design program

[pengiun]

So I am currently working on a deck of cards and right now its all being hand drawn. I do want to do most of the details by hand since it's easier for me, but when it comes time to do the layouts and touch up the general design I will be needing a computer program to use for that. I have a little bit of experience with adobe photoshop and illustrator from a class at school but those are a little out of my price range, so i was just wondering what is a good design program for a deck design that isn't overly expensive, maybe from around free to about $20 would be ideal. Also preferably user friendly if possible.

[xela]

Pirate Photoshop. If you succeed, buy it. Don't feel bad about it. Adobe could have put proper DRM ages ago into their programs. They don't because they know that no amateur would ever pay $600+ to learn how to do text effects.

Pretty much every successful designer I have ever known or talked to started out with a pirated copy.

Also, downloading is 100% legal via loophole, uploading is illegal (in the US).

Lastly, if you just plain don't feel like doing that, use Gimp. It's free.

[S. Carey]

Adobe has their cloud option that is a monthly fee of 50 bucks I think. You get all of their creative products.

[pengiun]

Pirate Photoshop. If you succeed, buy it. Don't feel bad about it. Adobe could have put proper DRM ages ago into their programs. They don't because they know that no amateur would ever pay $600+ to learn how to do text effects.

Pretty much every successful designer I have ever known or talked to started out with a pirated copy.

So alex would you say that photoshop is better for designing a deck then illustrator? I'm not exactly sure which would be totally better so that's why I'm asking.

[RandyButterfield]

So alex would you say that photoshop is better for designing a deck then illustrator? I'm not exactly sure which would be totally better so that's why I'm asking.

Photoshop vs. Illustrator is really a matter of personal preference. I can't stand Illustrator and do most of my stuff in Photoshop. You can do wonders with Photoshop's Path tools, including exporting them out as Vector if needed! A few outdated Printers prefer files as Illustrator Vector Art, but as long as the file Resolution is at least double the line screen output - it doesn't matter.

I always build my Card designs at 1800 dpi. That way they are large enough for Poster size, if need be. The files I send to USPCC are down-sized to 400 dpi. 300 dpi is considered hi res, but from my printing experience I know that 400 dpi images definitely print a little sharper on a printing press.

Sorry if I got too technical.

Thanks, Randy

[xela]

Keep in mind that developing in high DPI requires a much better computer, whereas with Illustrator you can run with a much slower processor, since vector files scale differently.

I'd recommend learning Photoshop. For the sake of card design, you can do there everything that you can with illustrator. However, it also has an extremely large amount of other features that can propel you into other types of design.

I, like Randy, cannot state Illustrator. I don't understand how it works despite working with it for years (for magazine/newspaper layouts). I'm used to having full control over any part of the image like in Photoshop. When I open a file in PS, I feel completely in control. I can open a photograph of you and turn it into an abstract space scene wallpaper. I open that photograph in Illustrator and... I can rotate it? Maybe put it next to some text?

If you're going to torrent the program, though, just go the whole nine yards and get the master suite and see which program you like more.

[Alex Willis]

So I am the one guy in this world who prefers Illustrator.  

It all comes down to what you are comfortable using.  For free:  Gimp (download) or pixlr.com (online).  Both do a great job.  Adobe Photoshop is great and easy to use and has loads of predefined tools.  If you don't mind older versions you can go here and get them for free - non pirated (but you do have to tell a little white lie).  Eventually, when you make it big, buy the full current versions.

http://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/policy-pricing/creative-suite-2-activation-end-life.html

You need to be registered with Adobe to download and install.  It's not a bad idea as it gives you a cloud based work space to store and share your images. 

Now the bigger question.  If you do all your art free hand, how do you intend to get it into the program?  Photography is tricky at best and scanners are.... scanners. blah!

[Don Boyer]

Now the bigger question.  If you do all your art free hand, how do you intend to get it into the program?  Photography is tricky at best and scanners are.... scanners. blah!

Would you think a commercial print shop would have better scanners than the dime-store crap most big-box office stores sell?  Having them do the work might be a viable alternative, no?

[Emmanuel]

Now the bigger question.  If you do all your art free hand, how do you intend to get it into the program?  Photography is tricky at best and scanners are.... scanners. blah!

Would you think a commercial print shop would have better scanners than the dime-store crap most big-box office stores sell?  Having them do the work might be a viable alternative, no?

Scanning is the best way to get freehand work digitized. As Don brought up, having the work scanned and processed by a print/imaging shop is a viable option if you don't already have a scanner that's large enough to handle the artwork. It's also cheaper than you think to have a print shop scan, edit, and format your files.

[pengiun]

Now the bigger question.  If you do all your art free hand, how do you intend to get it into the program?  Photography is tricky at best and scanners are.... scanners. blah!

The printer i have at my house is a printer copier a fax machine and a scanner so I would definitely scan it.[/color

I'd recommend learning Photoshop. For the sake of card design, you can do there everything that you can with illustrator. However, it also has an extremely large amount of other features that can propel you into other types of design.

I do have a basic understanding of both of them, but it is very basic, so I guess I will look into photoshop and if need be almost all of my school computers have almost all the adobe programs, so I guess I'll just have to scan and upload it onto photoshop (during a free period at school if necessary) and see how that goes, thanks for all the advice everyone.