Sunday 17 July 2011

Do you have a MAC?

I shall have to change my computer soon as it is VERY cranky and grinds horrendously when I edit photos. Several friends are encouraging me to get a Mac and I have been to a friend's to familiarize myself with the format.  I am sure I would soon get used to it. However on my PC I use the program CoralDRAW Essentials 2 quite a lot for simple graphics.  It is very flexible and allows me to draw shapes to  exact sizes and position items on a page with accuracy.  I use it most to help Mr T create CD covers.  I have also used it for greetings cards and to manipulate images for the Postman's Knock project.  I have also created labels and inserts for my Etsy shop as it so much easier than Works, unless you are doing straight forward stuff. The only drawback is that they are stored as CorelDRAW files.  However that is not the problem.  If I get a new PC they no longer produce CorelDraw Essentials, but they do a Home and Student edition which I guess is the similar. But this is not compatable with  Mac.  What I think I need for a Mac as a substitute is PRINTshop.Pro which is certainly cheaper, but I don't know anyone who uses this.  The review sounds as if it will do what I want and more so I am wondering if anyone out there can help me with some simple info. Other people have suggested that I shall be able to do this sort of thing with Photoshop Essentials. I have Essentials 5 and the graphics part certainly isn't flexible enough for what I want.  If any of you have any suggestions I shall be very grateful.  I do not want to pay hundreds of pounds for a program. So if you have PRINTshop Pro can you let me know what you think of it.


This is the sort of thing we do - only in coverting it from a Coral file to a Jpeg the white background has turned black!  By the way this was the give-away for our guests at our garden do.

Meanwhile back to the creative stuff. I am doing a bit of experimental sewing - more of that another time, but I had to get the camera out in the garden yesterday as the sun came out in the late afternoon and I do like a bit of back lighting,

Honesty seed heads are just delicious at any time of year, but the sun shining through was stunning...

and I think purple and orange is my favourite colour combination at the moment. 
What a shame the Buddlea isn't full of butterflies. Are you going to take part in the Big Butterfly Count ? I did see five species yesterday despite the dull weather.
Do have a good week,
Jill