3rd Party Plug-ins – Part Two
3rd Party Plug-ins for Graphic Software Applications.
I want to thank customers for asking questions about 3rd Party Plug-ins after reading February’s newsletter. Those questions inspired last, this and the next month’s newsletters. After digging into the subject I realized it is a subject too big for just one newsletter. It’s really too big for several month’s worth of newsletters. Here’s a taste of some and keep those questions coming.
For the purpose of this month’s article I’m referring to Illustrator. For people who might have missed last month’s article, here is an explanation of plug-in. In computing, a plug-in is a software component that adds a specific feature to an existing software application. When an application supports plug-ins, it enables customization. Plug-in software supplements the application and provide additional tools that speed up complex image editing, process images for output, support file formats and creative tasks. Plug-ins are also added to aid function to outputting images to various hardware devices such as film printers, plotters and cutters. There are many operations that are practically impossible without using a plug-in filter. That’s why plug-ins are so popular.
Illustrator
This month I going to highlight some popular Illustrator plug-ins.
The following 6 plug-ins are found on Adobe.com. They are mainly use in the fashion industries. These help with repetitive tasks.
Andrew’s Vector Plug-ins Volume 17 PatternPrint: Manipulate pattern swatches and combine them to create graphic styles for use in fashions, tiling, and more.
Artlandia Collection: is ideal for creating surface patterns, textile designs, endpapers, web page backgrounds, illustrations, and all other projects where repeated patterns are needed.
Artlandia — SymmetryWorks: Instantly create live, interactive patterns, designs, and ornaments in seconds. You can create replicas of selected elements. This simple feature is really the workhorse of the new version, and it will change the way you design your patterns.
Generation Digital — Vector Repeat Pro: automates repeat functions inside Adobe Illustrator, including straight repeats, drops, and shifts, and is used throughout the industry by fashion, textile, and surface designers to drastically speed up the design process.
Generation Digital — Vector Weave Pro: is a dobby weaving program for plaids and stripes, which gives designers a much faster and more efficient way to develop woven designs within Adobe Illustrator. Vector Weave Pro can use texture to generate heathers and more.
Generation Digital — Colorist Pro: enables designers to recolor artwork within repeats, wovens, and graphics using Adobe Illustrator. Colorist Pro offers the ability to flip color positions, change existing colors, and randomize colors within the artwork. Colorist Pro also creates all the technical data of a print or woven, generating the color chips and the names of each color on the bottom of the artwork.
DigitalArtSolutions.com
StoneCut Pro: Introduces numerous technological innovations to the process including automatic conversion of photographs to production-ready rhinestone patterns plus automatic adjustment of rhinestones in closely spaced areas.
SmartVector Pro 2.0: Bitmap to vector conversion. Converts scanned or raster images into vector artwork.
CoCUT Pro 2011: Designs can be cut directly from Illustrator without importing, exporting or conversion of text to curves.
HirschInternational.com
Hirsch — Embroidery i2: provides the ability to draw objects with Adobe Illustrator and convert the objects to stitches within the same window. Since it’s a plug-in, Embroidery i2 works on both Intel®-based Macs and PCs.
AstuteGraphics.com
A company from the United Kingdom has many applications for enhancing your designing tools. They are worth a look. Here are the names of the applications;
Stylism, VectorScribe, MirrorMe, Phantasm, InkScribe, DynamicSketch, WidthScribe, ColliderScribe, Rasterino, InkQuest, and SubScribe.
There are many more plug-ins. A search on Google will turn up thousands of plug-ins to help you with any task you can imagine. These are just some of the most talked about in relationship to creating artwork in Illustrator. Most of the companies have explanations and/or video demos of how their software works. So do your homework and check some of them out. Download them, find the best ones to help your creativity and productivity.
I would also like to hear from you about your most pressing issues about artwork. Your question may be used in a future issue of this newsletter. If you have questions, please email me at cora@qdigitizing.com. And please reference this newsletter.
Cora Kromer
Qdigitizing Art Department