CorelDRAW 9 F/X and Design [With CDROM]

After trying several of the web based tutorials I decided to try Shane's book. One of the best things about this book is that it takes an artistic approach in the instruction. I have used what I have learned from this book in all my projects to date. Shane has made me a more creative Corel Draw user. After several years of just using Corel Draw I am now creating on a level I never could have attained before. One should know the basics of Corel Draw before using this book. If you know how to access the menu commands then you should get this book. Highly recommended.

The CorelDraw 9: FX and Design is one of the best books on the market to get the most out of your software package. Author Shane Hunt knows his stuff. He presents facts, tips and creative ideas in a fun and entertaining way. This book is exactly what I needed to teach me the 'how' of CorelDraw 9 and at the same time teach incredible creative tools I can use right away. The Official Guides are fine but this book gives you the tools to think not only 'outside the box' but outside the stratosphere.

Out of all of the references and tutorials I have for Corel Draw 9 and Corel Photo Paint, this is the only one that explains how to create each design that is in the book. The others, well, they contain explanations of how to create some of the desgins that they have included in their books, but not all of them. Shane Hunt delivers a very imaginative and creative approach to explaining more about how to apply the tools and effects that are included in Corel Draw 9. From an artistic point of view, I highly recommend this book. As far as this book starting where the others left off...that is true in a sense. Although someone who has no clue about how to use Corel Draw could learn from this book, I recommend learning more about the basics of this program before attempting to learn more from this book. This reference,in my opinion is excellent for the beginner to the advanced user of Corel Draw. If you want to explore and go beyond the basics of Corel Draw 9, and expand your creativity...buy this book!

The reason I gave this book the highest rating I could is because Shane has put together practical step by step projects. Not the usual stuff you get in Draw books about "this tool does this and that does that," but real world projects that teach actual techniques. In the first 4 chapters alone I was able to use 2 examples in projects I had been struggling with. The rest of the book is chuck full of usable examples for the graphically inclined. Is it for beginners? No-I would recommend having a general knowledge of Draw prior to tackling some of the projects, but the CD examples of every project makes it easy to backtrack the steps if need be. Just learning how to effectively use combinations of both bitmap and vector art in one project makes this book worth the price. This book get's a big thumbs up from me.

Once again THE book to buy if you want to know the ins & outs of CorelDRAW 9, and not just a boring listing of each tool. The chapters are broken up into easy to digest tutorials, that quickly show you how to create the coolest effects and hottest tricks! And once again all of the lessons/files are avialable on the companion CD ROM. Nothing better than being able to load the lesson and see first hand what is going on! Thanks again Shane for passing on your secrets and tips!