Gérard on Graphics

Corel APAC Digital Art Competition Winners Announced

Gerard Metrailler — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:54:00 GMT

In addition to the CorelDRAW International Design Contest, for which the voting process is currently well under way, Corel also ran an Asia-Pacific Digital Art Competition, covering all the graphics and digital media products from Corel. The winners for the Asia-Pacific contest where announced today, and there is only one word that comes to my mind: amazing!

The grand prize winner, Moon Jong Ho in Korea, created a video project with Corel VideoStudio:

There are also some amazing winners who created their designs with CorelDRAW (some of them have also been submitted to the CorelDRAW International Design Contest). Here are the links to all the winners of the APAC Digital Art Competition:

Congratulations to all the winners!

CorelDRAW International Design Contest - you can vote now!

Gerard Metrailler — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:48:00 GMT

Earlier this morning, we went live on CorelDRAW.com with the galleries that showcase all the finalists for the 2009 CorelDRAW International Design Contest. Out of a total of over 1500 submissions, we are down to over 600 entries that will make it to the finalist stages, removing those who didn't follow the terms and conditions.

As mentioned previously, now it's time for all of you in the CorelDRAW.com community to get involved, even if you didn't submit artwork. Part of the voting process, we wanted to make sure that the community has a chance to vote on the submissions. Therefore, we will take the top 10 most popular entries (based on the ranking on the site) on Monday Morning, July 6 2009, 9 AM Eastern Time Zone.

Let the best design win!

Looking for CorelDRAW X4 tips & tricks?

Gerard Metrailler — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:36:00 GMT

I just got confirmation of the next CorelDRAW related free webinar that my colleagues from the Field Services team will conduct at the end of June, and it looks like it is going to be a popular one: it isgoing to be a webinar that looks at some Tips, Tricks and a few Secrets that will help you harness the power of CorelDRAW. They will look at customizing the interface as well as some keyboard shortcuts and some techniques that will help you to get the most out of CorelDRAW.

Here are all the details

Title: CorelDRAWX4 - Inside Secrets
Date: Thursday, June 25, 2009
Time: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM EDT
After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.
System Requirements PC-based attendees Required: Windows® 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, 2003 Server, Vista
Link to register for free: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/498641888

Space is limited.

Corel Documentation Team Wins STC International Award

Gerard Metrailler — Thu, 28 May 2009 16:16:00 GMT

Every product released by Corel is the result of the very hard work and dedication from teams across the organization and around the world, with some receiving more high profile recognition than others. One group I'd like to call out is the documentation team who continues to drive forward the quality and value of our products to all of you through innovative manuals to help you learn, discover and enjoy our products.

I am delighted to let you know that our documentation team has been honored with an Award of Excellence from the Society for Technical Communication (STC) for the "CorelDRAW Handbook: Insights from the Experts" that is included with CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4.

This is just the latest prestigious award our documentation has received. Since 1999, the team has been recognized for their work on a multitude of product resources/manuals, with their innovation, design, and clear writing specifically called out. You can find out more about this in the press release that crossed the wire earlier this morning which is not only a testament to the hard work and dedication of this team, but also highlights Corel's commitment to providing customers with valuable product resources.

Congratulations to the entire documentation team on this fantastic achievement!

Last few days to submit your entry for the CorelDRAW International Design Contest

Gerard Metrailler — Wed, 27 May 2009 18:37:00 GMT

We are only a few days away from closing the subscriptions to the CorelDRAW International Design Contest. As a quick reminder, the CorelDRAW International Design Contest features 6 different categories and with prizes representing a total value of over $75,000, winners in each category will receive a prize pack, and the overall grand prize winner will receive a Roland® VersaCAMM™ VP-540i printer/cutter (approximate retail value of over US$21,000).

Your submissions need to be in before May 31st, 2009 (midnight EDT). As this is a world-wide contest, here are the links around the world where you can find out more information in your language, read the terms and conditions, and submit your entries:

English, North America: www.corel.com/coreldrawdesigncontest
English, UK: www.corel.co.uk/coreldrawdesigncontest
Englsh, Australia: www.corel.com.au/coreldrawdesigncontest
French: www.corel.fr/concoursdesigncoreldraw
Spanish, Spain: www.corel.es/concursocoreldraw
Italian: www.it.corel.com/concorsodidesigncoreldraw
German: www.corel.de/designwettbewerb
Dutch: www.corel.nl/ontwerpwedstrijdvoorcoreldraw
Polish: www.corel.com/pl/konkurscoreldraw
Russian: www.corel.com/ru/coreldrawdesigncontest
Czech: www.corel.com/cz/soutezcoreldraw
Spanish, Mexico: www.corel.com.mx/concursocoreldraw
Brazilian-Portuguese: www.corel.com.br/coreldrawdesigncontest
Japanese: www.corel.jp/coreldrawdesigncontest
Chinese (Mainland China): www.corel.com/cn/coreldrawdesigncontest
Chinese (Taiwan): www.corel.com.tw/coreldrawdesigncontest
Korean: www.corel.com/kr/coreldrawdesigncontest

One of the questions on your mind might be to know what happens after May 31st. We will be taking about two weeks to review all the entries to make sure they are in accordance with the terms & conditions. By middle of June, the entries that made it to the final stage will be posted in the design contest galleries in the community. At that point, voting will begin by the jury, and that's when you come in: The CorelDRAW.com community will be part of the jury to select the winners of each category. The community choice will be ranked on the "Most Popular" sorting in each gallery from the point we post the entries to about two weeks later (when we have all the feedback from all the other jury members).

