ACD Systems Canvas X

Canvas has had something of a chequered past. It started life more than a decade ago as a graphics program for the Mac, providing an unusual combination of bitmap and vector graphics tools.

This jack-of-all-trades approach left Canvas sitting somewhat uncomfortably between more specialised programs such as Photoshop and Illustrator. As a consequence, while it always had a core of dedicated fans, it never established itself as a serious contender in the Mac graphics market.

However, the move into the Windows arena provided Canvas with a lifeline, and it is now marketed primarily as a tool for creating technical drawings and illustrations.

In fact, there are now three different versions of Canvas. As well as the standard version, there are two more specialised versions aimed at the GIS (geographical information systems) and scientific markets.

We'll concentrate on the standard version, though, as that's the one that has the widest appeal. The first new feature you'll come across is the Start dialogue box, which allows you to quickly launch several types of document such as illustrations, animations or page layouts.

To help new users, it also provides a series of tutorials and seven-minute solutions that show you how to create many different types of graphics and illustrations. These tutorials are all internet-based, so if you don't have a web connection available you won't have access to this material, which is a little annoying.

Another aid for new users is the Canvas Assistant. This is a context-sensitive floating palette that can be turned on or off, depending on how much help you think you need. When activated, the Assistant displays information about any tool you select or any text or graphic element within your documents.

For example, select a block of text on a page and the Assistant will display advice about editing and formatting text, as well as more complex topics.

These are welcome additions, as the sheer range of graphics tools within the program can be quite confusing for newcomers.