Free or Open Source "draw" program?

[LI-ghtcycle]

I am sick of trying to make something that looks like anything but junk with MS paint.

I just have a simple basic black on white graphic that I am drawing for business cards, and as soon as I add ANY effects at all (resizing, horizontal skew, etc.) the graphic turns to crap.

SO!

I am hoping the graphics artists here can point me in the direction of a simple basic program with a free trial or something to make a logo for business cards.

If it works well with Open Office that is a huge plus to! :wink:

Thanks!

 

[rolf_w]

try http://sketchup.google.com/, r

 

[neptronix]

http://www.gimp.org/

 

[Dee Jay]

I've been using Adobe Photo Deluxe 2.0 for our Japanese New Year greeting cards since 2K. Great little software. Easy to use and great quality. It was slow as hell on our 1.6Ghz powerbook but kicks ass on our new 3.8Ghz hackintosh HTPC. Never wanted newer versions or any other software until I bought a Wacom drawing tablet which bundled Adobe PhotoElements and guess what...PhotoDeluxes PDD file format is compatible YAY! Elements works the same way but I need to learn to use the new features. One of my pet projects is digital cell animation using iMovie 8) 8) 8)


Deluxe 4.0 is up for grabs TEE HEE HEE!
http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/4620465/

 

[marty]

x

I just have a simple basic black on white graphic that I am drawing for business cards

x

Use Vector graphics. Go here to see what that is:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vector_graphics

Here is a Comparison of vector graphics editors:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_vector_graphics_editors

I would use Adobe Illustrator or a CAD program. CAD is Computer Aided Design.

Best format to send to a printer is PDF. PDF should be able to be blown up to a bill board size with no loss of quality. Please don't scan a fuzzy drawing.

 

[LI-ghtcycle]

x

I just have a simple basic black on white graphic that I am drawing for business cards

x

Use Vector graphics. Go here to see what that is:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vector_graphics

Here is a Comparison of vector graphics editors:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_vector_graphics_editors

I would use Adobe Illustrator or a CAD program. CAD is Computer Aided Design.

Best format to send to a printer is PDF. PDF should be able to be blown up to a bill board size with no loss of quality. Please don't scan a fuzzy drawing.

Don't worry! I know what you mean, even just modifications in MS PAIN-t cause huge degradation. I was hoping an artist friend of mine would do a drawing by hand for me that could be scanned, but he's too busy, and hates to turn art into "work" so I'm stuck with the job.


I have the design all worked out, it's just that I have been trying to get the best MS paint would do, and it's not even close, but that's to be expected.

I got a local print shop just waiting for me to put together the graphic, and they will do the rest, but I refuse to put together something that will make me look unprofessional.

Thanks all for these links!

I have been looking at google draw, but it's more complex than I need, I just want 2D, I will try out adobe and see how that works for me.

I will probably use one of the photo programs too eventually, but for now I just need a basic 2D graphic for a card, and later on probably in the summer when I am done with school, I will make fancier ones with a black and white photo on the back.

Thanks again everyone!

 

[amberwolf]

http://www.gimp.org/

ditto.

also, for mspaint, save as bmp or tga for no compression and so no data loss.

if resaving as jpg/etc (lossy compression) in ANY proigram you will get artifacts and degrafdation.

 

[TylerDurden]

I have been using Inkscape for vector work. Clean, easy, free.

Outputs to many formats... PDF is what I usually send to the Printer's.

O can integrate some Inkscape formats.