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Logoist Review
Jul 7 2015 6:25PM EST | Source: MacLife.comWhen compared head-to-head with apps like Adobe Illustrator, Logoist’s lack of options and simplistic approach may make high-end users bristle; it certainly isn’t as complete as Adobe’s app or sophisticated alternatives such as the excellent Affinity Designer. But what Logoist does offer is a fun and enjoyable way to create vector images by using the features it has in an interesting and different way.
With its three-column layout, everything is on show in Logoist; your layers palette sits on the left, properties on the right, with the image in the center. This can be annoying, since you lose space for your artwork, and familiar elements such as color selection are hidden away in panels (replaced with presets and suggestions), but when you get your head around this new way of working, the functions on show are actually handled in a pretty useful, albeit simplistic, way.
In Layers, for example, each shape and path is given its own layer (even when grouped), so items can be moved around and found within large nests easily. While in the properties inspectors you can use the color presets to build up layers of effects from fills to gradients to shadows (and so on) on your paths and shapes and see them in a stack so you can then edit or delete them as you work.
The main priority for any vector app is paths, and Logoist has a smart and simple set of path tools. Its use of nice big color-coded anchor points makes them easy to use, however the way some of the editing options are handled (combined with some unfamiliar keyboard shortcuts) can be confusing for those familiar with Adobe apps.
An emphasis on presets certainly helps Logoist appeal to a more beginner-friendly audience. Added to this new 2.5 version are several new pieces of pre-created artwork and logos, so you can start tinkering with existing images rather than being confronted with a blank canvas and load of confusing tools. It also features a smart OS X Yosemite makeover, a new color scheme selector (which lets you create a palette of complementary colors for your work) and some smart snapping and grid options.
Although these improvements aren’t as significant as the leap from version 1 to 2, this latest iteration helps bring more functionality to an enjoyable app.
The bottom line. A cheap and enjoyable, albeit limited, way to create smart vector artwork.