• Crisper Bitmaps – are now available by using the Snap-To Pixels feature with which you can create vector art that can be exported as crisp bitmap. This is helpful when you use vector art for buttons or icons in a UI.
I liked Expression Blend especially because of its integration with Visual Studio, but it would be nicer if it had its own code deployment capabilities. I like the way that new projects are treated as solutions and you can add more than one project to a solution (as in Visual Studio), and that the solutions are compatible with a Visual Studio solution.
I also like that Expression Blend can create either WPF or Silverlight applications. I think that there is more work to be done on the latter since you don't have the richness of all the controls that are available on the WPF side, and you don't have all of the advanced Rich Internet Application support as well.
Expression Design is an overall improvement and works well for those who need the graphics capabilities and does not want the overhead, costs, and learning curve of heavier products. It also has the tremendous plus of the fact that its native file format is XAML so that anything that you create can be used in WPF and Silverlight.
If you order the Expression Studio 2 Subscription, you not only get the five products in the Studio, you also get a copy of Microsoft Windows Vista, and a copy of Microsoft Visual Studio Standard Edition as well, along with a years worth of updates.
As with Web 2, I found Expression Blend and Expression Design both easy to use and work with. I think that the studio route is the way to go especially if you are into Web and application development using Microsoft products. I can easily recommend Microsoft Expression Blend 2 and Expression Design 2.
![Microsoft Expression Web 2 [OLD VERSION]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31oQRRiw24L._SL120_.jpg)
Article comments
1 - Chris
Here at work, we do alot of web development (GIS) and are deeply rooted into Microsoft products. To me, Expression sounds like the equivelent of DreamWeaver. Im going to load it and see what its like.
Good article, Im going on your recommendation to use it... Ill post back and tell you my opinion in a few days.
-Chris, GIS Programmer
2 - Mike
I've been using the Expression studio since version 1, love the interface. Not as complete as the equivalent Adobe products but I would say I only use 40% of Photoshop and Illustrator, so kudos to MicroSoft for actually providing Webmasters an alternative.