CorelDRAW Graphics Suite Review: Powerful Design Tools for Illustrators and Layout Artists

CorelDRAW has been a leading name in vector graphics and illustration software for over three decades. The latest version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite packs in more tools and features than ever for designers working on everything from logo design to page layouts. But with capable alternatives like Adobe Illustrator and Affinity Designer available, is CorelDRAW still a compelling option? Let‘s take a comprehensive look at what the Graphics Suite offers.

Pricing and Versions

Unlike Adobe‘s subscription-only model, Corel still gives you the option to purchase a perpetual license for CorelDRAW outright. The full CorelDRAW Graphics Suite, which bundles CorelDRAW with Photo-Paint, Font Manager, Website Creator and other tools, costs $549 as a one-time purchase. Upgrading from a previous version costs $199.

If you prefer the subscription route, you can get the entire suite for $249 per year, or $35 per month. For those who only need CorelDRAW itself, a standalone perpetual license is also available for $399.

While not cheap, the perpetual license in particular can provide good long-term value compared to subscription-only competitors. And Corel often runs promotions that bring the cost down further.

Interface and Workspaces

CorelDRAW‘s UI maintains the standard layout of most graphics software – a main canvas area surrounded by toolbars and panels. But it provides a high degree of customization to suit your workflow.

Several pre-configured "workspaces" arrange the interface for common tasks like illustration, page layout, web graphics and even an "Adobe Illustrator" mode that mimics the tool layout in CorelDRAW‘s biggest competitor. The right-side panels, called "dockers" in Corel parlance, are fully customizable. You can rearrange, resize and stack them to put the tools you need most right at your fingertips.

Corel has done a lot to make CorelDRAW welcoming to new users as well. The "Lite" workspace hides advanced tools to minimize clutter and distraction. And the "Hints" docker provides contextual help as you work with each tool.

One criticism of the UI is that it‘s starting to feel a little dated and clunky in places compared to more modern feeling options like Affinity Designer. Some odd choices, like locking toolbars in place until you dig into settings to enable customization, can be off-putting. But overall, the interface is very flexible and can be tuned to your liking with some tweaking.

Illustration Prowess

Vector illustration is CorelDRAW‘s bread and butter, and the tools on offer are top-notch. All the vector design staples are here – pen and bezigon tools for drawing curves, smart fill tools, shape tools, boolean operations, symmetry control and more. The Property Bar provides quick access to commonly used settings for each tool.

Once shapes are drawn, powerful node editing and path manipulation options open up. The Knife and Eraser tools allow you to quickly cut away or erase parts of objects. A full complement of alignment and distribution options help with precise layouts. And built-in presets for shadows, glows and other effects allow you to quickly apply consistent styles.

One stand-out feature is the "Live Sketch" tool, which uses AI to translate your freehand strokes into clean vector shapes in real-time. This is fantastic for roughing out concepts using a drawing tablet or touchscreen. Using AI to intelligently smooth and interpret hand-drawn shapes is a major time saver.

Speaking of AI, another powerful CorelDRAW feature is PowerTRACE – a bitmap tracing utility that uses AI to convert raster images like JPEGs to editable vector graphics with impressive accuracy. While still not perfect for highly complex images, PowerTRACE produces very clean and usable results in most cases. It‘s great for repurposing logos, badges and illustrations.

Laying It All Out

While it‘s mostly known as an illustration tool, CorelDRAW is no slouch when it comes to page layout either. The Master Page docker allows you to quickly set up page numbers, guides and grids. A multipage view makes it easy to jump between pages in your document.

Corel provides a huge library of templates to kick-start designs, and you can easily save your own custom page layouts as reusable templates. Pulling in images to spice up your layouts is made easy with Corel CONNECT, an integrated content browser that can search your computer, local network, or online sources for images and graphics to import.

Typography is handled competently, but it‘s one area where CorelDRAW falls a bit short of its competitors. Some odd quirks, like using percentages rather than absolute units like points for line spacing and tracking settings, make achieving consistency more difficult than it should be.

Touch and Tablet Friendliness

In this age of touchscreens and tablet devices, CorelDRAW is well equipped to support "hands-on" design and illustration. The Touch workspace provides a streamlined, touch-friendly interface with larger tool icons and gestures. Using a pressure-sensitive stylus with CorelDRAW‘s brushes and pens provides a very natural drawing experience.

And a nice perk of CorelDRAW‘s UI flexibility is the option to customize the interface with larger icons and buttons to compensate for the "fat finger" problem when working on a small touchscreen.

Performance

CorelDRAW runs very well on modern hardware. Even on a modestly specced laptop, zooming and panning around complex illustrations is smooth and responsive. Applying effects and filters chugs a bit, but that‘s expected and no different than what you‘d experience in Illustrator or most other graphics apps.

One caveat is that some of the AI-assisted features like PowerTRACE can really bog things down and will benefit greatly from a fast multi-core processor. Don‘t expect zippy performance when converting intricate bitmaps on an older machine.

Learning Curve

Novices may find CorelDRAW a bit daunting, as any full-featured graphics app tends to be complex by nature. However, the Hints docker does a fantastic job of providing in-app guidance, and Corel‘s online documentation and tutorials are extensive and very well done.

There are also a good number of third-party CorelDRAW courses available from sites like Udemy for those who prefer video training. While the CorelDRAW community may not be as large as the Adobe ecosystem, there are still plenty of resources available to get over the learning hump.

The Verdict

So where does CorelDRAW Graphics Suite fit into the current landscape of design software? It‘s an impressively powerful and full-featured application, especially for vector illustration work. The new AI-assisted features like LiveSketch and PowerTRACE are game changers that save tons of time. And for Windows users who prefer a perpetual license to a subscription, CorelDRAW is the most powerful option available.

That said, CorelDRAW has some stiff competition. Adobe Illustrator is still the 800-pound gorilla and industry standard for vector work, and the gap in features has narrowed considerably. Affinity Designer isn‘t as powerful but has a cleaner, more modern UI and a very attractive one-time price.

Ultimately, CorelDRAW is an excellent choice for professional designers and serious hobbyists, especially those focusing on illustration and print layout work. The wealth of powerful features justifies the relatively high price tag. And the option for a perpetual license sets it apart from much of the competition. But for the more casual user, it may be overkill compared to some of the sleeker, cheaper alternatives available.

If you think you can put the many advanced tools in CorelDRAW to use, by all means give it a try. You can always kick the tires with the free 15-day trial to see how it fits your needs and workflow before committing your cash. But if you just need some basic vector editing tools, there are more budget-friendly options out there that will likely serve you just as well.

Pros

✔ Excellent, full-featured vector illustration tools
✔ AI-powered bitmap tracing and sketch smoothing
✔ Highly customizable interface
✔ Perpetual license available
✔ Good touch/tablet support

Cons

✘ Pricey compared to some alternatives
✘ Some UI quirks and clutter
✘ Steeper learning curve than simpler apps
✘ Lacks some typography features of competitors

Rating

4 out of 5 stars