry leader in publishing is the ability to manipulate type so precisely. That and the detail and flexibility in style sheets, master pages and 'find and replace' options.
I really think that Quark has taken a good product and brought it well up to speed with competitors in the industry. It is worth every penny to upgrade.

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Serif WebPlus X5 Review

Serif WebPlus X5
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With a little basic knowledge of working your way around a computer I created a 26 page web site in two days. Once it is hosted and on the web i will post it here so you can see what you can create. I know I am scratching the surface and the site could be cleaned up to look and opperate better, but a multi-layered web site was pretty easy to create.
The help feature is great. No matter what my question I found a very imformative help section that guided me through the process. Many questions I had were answerable through a very helpful video, no more than 2-3 minutes a piece, on the subject in question. Serif has made the process of designing a website as painless and easy for novices as possible.
I was worried that since they did not have religious templates to guide me or work from, the church web site I designed would not look right. I was wrong. The predesigned templates on the program were a good starting point and were quickly edited and redesigned to make my site look professional and original. In most of the 26 pages I never used a template and just designed on the fly. It was easy and a lot of fun.
I highly recommend this product.

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Serif WebPlus X5--Professional-Quality Web Sites Made Easy
WebPlus X5 is the ultimate web-site design software for small businesses, organizations, and home users. You don't need to know any HTML--drag-and-drop simplicity, an intuitive interface, and powerful tools help you design sites easily, even if you've never done it before.

Setting the standard for web-design software!
See how WebPlus X5 compares to other packages. View larger.

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Xara Photo and Graphic Designer 6 Review

Xara Photo and Graphic Designer 6
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OK I have to admit right up front. I am prejudiced. I am a professional graphic and website designer who has eschewed the standard Adobe product line for Xara. I use Xara Designer Pro 6 which is almost identical to Xara Photo and Graphic Designer. The biggest difference is Designer Pro 6 has a few more website creation features (and costs a bit more).
I use Xara products, because they are lightning fast, they are not slowed to a crawl with bloatware that nobody needs, and I can produce professional quality work. The tools are interactive as opposed to menu driven. You can apply a gradient transparency to a photography by simply dragging the transparency tool across a photo in the direction you want it to go. And Xara has 7 different gradient fills and transparencies. And all work on vector or bitmap objects, or groups of both, interactively. It is a fast and efficient way to work.
I know there are a lot of people out there who will tell you that Adobe products are the industry standard and what the professionals use. But the truth is, and I have been a professional advertising art director and currently a graphic and website designer since 1967. I have used a computer for design and illustration since 1989. And I have used Xara products since 1995. And not once, has a client asked me what product I used!
Xara is not going to make you a better graphic or website designer. You have to supply the talent. What Xara provides is a top quality set of well thought out interactive (vs menu driven) tools that allow you to create quickly and professionally. And even if you are not a professional designer, there are a goodly amount of graphic and web design templates that you can use off the peg or modify as you want.

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Art Explosion Publisher Pro 2.0 Review

