Fill It Up
Although its extraordinary path effects are the stars of Expression, the program also boasts a stunning array of imaginative fills (see figure 5). Version 3 adds several new fill types — positionable tiled bitmaps, reflection-mapped embossed fills for creating photorealistic metallic objects, and user-definable edges that mimic torn paper and watercolor blotting, and allow fills to leak beyond the binding path (see figure 6). Incredible!
Figure 5: A plain old circle takes on new dimensions with Expression’s amazing fills and strokes.
Figure 6: The dark rectangles show the actual stroke. You can see the fringe fills diffusing behind the stroke to create interesting edges.
Other additions in version 3 are more evolutionary than revolutionary — rounded rectangles, more precise transformation and text tools, and the ability to customize context menus and keyboard shortcuts. We did like the new Star/Twirl tool (see figure 7) and were amused by the new Effects Lines which, according to the documentation, are the heart of action and Japanese Manga cartoons and are used to show speed and texture via radiating paths (see figure 8).
Figure 7: The new Star/Twirl tool at work.
Figure 8: The pink exploding lines were easily created with the new Effects Line tool.
Easy Does It
To give users quick access to the program’s sophisticated features, Expression’s developers created a slick set of 11 palettes that nest unobtrusively on the left side of the screen (see figure 9). Tucked inside each palette are cleverly designed buttons, pop-ups, and sliders for instantly changing the look and feel of each object in your document. We especially like its method of setting numerical values — tiny meters whose numbers can be swiftly dragged up and down with the mouse.
Figure 9: This petite palette holds the controls for stroke attributes — end caps, shear, twist, dash on/off, and a set of modes that determine how the stroke follows the shape of the path.
We didn’t find Expression especially difficult to master, but a program with this many features can’t be learned instantly. Fortunately, the boxed version ships with a nicely written manual, but we wish the short tutorial section was more detailed and contained some step-by-step handholding.
Multi-Trick Pony
Even if you don’t do much creative illustration, you might want to check out Expression 3 as a reasonably priced vector drawing package. Far cheaper than CorelDraw Graphics Suite ($529 list) or Illustrator ($399 list), Expression is a full-featured and robust application, with all the functionality you might need, including: layers, grids, guides, and numerical transformations; industry-standard color management; a wealth of drawing tools; and excellent import and export filters.
You can import all popular bitmap formats in version 3 including PNG and Photoshop-native PSD. Vector formats include Illustrator 8 (and earlier). And, when you open an Illustrator file, you can choose to convert any art brushes to skeletal strokes — a truly cool feature. Expression also imports Illustrator swatch palettes and can take advantage of any Photoshop plug-ins you might have. Expression files can be exported to a variety of PostScript formats — PDF, Illustrator, and EPS — and popular bitmap formats — TIFF, JPEG, and so on. Web page designers will find the Flash palette and export capabilities useful for creating simple animations and hyperlinks. Exprssion also supports Microsoft’s IME editor to input foreign languages such as Japanese.
Be aware though that some of Expression’s amazing effects don’t translate well to older technologies such as the Windows Clipboard and PostScript. In some cases, the effects disappear or are converted only semi-successfully to other vector formats. If you need to export Expression files, rasterizing to bitmaps results in a far more accurate rendering.
Wish List
We also wistfully wish for a convenient node-editing palette like that in CorelDraw. Live blends that can be regenerated on the fly by moving the starting and ending objects would be nice too. Despite these minor flaws, our best advice is to just buy this program. It’s an indispensable addition to any graphic design toolkit.
Read more by Susan Glinert.
This article was last modified on March 14, 2022
This article was first published on December 17, 2002
Commenting is easier and faster when you're logged in!
