Customer Reviews

Mastering Coreldraw 8

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I picked up this book in my local bookstore, opened the book at random in two separate places and learned something I didn't know instantly, both times. Now that's a good book! I've been an avid CorelDRAW user since it was in version 3 way back in 1993. The software has grown in capability by leaps and bounds with each new revision, and each time I get a new version I look to see if Rick Altman has written a "Mastering..." book for it. His explorations of the program make the book well worth the price. My only disappointment was that there were no color plates to better display some of the astounding power of this software. However, the CD makes up for it by providing a wonderful smorgasbord of images and samples.

Rick's book is the ultimate CorelDRAW reference for hard-core illustrators. Whenever I work on a complex project, Mastering CorelDRAW is open and on my desk.

I'm a computer graphics instructor (college level) and the "Mastering" books have long been on my Highly Recommended list for students. As for Rick Altman, I've been using his Corel books for the last four versions. This is a reference book, and a beautifully complete one. Don't look here for complex projects with lengthly recipes. This is for the artist who needs to truly understand an effect or feature and get back to work. It's also readable. Students can work through chapters, or even the entire book, and they certainly won't get bored. I love following an Altman book from start to finish.

Rick Altman puts the mastery in Mastering CorelDRAW 8. Nobody has mastered the ins and outs of CorelDRAW as well as Rick and nobody communicates as quickly, effortlessly, and with as much warmth and humor as Rick. Though this book is explicit in detail to the nth degree, the material is always accessible, logical and fun. I'm no newcomer to CorelDRAW, but every time I pick up Mastering CorelDRAW (whatever the number) I always learn something new.

Gary W. Priester

This book is not for beginners and not presented well (for a beginner).

First, what kind of designer would have an endless amount of time to study every inch of DRAW? Only if you are limited on DRAW only or few other applications. That is not the case with a good designer today, field is full - Illustrator, Painter, Freehand, xRes, ... not to talk about image processing and 3D software that exploded on the market. If you are writing a book you need to be able to make illustrations attractive - how else one can believe that you have something to teach anybody? The book here is another example of poor design that want to earn quick buck. I trully feel sorry that DRAW has such a miserable field presentation in comparison with Photoshop or Painter but I am begining to believe that is the case because the software itself is inferior.