Artboard Reviews
Professional-level vector drawing application
Every time I thought ‘I wish there was a way to do x’ the functionality was there, and… I don’t feel I have scratched the surface of this application’s capabilities yet. Give it a try! more» – green_knight (as seen on the Mac App Store United Kingdom)
Artboard is perfect.
It’s great! It’s simple enough for beginners but powerful enough do do exactly what I need! more» – Lesley Wright, The Royal Bakery
Welcomed Surprise!
…keeps surprising me at every turn with what it is capable of. more» – BeVerbal (as seen on the Mac App Store United States)
Mac OS World.ru “Just what the doctor ordered… It is necessary to say that to work with Artboard proved to be surprisingly convenient.” (translated) more… REVIEW: Mac OS World.ru Rated: 4.5/5)
Buena
Muy Buena actualización 1.3. Segur así. more» – Manano3D (as seen on the Mac App Store Spain)
The best vector drawing app
Highly recommended. more» – shyart (as seen on the Mac App Store Israel)
Just keeps getting better.
This version of Artboard has made it even easier to get creative. Many thanks to the developers of this great vector drawing app for their continued improvements and tweaks. – Chrismprism (as seen on the Mac App Store Australia)
replace my illustrator
I am so happy to be able to buy graphics applications! thanks!!!!! – from israel (as seen on the Mac App Store Israel)
Très correct
…this little software is surely one of best of its range. (translated, French) more» – mazou31 (as seen on the Mac App Store France)
Mac|Life “Whether you’re new to vector art or just looking for a lightweight option to play around with, Artboard is a good option.” (more… REVIEW: Mac|Life Rated: GREAT)
Excellent for the price
This application is great for super quick and easy graphics, and there are plenty of tools that you would find on more expensive vector programs. more» – andikm (as seen on the Mac App Store Australia)
Good Software… Great Promise
Hey… kudos to the team for a good product on the way to becoming great …if you understand vector drawing and have used the current leader, …this one is done quite well and you will be right at home. more» – webfadds (as seen on the Mac App Store United States)
Splendid graphic program!!!
Thumbs up!!! more» – vaggs4 (as seen on the Mac App Store Greece)
Loving Artboard, paid for itself already!
The interface is smooth, simple and uncluttered and within minutes I was producing a new logo for a client of mine which they were very happy with, so it’s paid for itself already. I have Adobe Illustrator installed on my Macbook but find it slow to load and cumbersome sometimes, I can see me using Artboard more often than not from now on… more» – GrippleSpider (as seen on the Mac App Store United Kingdom)
easy to use
I found artboard quite intuitive and had made my first diagram in an hour and a half. Great program more» – Steve Joe (as seen on the Mac App Store New Zealand)
Younger Sister Has Her Own Wiles
As new software goes, Artboard is one of the best designed and perfectly executed apps you’re likely to find anywhere. And to all that, add that Artboard is inexpensive. What’s not to love? more» – Tom Snyder, author Route 66: Traveler’s Guide and Roadside Companion
Appland (Switzerland) “Artboard is a favorable and simple tool for newcomers and experienced in graphics design… Thumbs up.” (translated) (more… Mac – ArtBoard – Graphikdesign für die Massen)
I recommend this super application
(as seen on the Mac App Store Mexico)
Designed for the Designer!
This is what vector drawing should be. It’s simple to the point of not getting in the way of creativity but complex enough to compete with any vector package out there. more» – Philip Thorn (as seen on the Mac App Store United States)
SoftwareCrew “Artboard also serves as a great introduction to the world of vector graphics thanks to its shallow learning curve and impressive range of online tutorial recources[sic].” (more… Artboard for Mac brings vector graphics to the masses)
Apple Staff Favorite App for College!
c’t magazine for computer technology (German) “Artboard pushes the price for a useful Mac drawing program under 15 € and leaves surprisingly little to be desired.” (translated) Review: Mactorgrafik (print issue 7/2011)
Apple Staff Favorite!