Art Explosion Publisher Pro 2.0
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(More customer reviews)
Publisher Pro 2.0 is a great product and a good follow-on to the first version. Not only can you easily produce small publications (I create 16 page "tabloid sized" newsletters, with tons of photos) and export them as pdf files, but you can now open and edit pdf files, a feature I haven't seen in any affordable publisher. Its interpretation is precise, though when it meets a change in formatting (such as a single word in bold type within a paragraph), it interprets that as the end of a text block and starts a new section. I only use that feature when I want to fill out forms I've received from others or add a little text or images to them. I wouldn't try to heavily edit a large file. Pdf creation now includes form fields, which allows for more interactive features such as radial and other buttons and fill-out-able forms in addition to the standard pdf bookmarks, index and table of content which link to content within the pdf, hyperlinks to external sites, and more.
As in the previous version, it still has lots of pre-made templates, but the blank templates are still the best. I love being able to make a tri-fold brochure and actually selecting each page I want to work on separately: the right panel, left panel back panel and interior spread. The program then prints it in the correct sequence on the page. And in each of the 24 categories (including Banners, business forms, greeting cards, webpages...) there are many blank styles from which to chose.
As a volunteer newsletter editor (with no formal training in design and only some spare time), I find myself in the position of producing newsletters, flyers, tri-fold brochures and ad books not only for the large regional and local group of one organization, but also for my friends' school groups and churches and the local library. I often have to send the files to professional printers who require high-quality pdf files. It's a little more complex than either it's predecessor (Pub. pro version 1) or the older version of MS Publisher I had used before (a program I was happy with, but it had no pdf support), but most questions are easily resolved by refering to the in-program help files. On the other hand, it's a more powerful program with color separation, palette (incliding Pantone) support, transparencies and effects - features you'd expect in higher end programs. It also has a more flexible studio bar with tear off tabs for line style, formatting, colors, object styles, etc.., that you can view, hide or drag to arrange.
Included with the program is the free Publisher Pro Photo Editor, which allows you to draw and paint using layers and transparencies, and then export your pictures in a variety of formats (including some transparent versions), such as jpg, png, gif, etc. It doesn't have a lot of filters and fancy stuff, but it's a good little program for simple photo editing or creating a small graphic.
But most important, the telephone customer support was good. When I first got the program, I had difficulty opening some, but not all, of my older Publisher Pro files - the program crashed! I called customer support after a few days trying to figure out myself what the difference in the files was. I was told it had to do with the Nova clip art in the files and to remove the images and the file would work. Luckily, I had the previous version installed on another machine. I noticed in the Tools: Resource Manager that those clipart files were "linked," so selected "unlink" (which embeds the image) and then the files opened fine. (The Resource Manager is a nice feature that shows you what images and fonts are in your document, what their size and status are, and allows you to jump right to them). Nova Developement is currently working on a fix for the problem.
Pros: great price (especially if you have a rebate), good customer support, some high-end features, free photo editor and the ability to export to pdf.
Cons: a little harder to learn (reading the tutorials helps!), legacy files crash unless the clipart is embedded.
Overall: If you want a more powerful publishing program that produces quality pdf files, but is still within your budget, this is the one!
p.s. If you do get this program, you should check out the entertaining place-holder text, with it's odd pop-culture references that form random stories. More interesting than Lorem ipsum.

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eFrontier Anime Studio Pro (Win/Mac) Review

eFrontier Anime Studio Pro (Win/Mac)
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When it comes to 2D animation software, your choices are 1) Anime Studio for Windows and Mac OS X, 2) Toon Boom, for Win & Mac, and 3) KToon for Linux. Both of the other two are cell based animation where you draw the same character over and over in a new cell moving body parts as you go. I personally find this tedious and redundant. Anime uses the bone concept found in 3D programs that bends the vector shaped
drawing with the bones as you move them. You only need to set key frames. So this means all the frames between the key frames you set are calulated by the computer and you do not have to re-draw them. It lets the computer work for you, not just be a painting tool. While cell animation seems to bring traditional paper/pen artwork concepts to ther computer, the computer is not working for you as much as it is with the bone concept.
If you buy from Amazon you get the MAC & WIN version on the same CDROM, if you download from the manufacturer you get only one version.
The hardest part of character animation is lip-sync'ing, Magie Pro alone is as much as this software, this comes with Papagayo which is open source. I had to find an old Papagayo for my older Mac OS X version 10.3.9. I also use the built in amplitude lip syncing because is 'good enough' with out worring too much about the exact sounds. Less mouth flapping is sometimes better.
This is a wonderful program, a bit ahead of its time, and very stable.

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Create professional animations from start to finish with Anime Studio Pro, the all-in-one solution for creating anime, cartoon and cut out animations.Anime Studio Pro's unique point-and-click rigging with bones quickly animates 2D imagery into dramatic life! Start from megabytes of included content, work in vector-based layers, choose from professional special effects and scripting to help create animations of any length, fine-tune your animations with timeline controls. Photoshop integration to import 2D art or use draw/coloring tools, import 3D imagery (OBJ), AVI and QuickTime, add WAV and AIFF soundtracks, export stills in 2D or layered PSD files, and animations as QuickTime, AVI or SWF.

