Xara Photo & Graphic Designer 7 review

Software

21 Jun 2011

Ben Pitt

Our Rating :

Price when reviewed : £69

inc VAT

Solid improvements to an already outstanding program that combines illustration, DTP, image editing and animation in a friendly interface

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Also new in this update is the ability to set objects to repeat on all pages. Changes made to one instance are duplicated throughout the document, but it’s also possible to delete these objects on certain pages, as might be necessary for a front page of a newsletter.

Xara animation
Saving animations as AVI files means they can now be used for video as well as web projects

The software can produce animations, exporting in GIF or Adobe Flash format for use on websites. Animation options are basic but it is possible to apply gradual transformations to the position, shape, colour and opacity of objects. As such, it’s perfect for simple web animations such as banner adverts without the cost and complexity of Adobe Flash Pro.

Version 7 adds AVI video to these export options, including the ability to export with a transparent background so graphics aren’t bound inside a rectangular box. This is a great way to go beyond the template-based text designs offered by most low-cost video-editing software. However, transparent backgrounds are only supported for uncompressed AVIs, which means enormous file sizes. We found that these files’ transparency was recognised by Adobe, Avid, Corel and Magix’s consumer editors, but not by our two favourites, Vegas Platinum and Cyberlink PowerDirector. That’s hardly Xara’s fault but it does have practical implications.