The Apple Artist “Artboard covers the basic vector drawing tools, but where it really shines is in the details… Very handy and intuitive.” (more… REVIEW: Artboard: Vector Drawing Software for Mac)
MacGeneration (France) 7.5/10 ”Artboard is full of lucky finds and good surprises.”(translated) (more…REVIEW: Bézier à la portée de toutes les bourses)
An excellent companion to Pixelmator
As a long-time Illustrator user who can no longer justify the purchase price, Artboard is the perfect solution. more» – Bruce Bowden (as seen on Mac App Store Australia)
MacApps.net “Just as Pixelmator bundled all the best features of Photoshop into a lightweight easy to use app, Artboard has done the same for Illustrator.” (more… REVIEW: Artboard: An Illustrator App for the Rest of Us)
Oz-Apps.com ReviewMe ”professionally polished…” (more… REVIEW: These Curves Won’t Get You in Trouble)
7/10 Mac.AppStorm.net
Impressed
Wow. What an incredible value. more» – delphiof (as seen on Mac App Store Canada)
Apple Matters “Artboard is a clean, well designed application” (more… REVIEW: Easily Learn Vector-Based Drawing with Artboard)
Around Apple “the basic functions work flawlessly… it fills its niche among the editors of vector drawing.” (translated) (more… REVIEW: Artboard: Budget solution for vector graphics)
Impressive launch
I’ve used a number of Mac vector drawing programs, and still haven’t found one that really stands out. Artboard may well be that program. more» – Curlypaws (as seen on Mac App Store United Kingdom)
The best OSx vector app I have found so far.
Two minutes with the demo was enough to tell me I finally had a usable vector application on OSx without spending silly money. more» – M Ross (as seen on Mac App Store United Kingdom)
AppRecap “…this is for sure one of the best ones. 10 out of 10, Thumbs up!” (more… REVIEW: Artboard Review)
Works Great with Bamboo Tablet
…Artboard got me up and running…more» – Proff Long (as seen on Mac App Store United States)
The Apple Artist “A great Help system, with extensive documentation and easy to understand descriptions of how tools work, for both expert vector users as well as novices.” (more… REVIEW: Artboard: Vector Drawing Software for Mac)
Overall very good program for basic vector artwork
Overall, strong v1.0 and well worth the $20 if you need a great basic vector-based illustration tool. This design veteran recommends Artboard.” more» – David Janik-Jones (as seen on Mac App Store Canada)
Beautifully and simply
In a certain way, the missing vector program for the Mac… (translated) more» – Martin Wisniowski (as seen on Mac App Store Germany)
Appstonish “Overall Artboard is both feature rich and affordable… the program should be easily picked up by anyone in under an hour. If you are looking for a powerful yet inexpensive solution to your vector drawing needs I would highly recommend you grab Artboard now before they realize that it’s worth more than the price tag says.” (more… REVIEW: Artboard from Mapvida, LLC)
Overall quite impressive
Overall it was a great purchase, i’m impressed with the results I have achieved so far. Artboard will be my goto app for design and creativity…” more» – A V (as seen on Mac App Store Canada)
MacGeneration (France) “While not a complete replacement for Illustrator, Artboard is a vector design software which should be appropriate in the majority of the users… at this price, Artboard will be difficult to beat.” (translated)
“Artboard… is as cool as it looks; my kids love it!” (as seen on Twitter)
Mac Apps Top (France) 4.5/5 stars
Great for the price
It may be an entry level program but it may very well be all that you need. I love it.” more» – Robert Latzer (as seen on Mac App Store Canada)
Apple On Tour (Deutschland/Germany) “Very good” /”sehr gut” (translated) (more… YouTube Video Channel Mac App Review: Artboard)
Quality ratio/prices excels
Sufficiently powerful and precise to meet my requirements and at the same time, sufficiently simple not to ask days/weeks of training… it is an excellent software which fulfills its mission perfectly. (translated) more» – Jerome Gaudin (as seen on Mac App Store France)
We Love Mac (France) “MapDiva lance un logiciel de dessin vectoriel grand public à 15,99€”
Artboard – great program, simple operation and fantastic effects possible. (translated) (as seen on Mac App Store Germany)
The App Whisperer Top 10 Mac Apps for Artists and Designers
Beautiful
Beautiful program! (translated) more» – Fabio Lucini (as seen on Mac App Store Italy)
UMAG (Italy) “One of the jewels of this big wave of innovation is Artboard, a program for vector drawing of true quality.” (translated)
Adobe Illustrator watch out!
