Adobe Illustrator vs Corel Draw

[LesPalenik]

I've been tasked with a conversion of a collection of photographic images to vectors, and I'm trying to decide between the Illustrator CS6 and Corel Draw X7. Corel Draw X7 costs less than half what Adobe is charging for Illustrator CS6, and one can assume that in the foreseeable future, Corel will keep updating their product, whereas Adobe stopped updating the CS6 version and is steering any sales inquiries towards AI CC. AI CC subscription is offered at $20US a month, so one year of AI CC subscription cost almost as much as the perpetual copy of latest CD X7 ($319US at B&H Photo or $549CAD, currently on sale for $439CAD).  Another difference is that Corel Draw X7 is actually a complete Graphics Suite, containing Paintshop, Web Creator, and number of other programs, while Adobe Illustrator is a dedicated vector drawing program. Since I own and am used to Photoshop, I wouldn't be using Paintshop Pro, although some of the other included programs might come handy.

I'm leaning towards CD, mainly because of its lower cost and straight forward future upgrade path. Apparently, both programs are similar in their functionality (Yes / No?) . AI CC has some extra features compared with AI CS6, but I am not sure how important they would be for this project.

How do these two products compare in terms of features, speed, and ease of use? Which one has better auto tracing capability and conversion of bitmaps to vector paths? Has anybody used both these products and what's your advice?

[Czornyj]

If you're on OSX, there's a new, very interesting alternative - Affinity Designer (vector) and Photo (bitmap). Very fast, capable and with nice UI, at bargain price (and perpetual license).

[graeme]

I'm looking at Affinity Designer at the moment but I don't think it does auto trace yet. Is this any help:

http://medialoot.com/blog/illustrator-alternatives-for-converting-drawings-to-vectors/

[tom b]

Hey, I worked as an Illustrator for around fifteen years. Adobe Illustrator is the no brainer choice. It isn't for the obvious price comparison. The conversion of a collection of photographic images to vectors isn't simple. Your major cost will be the time in learning how to use the software you buy. It is a steep learning curve that costs heaps in time and effort.

There is a big Adobe Illustrator Help network out there, including Adobe TV, Lynda.com tutorials and Adobe support groups. I have worked with some very talented Illustrators and none of them embraced what you are going to attempt. I wish you luck!

Cheers,

[TomFrerichs]

I've used both, and Illustrator is more commonly used by commercial illustrators. This means that there is probably far more "tutorial" type stuff for Illustrator. It also has some really nice features.

However, CorelDraw is considerably less expensive and is also very capable.  For quick vector conversions Trace does a reasonable job.  To do an outstanding conversion, with either program, expect to spend significant time cleaning up the generated conversion.

Also, don't expect that what you learned in one program can be easily transferred to the other. Once move beyond the basic illustration tools, they rapidly diverge in how the UI works.

Tom Frerichs

[LesPalenik]

Thank you all for the valuable input.
I'm going to start with Corel Draw and stick to some simple images, and if it goes well, then I may add one of the other programs.
Hopefully, Serif will soon release the next and more capable version of Affinity Designer.