Illustration: inkscape vs. E3 Expression vs. Fireworks

[wmmk]

Hi.
I am doing a website and need to know what to do illustrations with. I need basically free. I have E3 Expression by creaturesoft, inkscape a linux program ported to x11 for mac, and macromedia fireworks, which is mostly for photo editing. Each piece of software has a main advantage, but I don't know which to use. I have all of these programs, but don't know which is best. So, Fireworks just has that nice polish of a big commercial app. It also feels a bit like photoshop elements, which I use a lot at school. Expression is easy to use, and it's also fast to open up and do stuff. Nice and lightweight. Finally, Inkscape has GREAT support for vector, which, in my opinion, is the graphics format of the fuuture. Each also has disadvantages. Fireworks is a bit slower than the others. Expression isn't great at creating glassy or polished images, which makes it not great for web stuff. Finally, Inkscapejust doesn't feel like a real mac app. When Doing graphic design, I want to feel like I'm using an application that is well designed itself.
Any input is appreciated. Thanks.

 

[decksnap]

Fireworks contains both bitmap and vector tools, but it's not really meant as an illustration app. It's a site layout, icon/button making, image editing, slicing and optimizing app. Basically, I would use a true vector app like Illustrator, Freehand, or whatever you already have to do the illustrations, then bring them into fireworks to scale, optimize, and export them for the web. It is a great program for what it is truly meant for, but yeah, it is a bit slow, and sometimes quirky.

Vector isn't really the graphics format of the future, it shares the crown with bitmap as the graphics formats of today. They both do totally different things.

 

[bousozoku]

Vector graphics applications have been around about as long as bit image editors. It all depends on what you're trying to do. Want text 10 feet tall? Use a vector application. Need pixel precision? Use an image editor.

There are a few vector graphics applications that are not so expensive, such as Intaglio and EazyDraw. CorelDraw 11 for Mac has been available in a bundle from Allume Systems. Probably any of these will be able to do what you need.

If you want to use your vector illustrations without loss, look into something that exports to SVG because like other vector graphics formats, it's a description of what's to be displayed, not the pixels.

 

[wmmk]

Fireworks contains both bitmap and vector tools, but it's not really meant as an illustration app. It's a site layout, icon/button making, image editing, slicing and optimizing app.

i can do a whole webpage in fireworks and eport as html? that's pimpin

 

[carlos700]

i can do a whole webpage in fireworks and eport as html? that's pimpin

you could do that... I use Fireworks 8 and I love it... although I would not clasify it as an illustration application.

 

[decksnap]

i can do a whole webpage in fireworks and eport as html? that's pimpin

Yes, but when you get more experienced you won't want to. I will typically build an entire site in Fireworks, then export all the images and build the html from the ground up in Dreamweaver. The exported Fireworks HTML code can be a little sloppy.