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When Web designers think Macromedia, programs like Flash, Dreamweaver, Fireworks and Director immediately come to mind. These programs are excellent tools for creating multimedia applications, dynamic web sites and high quality bitmap graphics. But the value of vector art programs are often over looked by Webmasters. Flash and Fireworks are robust design tools but they can not fill the void programs like Freehand or Illustrator can. In fact, before there was Fireworks or Flash there was Freehand. Freehand was one of the first vector illustration programs. Now in its 9th release Freehand has been improved in a number of key areas many of which have direct implications for Web designers.

Tools of the Trade
Freehand comes with an excellent arsenal of tools for creating incredibly complex illustrations. Most of these are familiar to users of other graphic programs. The ones unique to Freehand are the Bezigon tool, the Perspective, and the Reform. The Bezigon tool works like the Pen tool but enables designers to create paths that automatically curve.

The Perspective tool is an extremely cool tool that allows you to place any text or object into a precise 1, 2 or 3 point perspective. After placing the graphic within the perspective you can still move it around within the grid. Try doing that in Fireworks or Flash.

The Reform tool enables you to pull, push or reshape only one segment of a bezier path. In the past you had to add additional points along a path to reshape it. Flash has a similar capability but this tool is more precise, giving artist improved management over their vector shapes. It's also a great tool to distort text shapes allowing you to create really unique effects.

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