chuq@plaid.Sun.COM (Chuq Von Rospach) (10/19/88)
Here is the press release for Freehand release 2.0. If you ask me, it beats the heck out of Illustrator 88 (which did a good job of catching up with FH 1.0, but life never stands still...) Due to ship by the end of the year. -------------------- Aldus FreeHand 2.0, a major new release of its advanced drawing program for the Apple Macintosh. According to Aldus President Paul Brainerd, "with the original version of Aldus FreeHand, we made an advanced drawing tool with PostScript power that was accessible to all levels of users. With version 2.0, we've expanded the software in two significant directions: it's both more powerful and even easier to use. "What this means is that Aldus FreeHand 2.0's advanced tools are available to a larger group of people. In fact, we believe this new version will significantly expand the market for advanced graphics software." Aldus FreeHand's many new features include an automatic tracing tool, which turns imported images and illustrations into instant line drawings, allowing users to take full advantage of existing creative work. For tracing and/or editing, users can import graphics in the PICT, MacDraw, and Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) formats, and scanned images in the tag image file format (TIFF). As before, they can also use the convenient freehand tool for quick, fluid sketches, or any one of the other PostScript-language drawing tools for precision rendering. For special effects, Aldus FreeHand now offers a blending feature, giving users the means to create sophisticated visuals out of simple objects by incrementally blending one graphic (or color) into another. Other special effects include new patterned and custom fills for both text and graphics, along with the popular skewing, scaling, rotating, reflecting, and cloning features of the original version. For text-handling, Aldus FreeHand 2.0 adds text stroking and filling, along with other text effects, to the many options available in the first version. With text stroking, users can now create outline letters with custom fills and colors. As before, they can bend text along a path and around a shape to visually integrate text and objects within a drawing. They can also choose from an infinite variety of type fonts, styles, sizes, and alignments; mix type choices (including color) within a single text block; format multiple text blocks simultaneously; and kern text automatically. Aldus FreeHand 2.0 also expands the user's freedom to experiment without risk to completed work. There are now, for example, Undo and Redo options for up to 100 actions. And with 200 independent design layers, users can experiment in one area without disturbing another. The on-screen information bar, ruler guides, and adjustable grids, and the convenience of editing in the Preview mode give them complete control over their efforts as they go. To complete the production cycle, Aldus FreeHand's built-in color separator produces full process color separations on PostScript-language imagesetters. Users can choose from the full palette of industry-standard PANTONE~* Colors not only for process color, but for spot color and tinting as well. They can also create and store their own library of custom colors so they never have to recreate a color scheme they plan to reuse. System Configuration, Pricing, and Availability The recommended system configuration for Aldus FreeHand is a Macintosh Plus, SE, or II, plus two 800K disk drives or a hard disk, and any PostScript-language compatible output device. Aldus FreeHand is packaged with a user manual, an interactive introductory disk, a step-by-step tutorial, and a quick reference card, all of which allow new users to learn the program at their own pace and with full resources at hand. For those who are interested in learning more about working with color or who want special design assistance, Aldus FreeHand also comes with advanced technique cards, a library of premixed colors and basic shapes on disk, a color chart for comparing screen display with printed colors, the Aldus FreeHand and Commercial Printing guide, a portfolio of printed samples, and a library of clip art. Aldus FreeHand will be available by the end of the year, at a retail price of $495. Service and Support Aldus Corporation offers its customers two levels of technical support. All registered users of Aldus FreeHand receive 45 days of telephone support beginning with the first call, five additional design technique cards, and special pricing on Aldus FreeHand upgrades. Aldus' Extended Technical Support Service (ETSS) includes access to a toll-free 800 number, five hours of additional telephone support, free upgrades of Aldus FreeHand, and discounts on major new releases of the product. Aldus Corporation (NASDAQ: ALDC), founded in February 1984, develops, markets, and supports computer software products that help business and creative professionals effectively communicate information and ideas. The Seattle-based company acquired the marketing rights to Aldus FreeHand in August 1987 from Altsys Corporation of Plano, Texas. The company also distributes PageMaker desktop publishing software for the Macintosh and PC; Aldus SnapShot, an electronic photography program for the PC; and will soon release Aldus Persuasion desktop presentations software for the Macintosh. Aldus products and services are distributed through a worldwide network of authorized dealers and distributors. *Pantone, Inc.'s check-standard trademark for color reproduction and color reproduction materials. Chuq Von Rospach chuq@sun.COM Delphi: CHUQ Editor/Publisher, OtherRealms