In addition to the vote from the CorelDRAW.com community, the jury will include members from Corel's CorelDRAW and Creative teams from around the world. Jury members also include industry experts as we will have journalists from key publications related to the different categories cast their vote:

Advertising/Marketing Material: Christian Deppisch, Novum, Germany
Promotional Items / Awards / Personalization: Mr. Haitao Jin, Computer Art Magazine, China.
Vehicle Wraps: Darek Johnson, Signs of the Times, USA
Textile and Fashion Design: Terry Murphy, IMPRESSIONS, USA
General Illustration and Fine Art: Tom Dennis, ComputerArts, UK
Student / Academic: Kathleen Maher, Jon Peddie Research

And then comes the grand prize. The judges for the winner of the Roland VersaCAMM will include Corel's CEO, Kris Hagerman, as well as Roland's Vice President and General Manager of the Color Products Division Rick Scrimger. Some of the CorelDRAW team members (including myself) will also be part of this process.

In summary, if you haven't submitted your artwork yet, hurry... after May 31st, it's going to be to late!

CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4 Hot Fix 2 is now available

Gerard Metrailler — Tue, 26 May 2009 12:45:00 GMT

I am happy to announce that the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4 Hot Fix 2 is now available.This hot fix address 4 specific issues, and should only be installed if you are experiencing these issues. The patch applies to all languages and all versions but can only be applied to CorelDRAW after is has been updated to Service Pack 2 (version number 14.0.0.701).

Issues Fixed with Hot Fix 2:

Object names are now maintained in the Object Data Manager when copying and pasting.
Custom spot colors can now have the same CMYK values as long as the color name is unique.
Using the Artistic Media tools over a network will no longer slow down the application.
Files that contain macros will now open correctly on the Public Beta / Release Candiadate of Windows 7.

Build number notes: The build number displayed in the Help About will remain the same as SP2 (14.0.0.701). You can determine if the hot fix is applied by viewing the version number of the CorelDrw.dll file located in the programs folder. The version of this file is 14.0.0.704 once the patch is applied.

Here is the link to download the patch. We will be adding it to the download pages of http://www.corel.com in the near future.

Gérard

Webinar about efficient technical illustration from 3D CAD this Wednesday

Gerard Metrailler — Sun, 24 May 2009 14:25:00 GMT

[Update: This webinar was delayed by one day... the info below is correct ]

This coming Wednesday, May 27 2009, Corel Corp and Right Hemisphere will run a webinar about how to best work with 3D CAD files with Corel DESIGNER Technical Suite X4, which includes the CSE version of Right Hemishpere's Deep Exploration. Well worth a watch if you are working with 3D CAD files and intend to create technical illustrations. Here are all the details:

Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/117797880

Corel DESIGNER Technical Suite X4 is the trusted choice for businesses that need to effectively communicate the strengths of their products and services through clear, informative technical illustrations or diagrams. The new version of this complete suite allows organizations of any size to create powerful technical graphics — faster than ever!

Right Hemisphere® Deep Exploration™ CCE adds direct access to over 80 3D CAD file formats to technical communication workflows. With enhanced illustration output the 3D component now delivers a new benchmark in illustration quality, achieved in an efficient automated process.

See in this webinar how 3D CAD handling with unparalleled quality illustration output perfectly collaborate with precision illustration tools, easy bitmap-to-vector tracing, professional photo editing and industry-leading file compatibility, to form a complete technical graphics application suite for various industry workflows.

Title: Efficient technical illustration from 3D CAD - Corel DESIGNER Technical Suite X4 and Deep Exploration CCE
Date: Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Time: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM EDT

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

Happy 2nd Go-Live Day CorelDRAW.com

Gerard Metrailler — Thu, 14 May 2009 12:16:00 GMT

Yes, it's that time of the year again. May 14 celebrates the go-live day for CorelDRAW.com, and it's been two years already since this community became available on the Internet. With over 26,000 members from over 200 countries around the world, and with over 3000 entries in the galleries, this community has truly become a fantastic place for everyone using or interested in the CorelDRAW family of products.

Thank you all for making CorelDRAW.com such a great place to go!

