What it is
CorelDRAW is a vector graphics editor made by Corel, a software company founded in Ottawa. It is used for logos, signage, layouts, illustration and print work, and it has long been popular with sign shops, vinyl cutters, engravers and print shops, many of whose tools read its CDR files directly.
It comes as part of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite, alongside Corel Photo-Paint for raster editing. It runs on Windows and macOS, and it imports and exports common formats such as AI, PDF, EPS and SVG, so artwork can move between it and Adobe's tools. It is especially common in the sign and engraving trades.
How I use it
- At Marsh Canada, an insurance brokerage, from 2006 to 2007, designed custom cover pages for insurance documents in Corel Draw and InDesign.
- Print production for clients through my independent contracts.
- Graphic design for print, now done mostly in Adobe Illustrator and InDesign.
CorelDRAW is a good fit when the work is headed for print, signage or a cutter, especially where the shop already works in CDR files. I used it alongside InDesign for print design, picking whichever tool the job and the printer needed.
Questions
Where has Shawn Mervin used CorelDRAW?
At Marsh Canada, an insurance brokerage, where he designed custom cover pages for insurance documents in Corel Draw and InDesign, alongside a PHP and MySQL content management system for underwriting documents.
Can you work with our existing CorelDRAW files?
CorelDRAW exports to formats such as PDF, SVG and EPS, so existing artwork can be carried into a new brand or print job without starting over.