Freeware alternatives?

[Leke]

<img border="0" src= "smileys/smiley14.gif">Terve!, I'm new here!
I'm starting up my design toolbox on a PC (IBM Clone) and am looking for freeware/shareware/very cheap alternatives to these...
Font Creation.
Work output packager (like Flightcheck).
Something that does a similar job to Illustrator line drawing capabilities.
Looking forward to speaking to everybody on this forum in the future.
Thanks,
Leke.

[PrintDriver]

hey, welcome to the forum.



Sorry to say if you really want to do graphic design and be able to have your stuff printed without a lot of extra charges for desktop you would do well to spring for the Adobe CS suite. It has all you'll ever need.



If someone came to my shop with a freeware file and asked me to print it, I would have to charge desktop rates to get it into a format that would work for me and hope for your sake it is even possible.

Specialization is for insects...

R.H.

[Leke]

Sigh... PrintDriver, you're breaking my balls.

Seriously though, would you accept a pdf? I hear you can get some type of pdf creator program that can (believe it or not) convert any type of file into a pdf! As long as your creation program has a print command. Or I could be talking out of my arse here?

[style]

there is such a type of program i think its called jaws pdf creator, but it don't do the job so good!!! if you can't afford the adobe cs all in one go, maybe splash out on a program at a time! (thats what i'm doing) good luck!!

<img border="0" src= "http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/instyle/sig.jpg">

go for photoshop first and foremost - it has pretty good illustration useage too...

<img border="0" src= " http://jeremynell.com/misc/jnforums-logo.gif"> ("")

[PrintDriver]

Photoshop for raster illustration usage is perfectly fine. Make sure you work in a high enough resolution. For Vector artwork it is not so fine. You can use it, but it is very limited. Please do a forum search on that one cuz we just went a few rounds on it.

<img border="0" src= "smileys/smiley6.gif">



As for bustin yer balls, no, not really. But you are in Finland. No idea what goes on there. If you really need to go the freeware route I might suggest that you talk to the people, the printers and the techs who would be outputting your printed graphic work. They may be able to steer you in some direction.

<img border="0" src= "smileys/smiley5.gif">



If all you are doing is web design it's up to you how you get it online and whether other people can see it.



As for PDF's, I don't work with those because I do very large format stuff and need to have file edit-ability for a lot of what I do. Different print processes from offset, press, 4-color stuff. You'll still need Acrobat Distiller or Freeware capable of saving or exporting pdf's.



Not dissing you by any means. I know Adobe CS is expensive. But in the long run, you may end up paying your printers more.

Specialization is for insects...

R.H.

[tdtcw]

The only thing close to a decent free vector editing package I've found is Sodipodi. I'm using it on Linux along with GIMP. This combo works wonderful, but you definately need patience. GIMP comes close to matching Adobe Photoshop, but Sodipodi I'm sure is way behind Illustrator (and it *does* crash occasionally... make sure to save your work often).

[Leke]

ALL TRUE!
Thanks for all the help.
If anyone's still interested in a PDF creator (but not for bothering
printing professionals with), the one I found is called Cute PDF. I got it
free with PC PLUS magazine, maybe you can download it for free??? It has
lots of advanced options to scare people with. I highly recommend it!
I've heard good things of the Gimp but not Sodipodi. Must give it a try.
Oh yer, Sorry if I am a bit late replying to posts, its because I don't
have the net at home.
EastSide you guys.

[dbneeley]

There are various PDF creation programs. One is called PDF995, and is a part of a set of related tools as I understand it.

Another interesting free raster graphics program for Windows is called Oriens Enhancer Gold, now at version 2.6.

So far, I have not found a vector graphics program in freeware that I'm fully happy with, but you might take a look at the graphics program built into the OpenOffice.org free office suite...and it can save to pdf directly, come to that.

A free-to-use-for-noncommercial DTP program from Germany (pay for commercial use, but you can use the non-commercial version to see if you like it) is called Ragtime, with Ragtime Solo being the free version. Available for Windows and Mac from www.ragtime-online.com. The English version is very good with well written help files. I am only now exploring some of the more specialized capabilities, but thus far I really like it.

David

[PrintDriver]

Enhancer Gold - 3 whole stars on VersionTracker. Only 4 reviews. Sounds kinda buggy and 'scary'
OpenOffice.org - Okay lots o stars but only 3 reviews - BUT is it any better than Office?
Ragtime - whew, one star, one comment. Another 'Business Publishing Software'

Again, before you guys go use this stuff, talk to a few printers and see if they will even print a brochure or booklet from it. I don't do seps and I can say I wouldn't take any of these in native format. PDF, well, you get what you get. But then, I'm one small printer dude in a very large world.

Edit: I mispoke. Yes I would accept files in any of these formats but you would be charged for the conversion fee.

Specialization is for insects...

R.H.

Post Edited (PrintDriver) : 4/9/2004 11:14:42 AM GMT