Adobe Illustrator Replacement Suggestions?

[Bio77]

I have been using the same copy of AI CS3 for years now. I am really familiar with this software and really like it. However, I have stoped updating my mac desktop for several years now for fear of loosing access to my AI (I lost it on my laptop a few years back after an update).

Anyway, I refuse to participate in the Adobe subscription BS, so, it's time to switch to something else. I'm looking for some recommendations of comparable software from people who are familiar with AI. Also, I'm looking for advice on how to convert and store all my existing AI files into something that I can access in the new software before I take the plunge. Suggestions would be much appreciated!

 

[Big Monk]

I can wholeheartedly recommend Corel Draw but it’s not cheap. I wrangled a license from a friend of mine or else I probably would not have splurged on it.

I find it to be really great and it has the most robust and powerful dimensioning tool I’ve seen in all the programs I tried, which is really useful because I not only use it for UV graphics, but also to plot out how hardware and boards will fit in an enclosure, as well as marking off Tayda Drill coordinates.

It ain’t cheap but it’s super powerful.

 

[benny_profane]

Affinity’s suite is the go-to non-subscription Adobe alternative. It has some serious oversights—but you can typically relearn your workflow within their environment pretty quickly. There are some frustrating aspects of it, but the non-subscription ownership model made it a clear choice for me.

I’m not at my machine right now, but I’m pretty confident it has no problem importing psd/ai files.

I used CS3 on a laptop until I drove it into the ground. It was on a first gen intel MacBook Pro (2006) that I used until 2015 or so.

 

[Grubb]

Has Affinity sorted out the compatibility issues with Illustrator? Some folks have been having trouble with Tayda UV printing because Illustrator (used at Tayda) sometimes collapses the layer structure of pdfs created in Affinity.

 

[benny_profane]

Has Affinity sorted out the compatibility issues with Illustrator? Some folks have been having trouble with Tayda UV printing because Illustrator (used at Tayda) sometimes collapses the layer structure of pdfs created in Affinity.

I’ve never once had an issue with tayda printing a pdf export from affinity. If you follow the instructions and are careful with your file preparation (particularly spot colors and overlap), you should be fine. I think the issue is arising with people not used to print file prep exporting things that tayda cannot realistically be expected to support.

That being said, there are odd issues with the way affinity handles layer exports that make cleanup in illustrator nearly impossible. Since I don’t think that that adobe workflow compatibility is high on their to-do list, I don’t think that that will change any time soon.

 

[Oh_Discordia!]

is there an iPad compatible app that people use? Just got an iPad Air and knockoff Apple Pencil…

 

[Bio77]

Thanks everyone. I'll give these a try. It just dawned on me that I should probably try these out before I commit and boot my AI.

 

[Big Monk]

Thanks everyone. I'll give these a try. It just dawned on me that I should probably try these out before I commit and boot my AI.

Corel Draw does a full 30 day trial. That’s how they hooked me. It was so damn good I had to commit.

 

[jimilee]

I use photoshop cc2017, works great. I don't know if you can do vector graphics with it though.

 

[jesuscrisp]

Inkscape is Freeware and definitely usable.

 

[Big Monk]

Inkscape is Freeware and definitely usable.

From what I remember, Inkscape doesn’t have a dimensioning tool though, which was a big turnoff for me.

 

[Bricksnbeatles]

From what I remember, Inkscape doesn’t have a dimensioning tool though, which was a big turnoff for me.

Inkscape has a lot of free downloadable extensions online. You could probably find one without too much trouble

 

[giovanni]

I tried Inkscape and was super bummed to find out that it’s not compatible with AI format. There is some weird scaling happening because apparently AI assumes a certain dpi and Inkscape a different one and I haven’t figured out a way to fix it (not even by manually editing the file). I’m sure Adobe doesn’t want the two to be compatible to avoid losing customers…

 

[jhaneyzz]

If you get in a pinch, I'll convert your Illustrator files for you...

 

[RetiredUnit1]

I can wholeheartedly recommended Corel Draw but it’s not cheap. I wrangled a license from a friend of mine or else I probably would not have splurged on it.

I find it to be really great and it has the most robust and powerful dimensioning tool I’ve seen in all the programs I tried, which is really useful because I not only use it for UV graphics, but also to plot out how hardware and boards will fit in an enclosure, as well as marking off Tayda Drill coordinates.

It ain’t cheap but it’s super powerful.

I just bought this after asking the seller if it was rentware (no) and if it could output AI or PDF (yes). It's the educational version of Corel 2014. Now, real students of course want THE NEW version, so this is basically unsellable to it's target group! And in the end, aren't we all students of life?

This is in Australian dollars, in US it comes out to $61.53 + $17.10 shipping. My current student version was 2003, and still works fine but it has a few bugs.

The same seller has a even lower priced Corel x6 as well as several other software packages, something called Corel PDF fusion, which sounds like it might also qualify, but I'm saving my $$ for a RIC 620 as soon as it's available later this year.

edited: forgot to mention I can put it on THREE computers, not just one!!!!

CorelDRAW Home and Student Suite 2014 Corel DRAW for Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7 | eBay

CorelDRAW X6 Suite - an intuitive vectoir-illustration and page-layour application. Corel CONNECT X6 - a full screen browser to search the suite's digital content on a computer local network or disks.

www.ebay.com

 

[jhaneyzz]

BTW... I agree that it's BS that we (Adobe) don't let individuals at least subscribe to individual applications for a reasonable price...

 

[ThePanda]

is there an iPad compatible app that people use? Just got an iPad Air and knockoff Apple Pencil…

I am going to try out Vectornator on my iPad.
Seems to get good reviews.

I usually use CorelDRAW on PC for most of my vector stuff.

 

[DeadAirMD]

I tried Inkscape and was super bummed to find out that it’s not compatible with AI format. There is some weird scaling happening because apparently AI assumes a certain dpi and Inkscape a different one and I haven’t figured out a way to fix it (not even by manually editing the file). I’m sure Adobe doesn’t want the two to be compatible to avoid losing customers…

 

[Erik S]

I am going to try out Vectornator on my iPad.
Seems to get good reviews.

I usually use CorelDRAW on PC for most of my vector stuff.

I have no experience with Illustrator, or any of that stuff, but Ive done some graphics on the iPad with Vectornator and I’m really impressed with it. Especially since it’s free! I paid to download Procreate since that was also highly recommended, but I ended up doing everything in Vectornator.
@Oh_Discordia!

 

[ThePanda]

I have no experience with Illustrator, or any of that stuff, but Ive done some graphics on the iPad with Vectornator and I’m really impressed with it. Especially since it’s free! I paid to download Procreate since that was also highly recommended, but I ended up doing everything in Vectornator.
@Oh_Discordia!

That's good to know! Excited to check it out.

One thing I found out Corel does is import pdfs as curves (vectors) perfectly. Makes it really easy to manipulate art from drill templates.