With advanced packages such as the latest Photoshop (to be reviewed next month) Adobe is the leading software developer when it comes to traditional graphic design...

QuarkXPress defines and dominates high-end publishing in much the same way as Adobe Photoshop does photo editing.

Improved handling of templates, tracing, text and layers along with new table support, but ultimately X4 disappoints

New multiple page support and improved text handling, but the program’s main strength remains its underlying speed.

With Web Standard/Premium, Design Premium AND Macromedia’s products now absorbed into CS3, choosing the right suite is EASY.

Macromedia Flash (May 2002, page 60), Dreamweaver, Fireworks and FreeHand (Studio MX, November 2002, page 71), have all been given the MX treatment, and now it's Director's turn.

Microsoft finally recognises that web authoring needs a standards-compliant tool, albeit on its own terms.

New effects enable richer design results, while a host of other improvements boost productivity.

With Flash media handling and integration with Acrobat.com the Acrobat platform embraces the Internet – at last

Microsoft prepares to march into Adobe territory with its forthcoming suite of graphics and web development software.

Macromedia Contribute (March 2003, page 57) caused considerable excitement with its ability to keep site content up-to-date, under control and within budget.

One way to get your Website's logos and page titles to literally stand out is by making them 3D. Xara3D is designed to make the whole process a cinch.

PowerPoint’s ease of use, The efficient web delivery of Flash, and a truly professional player.

What makes Publisher different is its automated approach to design through its colour and font schemes and huge range of publication templates. These are handled via the redesigned Task Pane, which now has a simplified Start panel offering drill-down access to project types split into print, Web and themed sets. Another ten attractive master sets increase the total to 45.

Moving in the right direction, but it isn’t easy teaching an old dog new tricks.

Piranesi gets the major overhaul of interface and tools that its extraordinary creative power deserves

Powerful new versions of InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator, and now Acrobat 8 Professional too.

FrontPage used to pride itself on its almost code-free approach to Web design, but not any more. Top of the new coding features is the Split View, which combines layout and HTML views. There are also improved code formatting and Auto-complete features, providing a drop-down list of context-sensitive options as you type. Auto-complete also handles regularly reused code snippets and works with HTML, CSS, XSL, JavaScript, JScript, VBScript and ASP .NET, which are all directly editable.

Non-destructive image processing and creative filters feature in this comprehensive upgrade to the market leader.

Improved media handling, Flash video support and greater interactivity see Captivate extend into new areas of training.