Fractal Design Painter 3.0
Article Abstract:
A bevy of new features, including multimedia support, and a simplified interface make Fractal Design Corp's $499 Fractal Design Painter 3.0 a must-have tool for designers and artists working on the Macintosh. There are now only eight floating palettes, down from 14 in version 2.0, and they have been made much more flexible. The new Movie menu allows users to open and manipulate a Video for Windows or QuickTime movie. This menu is best for developing rough animations or slightly enhancing a movie. The mind-boggling Image Hose feature is a brush that sprays images, not paint. The many pre-set Nozzles include coins and coral. The software's core capability, painting, has been greatly enhanced. Additions to version 3.0 include a spatter airbrush, oil pastels, square pastels, six new oil brushes and a handful of new watercolor brushes. The biggest weakness in version 3.0 is its inability to open and manipulate CMYK images. An upgrade from version 2.0 costs $149.
Publication Name: Publish
Subject: Publishing industry
ISSN: 0897-6007
Year: 1995
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Fractal Design Painter 2.0
Article Abstract:
Version 2.0 of the $399 Fractal Design Painter (FDP 2.0) software package from Fractal Design adds numerous new capabilities to the unique graphics tool, including a new interface that facilitates learning FDP 2.0. Using all the capabilities as well as customizing them can be challenging, though. These capabilities include numerous paint functions that mimic watercolor and oil paints, pastels and pencils; a full set of photo-retouching tools; and export in EPS or DCS format. Enhancements in version 2.0 include importing text in TrueType or PostScript Type 1 fonts as a frisket, saving text files in EPS format and printing of color separations. Drawbacks include the inability to read EPS files and an awkward way of managing text in multiple fonts. The software is rated exceptional.
Publication Name: Publish
Subject: Publishing industry
ISSN: 0897-6007
Year: 1993
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Fractal Design Sketcher: desktop workhorse or one-trick pony?
Article Abstract:
The $149 Fractal Design Sketcher graphics software package from Fractal Design provides textured drawing tools in gray scale but is somewhat difficult to use. The software includes many of the drawing and image editing functions of sibling Fractal Design Painter but only in gray-scale. The textured painting/drawing tools emulate the strokes of a wide variety of brushes and drawing devices, while a range of surfaces emulate various papers and canvas textures. Sketcher also includes a number of image-editing controls, including positional, contrast, posterizing, contrast and sharpening functions. Drawbacks include the need to import and convert PostScript and TrueType fonts to a proprietary format, numerous floating palettes that clutter the screen and awkward 'frisket' tools.
Publication Name: Publish
Subject: Publishing industry
ISSN: 0897-6007
Year: 1993
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