The same way I now use Pixelmator more frequently than Photoshop for simpler tasks. I expect to use Artboard for line drawings far more frequently than Illustrator. Artboard is a simple, elegant, and powerful drawing application. I highly recommend it. more» – Wassim Jabi (as seen on Mac App Store United States)
Fantastic!
Wonderfully versatile app… a user interface that I am sure most Mac users will find easy, I have to say that ARTBOARD, to me, is bordering on fantastic! more» – Chrismprism (as seen on the Mac App Store Australia)
Buena actualización 1.1. Seguir así.
Muy Buena actualización 1.3. Segur así.
It is not perfect yet but there is a very supportive crew at mapdiva who are very helpful and responsive to user’s request so it might get perfect in the future. Highly recommended.
Ortelius, the premier map-drawing tool from Mapdiva, is a wonder in itself. This comes from a dedicated Photoshop user, who couldn’t draw water from a tap. So I had no idea how clean a vector-based system can be in creating over 90 page-sized maps for a new edition of the Route 66 Traveler’s Guide and Roadside Companion. Without Ortelius, I never could have finished the task. So clean were the lines and fonts that I began using it to design everything from business cards to Web pages.
What I wished for was Ortelius Lite – same powerful internal engine, but with a little whimsy and a few tricks thrown in. Enter Artboard from Mapdiva! Same intuitive user interface, vector graphics, snappy Bezier curves, a library filled with tools, and the capacity to stack layers and styles to your heart’s content.
Like Pixelmator and Photoshop, it doesn’t do everything but it does what I need with minimum compromise.
The included clip-art is excellent – fresh and instantly adaptable. Its also works as a tutorial for some of Artboard’s advanced functions.
I’m not an artist or architect, nor have used anything more complicated than iPhoto.
I tried a couple of drawing program demos, but was very impressed with the easy learning curve of this program and the ability to do everything I needed with the provided tools. Other programs I tried were much more expensive, but more importantly to me, much more difficult to learn and use.
The developer’s website has a number of learning tutorials, a few of which I’ve viewed, and are very straight forward and easy to understand.
I can’t believe this program is only $20. Excellent value.
I’ve used a number of Mac vector drawing programs, and still haven’t found one that really stands out. Artboard may well be that program. I’ve used Mapdiva’s Ortelius and been impressed with the ease of use that it has. This has been brought to Artboard, along with a lot of additional work to make this a truly flexible program. It has a slightly different interface to many programs with its use of styles – which can take some getting used to. However, my early attempts to use it have shown that this has its own advantages. It handles lists and tables beautifully and generally feels very responsive and easy to use. I can generate the shapes I want quickly and easily, and the built in styles offer a wide variety of ways to jazz up drawings.
The program also makes a lot of typical tasks very easy – such as adding handles to a point on a bezier curve. Some of the clip art is very nice indeed, and items such as the “Shiny Buttons” lend themselves to some very attractive diagrams. I’d love to see some magnetic connectors to make laying out a diagram easier, but otherwise this is a very impressive version 1.
While I agree the mixed clipart was abit weird at first, using a bit of common sense it easy to filter them according to type. (Would be better as button shorcuts or something though for the filtering insteadof the drop down.)
Aside from that I found it fairly intuative and surprisingly bug free unlike many other vector applications I have tried. Its not perfect and I will be contacting the developers with some suggestions I think would improve the interface and some ways of working and see how they respond.
If you are after a vector app download the demo from their web site as I did. Two minutes with the demo was enough to tell me I finally had a usable vector application on OSx without spending silly money.
OK, while Artboard by Mapdiva will not replace your copy of Adobe Illustrator, it is an extremely well-rounded and polished app capable of doing a lot of vector illustration tasks. I’ve been using Illustrator since it was called “Illustrator 88″ (spring of 1987 I think) and I’m always on the look-out for simple vector drawing programs that can be used by a wide range of user types. Acorn and Pixelmator fill the niche for bitmap eidting programs that can replace a lot of what Photoshop can do, and I’d argue that Artboard is capable of doing the same for vector work.
