Creative Docs .NET

Advertising requires a lot of imagination, especially in these saturated times where it's really difficult to come up with an innovative idea. Most work in designing visual ads is done with specialized computer applications, with Creative Docs .NET proving you can do just about anything on a 2D environment to create posters, ads, presentations and more.

As the name might suggest, you need to check whether or not your computer is equipped with .NET Framework for proper functionality. However, latest Windows iterations automatically install it so there's a high change your system is already using it.

The application manages to make a good first impression through its highly-detailed interface elements, as well as the clever arrangement of features, with various tabs that provide quick access to a different tools so that it doesn't feel overwhelming. There's no documentation to help you out so you need to spend some time accommodating, not because it's difficult to use, but because of the abundance of features you encounter.

A few templates are at your disposal to get an idea of what can be accomplished, with the possibility to save your own to make future projects easier to set up. File support is also an advantage, but only when it comes to image files, such as TIF, JPG, GIF, BMP, WMF and EMF, which are available for both import and export. In addition to these formats, saving also lets you generate a PDF and ICO.

Editing is where the application shines, letting you create and manipulate 2D and 3D shapes in a stunning amount and variety of ways. Even text input is cleverly implemented, with the possibility to draw a line that determines orientation so you don't have to adjust it afterward.

Multiple layers can be created, with options to toggle visibility of whole pages or selective content. For more accuracy, you can enable a grid in order to snap objects to it for better arrangement. The properties side panel is abundant in content. Various styles for the shape itself can be applied, with other manipulation options that are cleverly implemented and highly-intuitive.

Bottom line is that Creative Docs .NET is a powerful design application overall. Starting with the diversity of objects you can create and ending with the stunning depth of customization, you're definitely in for a joyride. It uses a moderate amount of system resources, and might leave the impression it's about to hang every now and then, but functionality is not an issue and you're sure to get a result that meets any demand and requirements.