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CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 2025 Review
Setup and Getting Started
Installing the suite is simple – you download an installer, and it does all the work. You end up (in Windows 11, anyway) with icons on your desktop for CorelDRAW, Photo-Paint, Capture, plus the font manager. CorelDRAW sounds like an Illustrator equivalent, and Photo-Paint sounds a bit like Photoshop, so if you’re wondering where the InDesign-like layout app is, that sort of thing is handled by CorelDRAW.
Features
The CorelDRAW Graphics Suite is full of the types of features you’d expect from pro-grade graphic design software. So there’s a range of curves, shapes (including a shape recognition tool that will transform sketches to vectors) and a spiral (‘Twirl’) tool with more options than Illustrator’s. Possibly best are the natural media brushes which lead to strokes over Beziers even if you paint them freehand.
User Experience
The default CorelDRAW and Photo-Paint interface is light in colour and stripped back, with all the deeper options hidden behind Dockers or fly-out menus accessed by holding down tool icons. We needed to check a couple of times which app we were actually using, as they appear so similar.
Who’s It For?
The CorelDRAW Graphics Suite is a relative bargain compared to Creative Cloud. Subscribing to Adobe apps individually is even more expensive, so you’d go for the All Apps plan, and get Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign (plus some other stuff, like Premiere Pro) for £56.98 a month after the discounted rate that applies for the first three months. CorelDRAW is £26.58 a month for CorelDRAW and Photo-Paint, or a one-off payment of £659.
Scorecard
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| Setup | 4/5 |
| Features | 3/5 |
| User Experience | 4/5 |
Buy It If:
- You want a comprehensive graphics suite
- That’s not Adobe
- And which you can buy outright
Don’t Buy It If:
- The thought of change scares you
- A cheaper option will do the job
- You want AI tools
FAQs:
Q: What is the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite?
A: The CorelDRAW Graphics Suite is a comprehensive graphics suite that includes CorelDRAW and Photo-Paint.
Q: How does it compare to Adobe Creative Cloud?
A: The CorelDRAW Graphics Suite is a relative bargain compared to Creative Cloud, with a one-off payment of £659 or a monthly subscription of £26.58.
Q: What are the key features of the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite?
A: The CorelDRAW Graphics Suite has a range of features, including curves, shapes, and a spiral (‘Twirl’) tool, as well as natural media brushes that lead to strokes over Beziers even if you paint them freehand.
