Progress in software development has probably surpassed the development in computer hardware, with the users being provided a whole array of options for preparing and presenting their data in the most appealing formats. Of the various software packages available in the market, we have found the CorelDRAW® Graphics Suite to be the best suited for us. The version we are currently using is 12.0 but a newer update should be available soon in the market.
The software is based on vector graphics and the package we have is suitable for operating systems beyond Windows 2000. The software uses up quite a bit of disk space and the use of high-end computers is advisable for obtaining good results. The package contains several features that can be used independently of each other. These include: CorelDRAW®, CorelPHOTO-PAINT, Corel RAVE, CorelTRACE, CorelCAPTURE, among others. Each feature has its specific applications, but we use CorelDRAW® for most of our scientific work.
Corel can be described as having features similar to Microsoft Power Point, Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Paint, Java, and so on. CorelRAVE, for example, can be used to create movies of different objects that can also be used for presentation purposes. CorelPHOTO-PAINT can be exploited for creating images, cartoons and logos for different occasions. Additionally, pictures and images can be readily edited using this software. The photo-paint contains various options for editing images, including transformation, corrections, contrast adjustments, creating movies from documents, and has several options for different art strokes. CorelCAPTURE can be used for obtaining snapshots of pictures from other software. These are just a few applications of the different modules provided by the package. Detailed use of each module can vary depending on the purpose desired by the user.
We extensively use CorelDRAW® for obtaining high quality images for the creation of scientific posters for presentation in conferences. This software permits the import of any image from almost any other software. For example, files that have previously been created in Microsoft Power Point can be directly imported into CorelDRAW® without changing any formatting. These slides can be expanded (increased in size) or reduced in size without losing resolution. The images and text can be edited either together or individually, rearranged or grouped as per the requirements. Likewise, pictures created in other software can be copied and directly pasted onto a canvas for editing. The software also allows ungrouping of images from some files, for example .pdf and .ps/.eps. In most cases, the color and resolution of the images or text being handled is totally unaffected, even if multiple zooms have been performed in CorelDRAW®.
Exporting of images and/or text created on CorelDRAW® can also be carried out to a wide variety of file types including bitmap, jpeg, tiff, encapsulated post script, photo paint, as well as files compatible with Macintosh computers. Export file size and resolution can be set and the exported files can be compressed before saving.
This software is extremely useful for generating high quality publication-ready .tiff images. We have also used this software for convenient and quick annotation of NMR spectra of different samples. Most of the operations are keyboard driven or can be selected from the drop-down menu. A complete manual explaining the different features is also available.