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iWork '09 Review

iWork '09
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As a Vista-fugue, the main reasons for even bothering with a `Bootcamp' Windows installation were Microsoft "Office" and Intuit's "Quicken/Turbotax", both richer-featured in their PC than in their Mac releases. Disappointingly, iWork '08 'Pages' performed better as an image-based page layout package for the multimedia center crowd, proving woefully underpowered in a professional business office ... crippled by the tediously awkward conversion hassle from *.doc to *.pages documents.
No more! With iWork '09, Apple has virtually erased any remaining barrier to business office `switchers' still on the fence. I have explored and tested Pages '09 since its online release as a downloadable fully functional 30-day trial demo. I was so impressed with the new Pages (as against the flashy eye candy of the '08 version) that I ordered the full boxed version. [The trial software is well worth a test run to see if iWork meets your needs.) The new Pages now easily exports a document in doc, txt or pdf format, and does a remarkably lifelike transformation of even highly complex Word documents, tables, lists, or legal briefs with a mere double-click or drag-and drop.
Rather than spreading myself too thin, I limit this review to `Pages', leaving commentary on `Numbers' to spreadsheet buffs ... `Numbers' capabilities, in the past, were no match for the depth of MS-Excel. If `Numbers` performs as well as `Pages' in this iWork overhaul, then the product will be the best eighty bucks gift for your Mac. `Keynote', an image-with-outline presenter's tool, probably will prove at least the equal of MS-PowerPoint considering the Mac's flair for spectacular graphics.
`Pages' well may be the impressive turnaround software that elevates the Mac from multimedia center toy to serious professional business status. Highly recommended for Vista-weary PC users and Mac loyalists looking for a solid business suite. The detailed crystal-clear manuals and crisp `Help' replies are welcome value-added resources.


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iWork, Apple's office productivity suite, is the easiest way to create documents, spreadsheets, and presentations the Mac way. Pages is both a streamlined word processor and an easy-to-use page layout application. It allows you to be a writer one minute and a designer the next, always with a perfect document in the works. Numbers, with its great-looking templates, easy-to-create formulas, and dynamic tables and charts, gives you simple ways to make sense of your data. Use Keynote to create your presentations, and you'll be a hard act to follow. Its powerful yet easy-to-use tools and dazzling effects put the show in slideshow. Packed with over 250 Apple-designed themes and templates—including 60 new designs overall—iWork lets you create projects that look polished from the first page or slide. And iWork is compatible with Microsoft Office, so it's easy to share your work.

Documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. The Mac way.

Pages '09
Word processing and then some.
Pages is both a streamlined word processor and an easy-to-use page layout application. It starts with an enhanced Template Chooser that lets you skim more than 180 Apple-designed templates. You can easily create stunning documents, from a simple letter to a professionally polished resume to a multipage newsletter and more. Or start with a blank page and let your words and creativity take their own course. Reports, resumes, brochures, newsletters, invitations—whatever you write, Pages puts powerful tools at your fingertips. So you can create beautiful, media-rich documents in minutes.

New Features
Choose from 40 new Apple-designed templates
Focus on your writing in full-screen view
Organize your ideas with dynamic outlines
Customize your documents using mail merge
Insert equations with MathType 6 (sold separately)
Create bibliographies with EndNote X2 (sold separately)


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The Print Shop 2.0 Deluxe Review

The Print Shop 2.0 Deluxe
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I purchased this to replace version 23 thinking that it would be an improvement on some of the problem areas (such as the database function). Boy, was I mistaken. When I received the disk, it had scratches and could not be read in any of my computers. After polishing the disk I finally got it to read. After installing it I realized that none of the old projects will work with the new version. That was a bummer, just by itself, but the real problem with this new version is that it doesn't do half the things the older one did.
The first project I needed to use it for became a real challenge. I wanted to make address labels for set of cards I was sending out family about my parents move. First, there is no internal database feature at all in the new version. It used extracts from your email program in a format that my email doesn't support. After doing a lot of research, I was finally able to get around that problem and then found that the only way it will print labels is to print a full page of them. I thought I must be doing something wrong so I went to the help which is almost useless. Then I tried the Broderbund website support section which was no help because there are no tips generated for this product yet. I finally put in trouble request. This was something I was familiar with because I had already put in a trouble request concerning my unreadable disk. The email reply that comes as a result of this, tells you that you will receive a reply within 48 hours, but that if your question has already been asked and there is a tip on it they will not reply at all.
As I am writing this, about 2 weeks have passed since I submitted these trouble tickets. I have not received a reply to either one and there are no FAQs that answer them. My guess is that they are so inundated by trouble tickets on this product that they have decided to just ignore them all. Shame on you Broderbund. After being a loyal customer for years, I will not be purchasing any more Broderbund products until they decide to actually start providing support.
Some may ask why I just used email to contact them. The answer is simple, the only telephone number they offer for support is long distance (no toll free) and it is listed with a warning to expect hold times averaging 30 minutes or more. I really couldn't see dumping more money into the hole called The Print Shop 2.0 Deluxe.


