ArtRage Studio Pro native files are saved in a proprietary format, but may be exported into several standard image formats, including JPEG, TIFF, PNG, GIF, BMP and PhotoShop®-compatible PSD.
ArtRage Studio Pro is a specialized digital art creation application, and it excels in that specialty. More broad-spectrum software like PhotoShop®, however, include a wide menu of functions that ArtRage Studio Pro does not share. ArtRage Studio Pro lacks most of the image manipulation and special effects features of PhotoShop®, although it does offer color adjustment, blurring, and smoothing. ArtRage Studio Pro also lacks the extensive vector shape and line tools found in PhotoShop®. For someone like me, who does original illustration which is incorporated into both print and web graphic design, ArtRage Studio Pro will have a role in creating the basic art that can be imported into PhotoShop® for book covers, flyers and web applications. (This is no minor function: creating the basic art is at least 90% of the work.) For a visual artist who is just considering the transition to digital media and finds computers and high-end applications daunting, ArtRage Studio Pro is a perfect first step, easy to learn, natural to work with, and at the same time, giving polished, professional results.
ArtRage Studio Pro installs with a 111-page illustrated PDF manual that is a model of clarity. Other user support is provided online and in extensive user forums on Ambient Design’s website.
I tested the Windows version of ArtRage Studio Pro using a Dell Studio XPS workstation with a 22" high definition monitor and Windows 7.
For more information, or to purchase or to view the galleries, forums and tutorials, please visit the ArtRage home page: www.ArtRage.com. ArtRage Studio can be purchased for $40.00 and ArtRage Studio Pro for $80.00 from the ArtRage web site. ArtRage 2.5 Full Edition is available for $20.00 and will be upgraded in the future. Some users of ArtRage 2.x are eligible for "Switch To Studio" discounts when purchasing one of the new products. A version of ArtRage for the iPad has just been released and is available from the iTunes store.
System Requirements:
Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7
Mac OSX 10.4 or later with 1GHz processor (Intel/AMD or PPC G4/G5)
1024 x 768 screen size, 512MB Memory, 100MB disk free.
Languages: English, French, German, Dutch interface. English manual.
Article comments
1 - Sue Lange
Very cool, Inanna. Thanks for this: "I have a Wacom® Intuos PKD-440 pen tablet, which I have found to sometimes be sluggish or inconsistent with PhotoShop® CS5."
I thought it was just me. I've never been impressed with using a tablet. Maybe it was just the tablet, and not me.