NEWS

Corel Corporation and DRAWstitch Ltd. Introduce Corel DRAWings 2

Unique Product Marks the Evolution of Embroidery Technology

Ottawa, Canada – May 03, 2005

Corel Corporation and DRAWstitch Ltd. today announced the availability of the companies' new embroidery software, Corel® DRAWings® 2. Offered in both a standard and professional edition, Corel DRAWings 2 is a powerful application that lets customers use CorelDRAW vector files for embroidery, making it faster, easier, and less expensive than ever before to produce professional-quality embroidery designs.


Corel DRAWings 2, the DRAW-to-stitch design software for the embroidery industry, combines a special edition of the award-winning CorelDRAW® Graphics Suite with the digitizing expertise of DRAWstitch, enabling customers to complete their projects more quickly and cost-effectively than by using traditional digitizing solutions. With a standard and professional edition to choose from, customers can select the software package that best suits their needs and budget.

"Built upon the power of CorelDRAW, Corel DRAWings 2 makes it easy for customers to create professional embroidery designs directly from a vector file. This is an important step in the evolution of embroidery technology," said Nick Davies, Corel's General Manager Graphics.


"Since Corel DRAWings 2 doesn't require digitizing, it is very different from traditional digitizing and auto-digitizing offerings. We're driving a growing trend as more and more embroidery professionals realize the incredible benefits vector art lends to their workflow. With the ability to import more than 100 file formats, DRAWings 2 enables designs to be created more easily and faster than ever before, helping customers balance their creativity and production with business-critical deadlines and budgets," added Davies.


"Inspired by the market's enthusiastic acceptance of the DRAWstitch concept, we concentrated our efforts in making Corel DRAWings 2 an even more powerful software application. Now any user - even those with no digitizing expertise - can create outstanding embroidery," said John Doukakis, President of DRAWstitch Ltd. "Professionals, as well as home-based businesses and hobbyists, will find Corel DRAWings 2 exceeds even their most demanding expectations by delivering a fine balance between instantaneous conversion and user control over the final result."


Corel DRAWings 2 (standard edition) is designed to provide independent embroidery professionals and home users with more creative features at an attractive price. It includes the following new features to ensure customers receive the best possible embroidery results:


  • Filter shapes to remove overlapping areas - Using artificial intelligence, this tool removes all overlaps between the objects of the vector designs, avoiding layering of stitches on fabric and dramatically reducing the overall number of stitches applied. Users can also manually alter the overlapping status of each object.
  • Add sequence control to individual shapes - Users can now easily change the embroidering sequence of their designs (send to front/back). Specific objects in the design can be designated to be embroidered at the start or at the end of the embroidering process, giving the customer the ability to embroider a design in the order they choose.
  • Improved speed of data transfer from DRAW to stitch tab - The speed of data transfer between the DRAW and stitch tabs has been dramatically improved, enabling the user to produce more embroidery designs in less time.
  • Convert bitmap objects to cross-stitch - Any (RGB) bitmap imported in DRAWings 2 can be immediately converted to a perfect embroidery design in cross-stitch.
  • Appliqué - Users now enjoy new styles for holding appliqué and can easily hold a number of appliqués on the fabric with multiple Zig-Zag styles.
  • Improved underlays - Using enhanced intelligence, this tool now offers users underlay options that ensure even greater embroidery stability and quality.
  • Wings' modular® embroidery software, Basic Module - Based on entry-level viewing and editing software used in the embroidery industry, this module provides industry professionals with a tool for viewing, modifying and exchanging embroidery design files, with the addition of innovative design features and special functions.

In addition to the above-mentioned new features, Corel DRAWings 2 - Professional gives industrial users more options and control over the embroidery process and provides specific tools for large-scale projects, including:

  • Add direction control in Satin/Step - With this tool, users enjoy more control over their designs by choosing the direction of Step and Satin stitches to get the specific results they desire.
  • Add Divide to Satin - Users can now Divide Satin objects and specify how the outlines are split into satin bars. Objects are not increased, but rather split to internal branches. Users can customize the way satin objects will be embroidered to create the exact design they want.
  • Add sequence control to design (optimization strategy) - Users can now define the sequence in which the objects of their designs will be embroidered. This tool is ideal for hats which need to be embroidered from the center to right and left and is also useful for delicate fabrics that need special care during the embroidery process. Sequence options include: top to bottom, bottom to top, left to right, right to left, small to large, large to small, inside to outside, and outside to inside.

Corel DRAWings 2 is based on the power of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 12, the standard graphic design software used in related personalization industries including screen printing, laser cutting, sign making, and engraving industries. Whether they are importing clip art or making their own custom designs, customers can create a single graphic that can be used for embroidery, custom merchandise, sign fabrication, or printing. By choosing Corel technology, customers benefit from working with a standard that is universally accepted throughout the personalization industry.

Pricing and Availability

Corel DRAWings 2 and Corel DRAWings 2 - Professional is now available in a bilingual version (English and Spanish) for purchase through Corel, DRAWstitch and reseller partners around the world including: Digital Art Solutions (www.smartdesigns.com) in the United States; Wings Digitizing Centre (www.wingsdigitizing.com) in Canada; and Wings Systems Ltd. (www.wingssystems.com) in Europe and Asia. An international multilingual version including English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Danish, and Dutch will be available next month.


Corel DRAWings 2 is available at the suggested retail price (SRP) of $1,299 US. Corel DRAWings 2 - Professional is available at the SRP of $2,249 US. DRAWings 1.12 customers may upgrade to Corel DRAWings 2 for $299 US SRP. DRAWings 1.12 PLUS customers may upgrade to Corel DRAWings 2 - Professional for $299 US SRP.


Corel is also offering a special add-on module to import stitch files. Purchased separately for $400 US (SRP), this module enables users to import embroidery designs (including .ngs, .dsz, and .pes) into Corel DRAWings 2 or Corel DRAWings 2 - Professional and convert them directly into a vector design.


For more information about Corel DRAWings 2 and Corel DRAWings 2 - Professional, please visit www.corel.com/drawings2, www.corel.com/drawings2pro, or www.drawstitch.com/DRAWings.htm.


About Corel

Corel Corporation provides innovative software solutions that help millions of value-conscious businesses and consumers in over 75 countries improve their productivity. The Company is renowned for its powerful software portfolio that combines innovative photo editing and graphics creation, vector-illustration, and technical-graphics applications along with office and personal productivity solutions. Corel’s flagship products include the CorelDRAW® Graphics Suite, the WordPerfect® Office Suite, the Corel Painter Natural-Media® painting and illustration software and the Paint Shop™ Family of digital photography and image-editing software.


Corel was acquired by San Francisco-based Vector Capital in August 2003, and since that time, has re-established growth for its flagship product lines and achieved multiple consecutive quarters of corporate profitability. Founded in 1985, Corel is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada. For more information, please www.corel.com.



© 2005 Corel Corporation and DRAWstitch Ltd. All rights reserved. Corel, CorelDRAW, and the Corel logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Corel Corporation. DRAWings and DRAWstitch names and logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of DRAWstitch Ltd. Wings' modular name and logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Wings Systems Ltd. All other product, font and company names and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.



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