Serif's DrawPlus X6

Most people have image - editing software that they use for touching up photos, but it is not much good for creating art from scratch. If you have artistic flair and want to use your PC to get creative, Serif's DrawPlus X6 provides the tools you need.

The name, if anything, is a little misleading. You are not simply using your mouse like a virtual pencil: this is a sophisticated tool for creating a range of different types of art, from logos to animations.

At a glance

SERIF DRAWPLUS X6

 

• 512MB of memory
• 778MB of hard-drive space
• 1,024 x 768 pixels resolution
• Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8

 

Unlike the pen, pencil and brush tools you get into image-editing software, every line in DrawPlus is editable. The software remembers the path your mouse made as it goes across the screen, so you can adjust the lines later. For example, even if you use one of the many sophisticated brush shapes, you can grab its surrounding handles and enlarge, reduce or rotate the line, or change the brush type long after you have finished drawing. If you do not like the shape of the line you have drawn, you do not have to delete it and start again, but can select individual vertices and reshape it.

 

The software is packed with features, so there is a lot to get to grips with when you first use it. As we have found with other Serif software we have reviewed recently, the interface looks dated. Banks of icons located across the top and left of the screen are used to select tools, but they are small and fiddly. This means you get plenty of room for your drawings, but if you have a recent PC with a high-resolution screen, the buttons will look very small. However, it makes tweaking and perfecting your work much more precise.

One of its great features, the Quick Shape tool, lets you make pre – cut 2D and 3D shapes like moons, cogs, polygons, tears, rectangles along with the chance of blending them and form a more intricate and larger designs.  Instant 3D button lets users to create 3D shapes also amuses with the movable light source.

If you are not any good at drawing there's an impressive range of clipart included, that can be easily adapted to look like your own creations. This makes it simpler to produce professional-looking logos and illustrative elements for newsletters and other projects, without them looking cheesy.

The best thing about the software, however, is that it provides professional-level tools at a very reasonable price. Given the complexity of the software, you need to be prepared to spend the time learning it to get good results.

This is sophisticated software, with the kind of tools that are professional illustrators might expect to find in a drawing program. It is not exactly cheap, but it costs a lot less than Adobe Illustrator.

The program's complexity means it is not particularly easy to use, but you can still create impressive pieces without too much trouble, even without much artistic skill, by using the software's wide range of features and clip art.