If you just checked in to see what this Canvas thing is, there are a few Online resources that you can check out.

Deneba (Now ACD) is the manufacturer of this all-in-one DTP/Technical Illustration program. You can find them here: http://www.deneba.com/

For great Canvas and graphics related discussions go to the Wizaerd's Realm Canvas Discussion Forum here: http://www.wizaerdsrealm.com/forum/

There are tutorials at these links:
http://www.wizaerd.com/index.php?p=t
http://www.deneba.com/community/howto/default.html
http://www.sketchpad.net/canvas.htm

You can find some galleries of Canvas art at these locations:
http://www.deneba.com/community/artgallery/default.html
http://www.wizaerd.com/index.php?p=g
http://www3.sympatico.ca/rumfelt/Home.html

There is a free ezine called the Canvangelist here: http://commfaculty.fullerton.edu/mbedford/canvangelist

There are Canvas training resources at:
http://www.mentortraining.com
http://www.LearnMac.com

If you visit any of these sites be sure to click around. You'll find more stuff.

Have fun.
Dave

Dear Dave:

Nice website, and you have excellent design skills...I like your graphics, very tasty.
Canvas is definitely easier for me to use than Photoshop, Illustrator and Quark. I can do things quicker in Canvas, and its more fun...I never liked either Quark or Illustrator. I do use Photoshop for photo manipulation and photo restoration and file conversion.

I use Canvas 7, as I am not ready to upgrade to version 9, as I am running under OS 8.6 on a Mac G3 266 desktop (now considered a legacy system, but I added firewire and USB and extra memory, and will probably upgrade chip eventually.). The other day I just purchased another G3 desktop with 96 megs of ram, a zip drive in excellent condition for $50.00. I will use this for certain tasks only and as back-up computer just in case. In the last five years I have had two hard drive complete failures-the hardware is getting cheaper not only in price, but in quality.

For supposedly creative thinkers (artists and designers), they are locked into the big three without thinking of other alternative such as Canvas. Quark is overrated I believe, as Ready Set Go over 10 years ago did everything Quark does practically, better, easier and faster and less expensively. Unfortunately Ready Set Go lost the market share war like Beta video tape, even though both were the superior product by far. If it was supported by the printers, and was up to date in version comparably, I would use it to this day, as it was the best program for pumping out graphic layouts "quick and dirty" as far as time was concerned, but printed in good quality, because Ready Set Go was believeable; what you saw was really what you got after printing it out. You could quickly work intuitively by eye, and quickly use mathematical measurement to set positions etc.
Often the best ends up being the loser, unfortunately. Just like in the Academy Awards, the best picture doesn't always win best picture.

I hope Canvas does not go the way of Beta and Ready Set Go. I use Canvas and import into Photoshop for the printers. James French

James French

Go test elsewhere.

(post removed)

ACD just announced that Canvas development will continue, this time for Windows only:

"ACD Systems will release Canvas XI, Certified for Windows Vista, in early Fall 2007.

While we will not be incrementally releasing new versions of Canvas for the Mac platform, our R&D department is exploring opportunities to develop new cross-platform products that support and streamline our users’ workflow.

It is very important that our users have a strong voice in influencing the development of new ACD products. I am pleased to invite you to participate in the new Canvas User Panel, which will help guide future versions of our technical illustration and graphics products.

Your feedback here in these forums has already been invaluable, and we look forward to hearing more. To join the Canvas User Panel, please contact canvaspanel@acdsee.com.

Lastly, I would like to extend my sincere regrets for our delay in communicating our plans for Canvas on the Mac platform.

Thank you again for selecting Canvas as your versatile, powerful, and integrated solution for illustration and graphics.


--------------------
Mark Franklin

Executive Vice President
ACD Systems"

Thanks for the info Plugsnpixels