Tony Thomas' Techtrends: Xara Photo & Graphics Designer 11

Sunday, August 23, 2015

Xara Photo & Graphics Designer 11

by Tony Thomas

I had a chance to check out the latest version of Xara Photo & Graphic Designer (Version 11) over the last week or so. As I expected, I was welcomed by the sleek and comfortable interface that I have come to know quite well.

Coincidentally, I had a cover to design for my new book: "How to Find a Job Fast: Job Search Techniques for the 21st Century" and I knew that Xara 11 would be the perfect tool for the job. I imported a picture I had taken and came up with a finished layout in about 15 or 20 minutes flat. No other tool that I am familiar with can produce such stunning results that quickly (See cover below).

Version 11 has a number of new features:

New Blend Modes and Transparency Types

Auto Correct and Abbreviation Expansion

Liquify Shape Editing Tools

Other Text Enhancements

PDF Import

Document Sync with Google Drive and DropBox

New Templates and Brush Designs

Retina Support for Web Graphics

Bonus Software

As usual, Xara Photo and Graphic Designer provides an incredible amount of bang for the buck. At $89.99, it really is a no brainer.

http://www.xara.com/us/photo-graphic-designer/

Cover I Designed With Xara 11

What is Techtrends?

A better question might be, who is Tony Thomas and why did he create this web site? Well, I have been a professional writer for more than 30 years. In 1978, I started as audio editor for SCENE Magazine in Cleveland, OH, a post I held at two different times over a two decade period. In the 80s and 90s, my articles and reviews appeared in numerous publications including Scene, Recording, Mix, AV/Video, Roland Users Group, Millimeter, Recording Engineer and Producer, Transoniq Hacker and others. I was also the Technology Expert on the WERE morning show in the early 90s.

In the world of technology, something new is happening every nanosecond. As a writer, one of my biggest frustrations is the length of time it takes for my articles to see the light of day. By the time my work hits the stands, it is often weeks or months out of date. With the emergence of the Internet, there is a unique opportunity to promulgate information instantaneously to a worldwide audience. Because of that, I feel that it is a wonderful forum to impart news, views and reviews of new and emerging technologies with the immediacy that print can never duplicate.

Some of my interests include music, computers, digital audio, photography, graphic design and electronics. Here, I'll attempt to give you the freshest scoop on products and trends that I find enlightening and revolutionary. I hope you enjoy it and welcome your feedback!

Tony Thomas
Publisher and Editor-in-Chief
Tony Thomas' TechTrends