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It's easier than ever before to create sophisticated print projects in minutes. Start with the brand new Wizard Design tool or choose from an enormous gallery of ready-made templates and contemporary images to design, print and share a wide variety of projects, including greeting cards, invitations, labels, signs and more. The Print Shop has been redesigned from the ground up, making it quicker and easier to use by combining intuitive design tools with contemporary content to give you the ultimate in creative freedom. Design personalized projects in minutes that are perfect for home, work and school.

The All New Way to Create Sophisticated Design
New Easy to Use Software Drag-and-drop photos, text and design elements with incredible ease and quickness.
Windows 7 & Windows Vista Compatible The Print Shop was designed to work on the latest PC operating systems
Wizard Design Tools Create and print over 100 custom projects, each in under 5 minutes.
Streamlined Workspace With a sleek new workspace, it's easy to find and switch between the various tools quickly.
Integrated Photo Editing One-click photo tools allow for common photo editing like cropping, red-eye removal and color correction.
New Templates & Clip Art Choose from an enormous gallery of contemporary ready-made templates and clip art images that are sure to complement any project
Color Match Find the right color for any project using the eye-dropper tool, or select from ten designer color palettes that are sure complement your work.
Advanced Design Tools Slider tools allow you to create custom gradients, transparency and drop shadows for a professional effect.
Easy to Share Print at home, email or publish your latest creation on the web to share with friends and family.
Advanced Page and Layout Tools
Layer Management Easily move art, text and objects between foreground and background. Show and hide layers for the ultimate in precision.
Columns & Text Wrap Flow text across columns to improve readability. Plus, you can easily flow text around graphic and other objects to create a professional finish.
Advanced Color Tools You now have three ways to pick the right color: the eye-dropper tool for precision color matching, professionally-designed color palettes and a color selector.
Drop Shadows & Dynamic Gradients Add a professional touch to any design with easy drop shadow tools. Dynamic gradients allow you to specify multiple gradient stops.
Image Management Edit photo tags and mark your favorites so that you can easily find the right photo for any project. Add your image to the Image Tray for easy drag and drop.
Impressive Headlines The Print Shop now offers the easiest solution for creating headlines with impact. Simply choose from an array of impressive options and customize to make it perfect.

Choose Your Version Find the right Print Shop version for you using the chart below.


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Microsoft Office 97 Pro Professional Upgrade Review

Microsoft Office 97 Pro Professional Upgrade
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The only prob I've had with Office 97 is that Publisher 97 cannot do mail merge. Error is:
PUBMERGE Out of Memory.
. . . and then nothing . . . but you can still used Publisher just fine as a publishing program.
I tried many things to get it to work, with no luck.
An MS MVP tried also, with no luck, and concluded this might be due to a security patch, which killed it.
MVP said mail merge with Publisher works in Office 2000, so I'll be upgrading to that, to try it.
I have the stand alone Office 97, so I can get the Office 2000 upgrade, less expensive than 2000 stand alone.
Also, Secunia shows Office 97 as being an insecure program, but I haven't noticed anything.


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Art Explosion Publisher Pro Silver Review

Art Explosion Publisher Pro Silver
Average Reviews:

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If you're looking for easy to use desktop publishing software at an affordable price... this is the one to buy! I am extremely pleased with Publisher Pro. There are numerous professional-like templates and the application is very easy to use. Of all the various "print programs" and dtp applications I have, this one ranks right at the top of the list. I especially like the newsletter templates and ease of use. Highly recommended.

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