Pluses: Fast and responsive, no crashes or problems on any of the machines I’ve worked with it on (27″ i3 iMac, 15″ i7 MacBook Pro, the kid’s mini). Silky smooth in fact. Well-organized and simple UI. Great basic tools. Fast tools even with big pieces of art and numerous layers. Some cool styles and clip art. Ability to export work as PDF/JPG/TIFF/PNG. very simple to understand bezier curve tools and adjustments (especially for people who might not understand vector-vs-bitmap drawing). Support for both my Wacom tablets. Decent text tool. Great ability to customize toolbar with many features beginners will want to see/have handy.
(Minor) Issues: No way to separate/float the layers palette like the others; it remains attached to the drawing area (grrr). A few keyboard commands inconviently missing (alignment of objects, create new layer, move up and down through layers with keyboard, etc, but that may be my Illustrator background talking). I’d personally like the ability to save out as an EPS file with layers intact.
Overall, strong v1.0 and well worth the $20 if you need a great basic vector-based illustration tool. This design veteran recommendeds Artboard.
Sehr geradlinig, gut im Umgang und auch mit gutem Blick für Usability-Details. In gewisser Weise, das fehlende Vektor-Programm für den Mac, das ich schon seit lange Zeit Suche. Für diesen Preis auf jeden Fall unschlagbar.
Zwei kleine Sachen fehlen mir noch:
1. Laden / importieren von z.B. PDF/svg
2. Im “Layer-Browser” sollte man auch einzelne Objekte anwählen und ein/ausschalten können (derzeit nur mit ganzen Layern möglich).
Vielleicht kommen diese Features ja in späteren Updates noch. Ich würde mich freuen!
The good:
Fairly easy to start in right away and get creative, the UI is great and controls are straightforward
The amount and detail of included clipart and styles is impressive
The ability to customize the included graphics or create your own is straightforward and easily accomplished
The bad:
Save often, it can crash when you have a lot of activity in a project. I’m using it mostly on the latest macbook pro i7 and I’ve had a few crashes when loading grapics on an already busy project. I’ve sent a report in so hopefully it will be a temporary problem.
There is no circular spiral graphic included. With other programs I have tried it has been a standard shape along with the squares, circles etc. If it is there I haven’t found it yet and it is one of the shapes that I use a lot when creating projects.
Overall it was a great purchase, i’m impressed with the results I have achieved so far. Artboard will be my goto app for design and creativity, but please add the spiral.
Artboard has powerful drawing features that match ones found in high-end vector drawing, CAD, and mapping applications. In fact, Artboard’s features are a subset of those found in the more expensive Ortelius software, that is used for professional mapping applications.
Artboard has the concept of layers that you can place objects on, order in different ways, and show and hide at will. Even the guides you snap to and the Grid (Graph Paper) are on their own separate layers.
A path style can be made up of an amazing array of strokes and fills that combine together to make up the final result. For example, do you want a line that is yellow in the middle, with a dashed center-line and two thick red borders on each side? no problem. The included library of clip art, styles, and templates by itself is worth the low price of this application (and it is a 5-computer license! thanks to the App Store policy). The interface is beautiful and uncluttered.
The same way I now use Pixelmator more frequently than Photoshop for simpler tasks. I expect to use Artboard for line drawings far more frequently than Illustrator.
Artboard is a simple, elegant, and powerful drawing application. I highly recommend it.
The help pages are clear and easy to understand.
This app draws out my creativity like no other: I have Vector Designer, Pixelmator, and Image Well. I must say that after using ARTBOARD for just one hour, I have created more, and gained more personal satisfaction with the results than ever before.
The clipart library that is included with this app is extensive and well organised.
Having some experience with the other apps mentioned above, it is fair to say that ARTBOARD shares some of the best features of those apps. Add to that a great choice of templates, a large range of clipart, and a user interface that I am sure most Mac users will find easy, I have to say that ARTBOARD, to me, is bordering on fantastic!
