jbarwick Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 What is the best way to import CDR files? I do have Adobe Illustrator (or a friend/colleague has it). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markus Dierolf Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 Sadly the best way is to have a PDF along the original CDR file. Even Illustrator CC hasn't a good import function for Corel files - just some very old (v11?!) will work roughly - if no spcial effects have been aplied. So if you have any chance to get the PDF from the Corel file, use it. The only true working alternative is to use Win and an (older and cheap) version of CorelDraw. Sorry :( Quote iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2017), i7 4.2, Radeon 580 Pro 8 GB, 40 GB DDR4-RAM, 1 TB Flash, macOS 10.14.6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vdamjanovski Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 I am a Mac user, and I run Windows in Parallels just for CorelDraw and huge library of icons and drawings I have created in the past 20 years (yes, I have used Corel from v.3 maybe). I tried to use Illustrator, but sadly, I found that Adobe never learnt how to make good human interface program. I would love to give Affinity Designer a go, but I really want the Affinity guys to think of making a CorelDraw import filter. If this is done, I am uninstalling Parallels from my Mac in a flash, and certainly can free up some space uninstalling the old dog that doesn't even bark- Illustrator. Keep up the good work. Vlado peter86 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter86 Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 YES...we need CDR import for this great software. There is a big Corel community out there who would love to user their Mac (only). Parallels does not do the job. To maintain BootCamp is an unnecessary pain. Conversion via other software is not a good option. Because there are large amounts of corel files with different Corel version on many computers, so please do not limit yourself only to the newest file structure of Corel. A little bit I do not understand that new vector grahics programmes "ignore" the existence of the many, many, many Corel files sitting on computers all over the world and are waiting for being used on the Mac. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmac Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 I am guessing here but I would be surprised if the .CDR file type is not owned exclusively by Corel or who ever it is that makes Corel. Affinity Designer cannot open native .ai files that do not have a pdf component and since .cdr files do not contain a .pdf file, Designer cannot open them either. Which is likely the reason "new vector graphic programs "ignore"" .cdr files. peter86 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter86 Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 jmac your "guess" sounds logical.... ... how can other programs read Corel drawings if this is illegal? ... how can other programs read files "owned" by others? If in the Affinity forum arena such a subject is discussed at several locations, why does the company not just make then an entry to state "Not possible, no legal solution available", then we know to stop this dream, that we do not have to wait for such a solution and we have to move on finding other options. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikekPhoto Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 i have been using Corel Draw since version 2 and stopped upgrading at X3. Still have all the install and Clip Art CD's. With the work I created in X3 I have found exporting as SVG the best solution and more accurate (color wise) than exporting as a PDF. Also exporting as PSD file is pretty good as well, while not a vector format I have duplicated a number of assets and scaled them in Corel then selecting each asset and exporting as a PSD and you get a transparent background :) But having the ability to import native CDR files into AD would be great. Corel does export in the CMX which is a vector format used for graphic interchange - maybe the Affinity folks could look into that as a way of getting Corel vector artwork into AD? MK peter86 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter86 Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 Hi MikePhoto, all the export ideas are valid and very helpful...but more or less only for current work. If one has a data base of XXXL Corel files it would take "centuries" or a lot, lot, lot of time and many rainy days to convert all these files. If you do not convert all, then later you need exactly the ones which you didn't convert. I stopped at X5 because X6 does not embed any more the fonts. Up to now it is necessary for a Mac user to maintain in addition a Windows computer only for the Corel files plus a Corel Draw version ... and this is a pain in the year 2015/2016. I do this with BootCamp and I do not like the switching process. Peter :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikekPhoto Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 I agree with where you are coming from and while it would be a real time saver to be able to import directly into AD at least I can get use some of my art work in AD. I have to run a mixed environment in my studio, I need Windows because some of our software products are Windows only, in fact I have to keep a Windows XP machine alive while i find the time and nerve to migrate to a new product and platform. Corel did come out with a MAC version of Corel Draw, was a long time ago around versions 4,5 or 6 then discontinued. So maybe one day........ Cheers Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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