Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
INkSCAPE
Inkscape is the free and open-source alternative to Adobe Illustrator. So
if you want to avoid the hefty price tag, Inkscape is your best bet. I always
use Illustrator because when I started to learn the finer points of data
graphics on the job, Illustrator was what everyone used, so it just made
sense. I have heard good things about Inkscape though, and because it's
free, there's no harm in trying it. Just don't expect as many resources on
how to use the software.
Parts of this
topic use Adobe
Illustrator to
refine your data
graphics; however,
it shouldn't be too
hard to figure out
how to do the same
thing in Inkscape.
Many of the tools
and functions are
similarly named.
useFuL Inkscape resources
a
Inkscape (
http://inkscape.org
)
Inkscape Tutorials (
a
http://inkscapetutorials.wordpress.com/
)
oThErS
Illustrator and Inkscape are certainly not your only options to create and
polish your data graphics. They just happen to be the programs that most
people use. You might be comfortable with something else. Some people
are fond of Corel Draw, which is Windows-only software and approxi-
mately the same price as Illustrator. It might be slightly cheaper, depend-
ing on where you look.
There are also programs such as Raven by Aviary and Lineform, that offer
a smaller toolset. Remember that Illustrator and Inkscape are general
tools for graphic designers, so they provide a lot of functionality. But if you
just want to make a few edits to existing graphics, you might opt for the
simpler (lower-priced) software.
Tr ade - O f f s
Illustration software is for just that—illustration. It's not made specifically
for data graphics. It's meant for graphic design, so many people do not use
a lot of functions offered by Illustrator or Inkscape. The software is also
not good for handling a lot of data, compared to when you program or use
visualization-specific tools. Because of that, you can't explore your data in
these programs.
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