Skip to main content

Corel gets creative with the Surface Pen in its latest graphics software suite

CorelDRAW Graphics Suite & the new Microsoft Surface Pen
Corel’s latest suite of graphics design tools, CorelDraw Graphics Suite 2017, arrived in April, packing new features such as a touch-friendly user interface, interactive sliders, the ability to import legacy workspaces, and support for the Microsoft Surface Dial. However, the suite also includes a new LiveSketch tool for free-form sketching using a stylus, including Microsoft’s latest Surface Pen peripheral.
Recommended Videos

“We went all-in developing a natural, fluid experience with the new Surface Pen,” says Gérard Métrailler, Corel’s vice president of global products. “It gives us opportunity to zoom in, pan, and move around very naturally.”

With LiveSketch, CorelDraw artists can now sketch directly on the screen just like they would with pen and paper. Métrailler says the software understands the intent of the designer, making it the first graphics design software product to provide “pen-first” input. The technology fades into the background, allowing artists to focus on their work rather than fight with inputs and screens.

According to Corel, LiveSketch is based on artificial intelligence and machine learning. That means the software adapts to the artist’s style, whether they use folded strokes, overlapping strokes, or chicken scratch-based strokes. The software includes a timer as well, so artists can create and shape their lines before they become “final” in the artwork.

The first-generation Surface Pen arrived alongside the Surface Pro in 2012. Since then, Microsoft’s peripheral has endured several generations of enhancements and refinements up until the release of Microsoft’s fifth-generation Surface Pro 2-in-1 last month. The digital pen is now offered as a stand-alone product, supporting the Surface Book with Performance Boost, the Surface Laptop, the Surface Studio, and Surface-branded devices.

Microsoft says the latest Surface Pen is “better than ever” with a precision ink tip on one end, a rubber eraser on the other, and support for tilt shading for a more natural, artistic input and style. It consists of 4,096 pressure points that responds to the lightest of touches, and weighs a mere 0.04 pounds. The rubber “tail” eraser serves as a button in addition to the button located on the pen’s narrow barrel.

“The tilt mechanism lets me really control the curves and be more precise with the vectors,” says artist José-Tzontlimatzi-López. “The pen is essentially an extension of my hand.”

The full version of CorelDraw Graphics Suite 2017 costs $500, while the upgrade from previous versions costs $200. Corel provides a subscription plan too for $198 a year, which breaks down to $16.50 per month. While that may some a little expensive, the suite includes seven programs including CorelDraw 2017, Corel Power Trace 2017, Corel Website Creator, and more.

Kevin Parrish
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kevin started taking PCs apart in the 90s when Quake was on the way and his PC lacked the required components. Since then…
Best early Black Friday deals under $100: Amazon Echo, TVs, headphones and more
The Amazon Echo Pop on a desk.

Update 11/19/24: Black Friday is still over a week away, but you can already start your shopping with the Black Friday deals under $100 that we've gathered here. There's a possibility that these affordable items get even bigger discounts when the sale officially launches, but we won't blame you if you're already tempted by today's prices.

Black Friday will start on November 29, but if you've already got the itch to shop, check out the early Black Friday deals under $100 that we've gathered here. The offers cover smart home devices, laptops, TVs, kitchen gadgets, and so much more, so if you want to start enjoying discounts without blowing your entire budget for the shopping event, take a look at our favorite bargains below.

Read more
Understandably, Stalker 2 is a bit of a mess on PC
Key art for Stalker 2. A character in a lit-up gas mask and a gun on their back.

Stalker 2 is one of those games I never thought would actually release. Originally announced 14 years ago, the project was shelved after developer GSC Game World closed its doors, only to be reignited in 2018. Then, as the originally announced 2022 release of the game approached, Ukraine, where the developer was based, was invaded by Russia.

There are plenty of games that suffer in development hell, but they pale in comparison to the struggles Stalker 2 has gone through. The fact that the game is even here is nothing short of a miracle. Like other titles stuck in development hell, though, Stalker 2 is far from perfect, particularly when it comes to PC performance.

Read more
Nvidia may keep producing one RTX 40 GPU, and it’s not the one we want
The Alienware m16 R2 on a white desk.

The last few weeks brought us a slew of rumors about Nvidia potentially sunsetting most of the RTX 40-series graphics cards. However, a new update reveals that one GPU might remain in production long after other GPUs are no longer being produced. Unfortunately, it's a GPU that would struggle to rank among Nvidia's best graphics cards. I'm talking about the RTX 4050 -- a card that only appears in laptops.

The scoop comes from a leaker on Weibo and was first spotted by Wccftech. The leaker states that the RTX 4050 is "the only 40-series laptop GPU that Nvidia will continue to supply" after the highly anticipated launch of the RTX 50-series. Unsurprisingly, the tipster also reveals that the fact that both the RTX 4050 and the RTX 5050 will be readily available at the same time will also impact the pricing of the next-gen card.

Read more