Fastest times for the CorelDRAW Balloon Racer game

Gerard Metrailler — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 14:09:00 GMT

A few weeks back, I pointed out that we launched an online game around the CorelDRAW brand called the Balloon Racer.

As a follow-up to that post, and having gone through all the levels a few times now, I wanted to share the fastest times so far done by those who played. All I can tell you is that these are not my scores, but if it was you, please let me know ;-)

1989 - 6 seconds
1990 - 25 seconds
1991 - 17 seconds
1992 - 4 seconds
1993 - 8 seconds
1994 - 11 seconds
1995 - 17 seconds
1996 - 9 seconds
1997 - 18 seconds
1998 - 15 seconds
1999 - 16 seconds
2000 - 14 seconds
2001 - 11 seconds
2002 - 20 seconds
2003 - 13 seconds
2004 - 19 seconds
2005 - 10 seconds
2006 - 13 seconds
2007 - 14 seconds
2008 - 11 seconds
2009 - 4 seconds

Software piracy: And then there's that...

Gerard Metrailler — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 14:00:00 GMT

OK, software piracy is continuing to be a big problem around the world. According to BSA, 35% of all software used around the world is pirated. While it varies from product to product, we know that some of you are using CorelDRAW illegally. But sometimes, people don't seem to think to much. One example that my colleagues on the Customer Service team just forwarded is worth me sharing with you. Anyone can tell me what's wrong with this customer request?

Click the image to see full size

Upcoming free CorelDRAW / Corel DESIGNER online presentations

Gerard Metrailler — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 20:27:00 GMT

The Corel Field Services Team in Ottawa will be organizing additional free online presentations (called webinars in the Interweb terminology) about CorelDRAW and Corel DESIGNER in April and May respectively. Here are all the details:

CorelDRAW® Graphics Suite X4 - Drive design, performance and creativity in your workplace

See how CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4 offers you the ultimate combination of superior design capabilities, speed, and ease of use at an affordable price. This suite is everything you need to tackle your graphics and design projects with confidence.

Title: CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4
Date: Thursday, April 23, 2009
Time: 1:00 PM - 2:00 AM EDT

Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now at https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/492930346

Corel DESIGNER® Technical Suite X4

From operation guides and parts catalogs, to schematics, wiring diagrams, assembly instructions, maintenance manuals and architectural presentations, this complete suite allows organizations of any size to create powerful technical graphics—fast! This session will provide a live demo and overview of the new features in Corel DESIGNER Technical Suite X4.

Title: Introduction to Corel DESIGNER Technical Suite X4
Date: Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Time: 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. EST

Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now at https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/884588380

Periodic Table of Typefaces

Gerard Metrailler — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 17:24:00 GMT

Going through mymy regular blogs, I saw a post from Lifehacker about the periodic table typefaces (original posted on Download Squad) which I wanted to share. It is about a 3150 by 2100 jpeg file (1.6Mb download) that the design firm Squidspot put together with a reference chart of the most popular fonts, including letter samples, family and class distinctions, and the designer and year of creation.Click on the image below to get the full jpeg file. And yes, with over 1,000 fonts, CorelDRAW should cover most of the different styles, even if they don't have exactly the same name as here.

CorelDRAW X4 around the world - on TV in Taiwan

Gerard Metrailler — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:36:00 GMT

Available in 18 languages around the world, CorelDRAW Graphics Suite is really used globally in many countries. Here are is a video of CorelDRAW shown on TV in Taiwan (split in two parts) with Cathie Chen presenting how she uses CorelDRAW... even if you don't understand the language, it is still really nice to watch. Enjoy!

Balloon Racer Game - how fast will you be?

Gerard Metrailler — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 14:53:00 GMT

A few minutes ago, and part of our 20th anniversary celebrations, we went live with an online game called the Balloon Racer. The idea is very simple: You need to get through 20 levels, each of them representing a highlight that happened between 1989 and 2009, as fast as possible. Yes, some of the levels are challenging, but I can guarantee that you can go through them all.

And to make it an even easier way to get a link to it when you want to have a short break, we've integrated it directly in the CorelDRAW.com community: http://CorelDRAW.com/game. How fast will you be?

Feel free to share the link with your friends and colleagues.

Add CorelDRAW.com as a search provider

Gerard Metrailler — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 18:37:00 GMT

Configuring a new computer, I got intrigued by how the search providers for Internet Explorer and Firefox work, e.g. how could I have an easy way to quickly add CorelDRAW.com as a search option in the search field in the upper-right corner of Internet Explorer 7+ and Firefox 2+ to search for keywords on this site. In summary, there is a standard called OpenSearch that is supported by both IE and Firefox to define additional search providers. Here are the technical details from Mozilla and from Microsoft.

As a result of my investigation, you can now easily add CorelDRAW.com as a search provider for both Firefox and Internet Explorer by clicking on the little arrow next to the magnifying glass in the search field (upper right corner) when you are on this site.