So far we've covered building your Symbol Library and using Autotrace to turn images into vectors. This episode is all about text — placing it, styling it, running it along a path, and organizing it into tables.
What You'll Learn:
canvasxdraw's text tools will feel familiar if you've used other authoring software, but they come with the same precision and flexibility canvasxdraw applies to everything…
You don't compromise on your illustrations. We don't think you should have to compromise on knowing your tools inside and out, either.
That's why we're kicking off a new video series built for canvasxdraw users who want to move faster and get more out of the software's most powerful features. Each episode is short, practical, and focused on one feature at a time, no fluff,…
Industry Trends · 2025
Why Technical Illustrators Are Leaving CorelDRAW
The frustrations have been building for years. In 2025, they're finally acting on them. Here's what's driving the exodus — in their own words.
VectorGFX Editorial · May 2026 · 9 min read
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VectorGFX · Knowledge Center
vectorgfx.net
CorelDRAW Technical Suite
VS
canvasxdraw
Technical Illustration Corel vs Canvas
Eight rounds.…
We're kicking off something new for the canvasxdraw community: a step-by-step instructional video series from Paul Dufour, retired Boeing Technical Fellow specializing in aerospace structures. Paul has spent decades creating and reviewing technical graphics in one of the most demanding engineering environments in the world, and he's bringing that experience directly to you, one practical lesson at a time.
If you've followed…
Over the past several months, we've made the case on this blog for why canvasxdraw is the smarter technical illustration platform for engineers, patent professionals, and technical writers who are tired of "close enough." We've walked through the cost math, the workflow advantages, and the Mac parity gap that CorelDRAW Technical Suite simply can't close. The response from technical illustration teams has been…
A Technical Evaluation for Professionals Considering Their Options
Foreword
This document is not a sales brochure. It contains no lifestyle photography, no stock images of people looking thoughtfully at monitors, and no vague claims about "empowering your creativity."
What it contains is a factual, sourced analysis of what CorelDRAW Technical Suite costs Including dollars, time, and productivity compared to canvasxdraw from VectorGFX. The data comes…
The real cost of Corel’s suite is more than the invoice. Here’s what technical illustrators are choosing instead and why the best alternative might surprise you.
If you’ve priced CorelDRAW Technical Suite recently, you already know the sting. At $1,269 per year (or more on enterprise agreements), it’s one of the most expensive seats in technical illustration software — and that price tag comes…
Paul Dufour: Guest Blogger
Boeing Technical Fellow, (retired)
Engineering Specialty: Aerospace Structures
When I graduated from engineering school nearly 40 years ago, I had the distinct idea that working for an engineering company meant making calculations and crunching numbers all day. Little did I know how much time over my career would be spent talking…
For the technical illustrator, a drawing isn't just a "visual." It is a piece of data. Whether it's a patent schematic, an assembly manual, or a cross-section for a defense contract, the margin for error is non-existent.
In the past, professionals have been forced to choose between the high-end creative tools of Adobe Illustrator or…
Professional 2D technical illustration turns dense data into actionable insights.
