Ever wondered why illustration software often seems so inflexible, slow,
difficult to use? So did Xara. They decided to do something about it, too, and
Xara XS is the impressive result: it just could be one of the best drawing
programs you've ever used.
Take the interface, for instance. While the competition drown you in floating
palettes and flyout options, Xara XS takes a much cleaner and less intimidating
approach. Open the program and it looks little more complicated than Windows
Paint, encouraging you to start experimenting right away.
Don't think that "simple" means "basic", though, because there's plenty of
power available when you need it. You could draw with a range of pre-set
QuickShapes (rectangles, circles, ellipses, stars), perhaps, or opt for freehand
tools, which come with a wide range of brushes for interesting artistic effects
(and it's easy to create more). Both Freehand and Shape objects can easily be
moved around and resized by dragging their handles.
Any object you create can then be manipulated with the powerful tools on
offer. The highly customisable Transparency tool adds great effects in seconds;
there's a Fill option to flood objects with pre-set fills or designs, or a
bitmap of your own; a Blend tool to merge objects together; a Mould tool that
distorts options around a pre-set shape, and more. Plus of course all of these
options work with any text objects you create, making it simple to create
stylish headings, logos and just about any other text effects you can imagine.
A super-fast rendering engine means there's no waiting around to see the
results of a tool, either. Even images with complex layers of fills, blends and
transparencies will be updated right away.
Xara X is well worth installing for its drawing options alone, then, but the
programs features don't stop there. Web graphics support tools to create Web
buttons and navigation bars, with XS generating all the HTML and Javascript
you'll need. The animated GIF builder, image maps and image slicing features are
handy, too, and Dreamweaver integration (version 3 or higher) makes it
particularly easy to edit your XS-created graphics.
Note, ignore the 'time limited demo' reference on this page. Obtain your
serial code by clicking 'Register this Copy' within the splash screen, when you
start Xara XS.
This download offer will be taken offline on or around the 4th of January
2007.
UPGRADE OFFER - save over 40% on Xara Xtreme
Xara Xtreme takes everything you'll find in XS, and adds a whole lot more.
Like some major new effects, for instance. A Bevel tool gives any object an
apparently raised edge, customisable with different bevel types, size, light
angle and elevation. The Shadow tool offers even more control and produces some
ultra-realistic effects, while the Feather tool smoothly blends objects
together.
Elsewhere you'll find the Picture Editor gets new effects and features. Try
the new Live Effects tool. This lets you use Xara and Adobe plugins to produce a
wide range of professional visual effects.
If you want to go even further, take a look at the brand new Xara Xtreme Pro,
which supports output to Adobe Flash, importing Adobe PSD documents, Pantone
colour support and so much more.
The list price for Xara Xtreme is about $79 (about £40), but as a special
deal, you can upgrade for only around $49 (about £25), saving over 40%. Xara
Xtreme Pro is available for $169 (about £86) rather than the normal retail price
of $199 (about £102). Visit
www.xara.com
to order, entering your Xara XS registration email and password to qualify.