Macromedia FreeHand is a computer application for creating two-dimensional vector graphics, oriented to the professional desktop publishing market. It is available in versions for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X.

FreeHand is very similar in scope, intended market, and functionality to Adobe Illustrator. It was created by Altsys and licensed to Aldus, which released versions 1 to 4. When Aldus merged with Adobe Systems, because of the overlapping of market with Illustrator, Adobe returned FreeHand to Altsys soon after the merger (after some legal wrangling, and intervention by the Federal Trade Commission). Altsys was later bought by Macromedia, which released FreeHand 5.0, 5.5 (Mac only), 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11/MX. In 2005 Adobe acquired Macromedia, thus returning the FreeHand product to Adobe.

A flexible application, it is used for page layout (especially since version 4 which was based on Altsys Virtuoso for NeXTstep and had multi-page capabilities) as well as creating and editing vector graphic for print and the Web.

Its current version, FreeHand 11, is marketed as FreeHand MX, which shows its integration with the Macromedia MX line of products, which also includes Macromedia Flash, Macromedia Dreamweaver and Macromedia Fireworks and more.

FreeHand's future

Macromedia did not significantly update FreeHand for Studio MX 2004 and did not include it at all in Studio 8. Many believe this is because Macromedia Studio is intended for web development while FreeHand was not intended for the Web. Others believe that because most of FreeHand's vector imaging features were integrated into Macromedia Fireworks, there was no need for both programs (however, Macromedia's continued promotion of FreeHand after Studio 8 was released would seem to suggest otherwise).

Adobe's acquisition of Macromedia also cast doubt on the future of FreeHand, primarily because of Adobe's competing Illustrator and InDesign products. Despite rumors, however, Adobe announced in May 2006 that it plans to continue to support FreeHand and develop it "based on our customer's needs". ^*

Some users of the program are voicing their concerns, hoping to see Adobe continue to support and develop the package. ^*

See also

• List of vector graphics editors
• Comparison of vector graphics editors

External links

• Official Macromedia FreeHand page
• Third-party support page

Mac OS software | Windows software | Macromedia software | Vector graphics editors | Raster to vector conversion software

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