In February 2010, designers were greeted with a brand new version of Corel’s graphic design software; CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X5.
The software package included multiple applications: CorelDRAW X5 for vector illustration; Corel PHOTO-PAINT X5 for editing and retouching images; Corel PowerTRACE X5 for converting bitmaps to vectors; Corel CAPTURE X5 for screen capture, and Corel CONNECT.
It was one of the biggest upgrades in recent years, particularly with the introduction of Corel CONNECT, a built-in content organizer. It let users store content in a digital tray that was synced between CorelDRAW and Corel PHOTO-PAINT, giving them instant access across multiple platforms. Huge time-saving benefits are one of the main reasons CorelDRAW X5 was favored by professional graphic designers for so long.
A completely revamped and redesigned color management engine allowed for color consistency across platforms, including support for PANTONE color profiles. This was a massive draw for print designers, but CorelDRAW X5 also catered to web designers through the use of a Pixels mode and a web animation tool.
Users could create designs in CorelDRAW and open them up in SWiSH miniMax 2 to animate them. The Pixels mode let designers see exactly how their creations would look when hosted online, to ensure the final exports could be created with minimal changes and back and forth between the final destination and CorelDRAW.
The package continued Corel’s trend of including ready-to-use assets and compatibility by supporting over 1,000 professional fonts and thousands of royalty-free clipart images and photos. Built-in learning tools and video tutorials mean designers could jump in and get creating in a very short time.
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X5 system requirements:
Microsoft® Windows® 7, Windows Vista®, Windows® XP, with latest service packs installed (32-bit or 64-bit editions)
Intel® Pentium® 4, AMD Athlon™ 64 or AMD Opteron™
512 MB RAM (1 GB recommended)
750 MB hard disk space (1 GB for typical installation without content)
Mouse or tablet
Top reasons to upgrade from CorelDRAW X5
- NEW! Variable font support*
- NEW! AI-assisted bitmap-to vector tracing
- NEW! AI-powered upsampling and artifact removal
- NEW! CorelDRAW.app
- NEW! Collaboration workflow**
- NEW! Non-destructive effects
- NEW! Symmetry drawing mode
- NEW! Block Shadow tool
- NEW! AfterShot 3 HDR
- NEW! Apply envelopes to bitmaps
Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 do not support variable fonts
Collaboration features are available only through subscription or with an additional purchase plan for perpetual license customers.
