Macromedia release FreeHnad 8.0.1b

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Macromedia Introduces FreeHand 8 for Windows and Macintosh

New Graphics Tool Delivers Breakthrough Features Such as Web Animation and Vector Transparency

Macromedia, today (7/1/98) introduces FreeHand(tm) 8, the newest version of its acclaimed design software for Windows 95, Windows NT and MacOS. FreeHand 8 provides groundbreaking creative features such as Lens Fills for dynamic transparency.

FreeHand 8's integrated support for Macromedia Flash(tm) assists creative professionals in moving their work from print to the Web. Illustrators can now get their jobs done faster thanks to FreeHand 8's thoroughly customisable user interface and keyboard shortcuts-including complete shortcut sets from other commonly used applications such as Adobe Photoshop, Quark XPress, Adobe Illustrator and Corel Draw. Finally, platform specific performance optimisations make FreeHand 8 the fastest design tool on the market.

Web Tools for Print Designers
FreeHand 8 helps artists move their work to the Web with built-in support for Macromedia Flash. Designers can now export URL-linked illustrations, layouts and animations from FreeHand in native Flash vector format. Vectors on the Web are compact, scaleable and precise, enabling the creation of rich content with small file sizes. Macromedia's new Universal Media(tm) Initiative ensures these Flash files will play back via Java as well as Shockwave(tm).

"FreeHand 8 is an essential tool for developing Web-based multimedia," said Michael Greenberg of AT&T; Interactive Product Services. "It has evolved as an animation tool, with support for multiple pages and the ability to send objects inside blends to different layers. Seamless integration with Flash makes creating animations with FreeHand easier than ever. As the Web becomes a more dominant medium, graphic designers need a feature complete and easy-to-use tool-FreeHand 8 is perfect for the job."

In a related announcement today, Macromedia introduced the Design in Motion Suite(tm), featuring FreeHand 8, Macromedia Flash and Insta.HTML(tm) 2 .The Suite provides a complete vector graphics and animation solution for Web designers, at an incredible value. (See separate announcement or www.macromedia.com for details).

Although the Web represents a rapidly growing outlet for design, print remains a mainstay for many FreeHand users. FreeHand 8 brings important printing enhancements such as a Collect for Output feature which assembles document components including fonts and linked images in a single folder for easy transfer to service bureaus, built-in support for flexographic printing, and the ability to create and edit multi-page PDF documents in Adobe Acrobat 3 format.

Pushing the Boundaries of Design
FreeHand 8's new transparency Lens Fill is a breakthrough for vector illustration applications, allowing designers to lay translucent text over bitmaps and create glass-like effects in a Postscript environment. Also new in FreeHand 8 is a Magnify Lens, which allows artists to create dynamic zoomed views-invaluable for annotating technical illustrations. FreeHand 8's new Freeform drawing tool lets users quickly create organic forms. Furthering the theme of intuitive design, FreeHand 8 provides object transformation handled directly in the workspace, allowing artists to move, rotate, and scale selected objects without changing tools. Other new functions include a Graphics Hose, and one-button Shadow, Mirror and Emboss effects.

Customisability and Performance
New workflow management features in FreeHand 8 include a fully configurable user interface and customisable keyboard shortcuts. Users can redefine individual shortcuts to selected commands, or load complete shortcut sets matching those of familiar applications including Adobe Photoshop, Quark XPress, Corel Draw, Adobe Illustrator or Macromedia Director". In addition, FreeHand 8 provides performance optimisations for common functions such as opening files, redrawing images and manipulating blocks of text-in many cases, cutting completion time in half. A new Fast Preview mode redraws up to ten times faster than the traditional preview mode.

"In the planning phases for FreeHand 8, we spoke extensively with our customers," said Samantha Seals-Mason, Vice President and Co-General Manager of Macromedia's Graphics Business Unit. "The most commonly asked for features were speed, integration with other applications and customisability. As a result, we devoted a substantial part of our engineering schedule to these areas."

FreeHand 8 further smooths workflow by offering trouble-free import and export of files between FreeHand and other popular design software including Adobe Photoshop, Quark XPress, Macromedia Flash, Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw, Adobe Acrobat and Microsoft Office. Additionally, the new version offers platform-specific performance optimisations for both Intel architecture and MacOS PowerPC based systems.

Pricing and Availability
FreeHand 8 for Windows 95/NT, or Macintosh Power PC will be available available in March 1998 from Computers Unlimited in the UK and Multimedia Solutions in Ireland with an RRP of 450 and an estimated street price of 279. Owners of earlier versions of FreeHand or the FreeHand Graphics Studio may upgrade to FreeHand 8 for 99. Owners of competitive graphics applications (Adobe Illustrator and Corel Draw) may upgrade to FreeHand 8 for a special competitive upgrade price of 199.

FreeHand 8 will also be sold as part of the new Design in Motion Suite, which includes FreeHand 8, Flash 2 and a new version of Insta.HTML. The Suite will be available simultaneously with FreeHand 8 with and RRP of 550 and an estimated street price of 379. Owners of earlier versions of FreeHand may upgrade to the suite for 225.

About Macromedia
Headquartered in San Francisco, Macromedia is a leading provider of software products, each designed to help make creativity and interactivity more possible in the new technology ecosystem. Macromedia's award-winning products for Windows, Macintosh and the Internet are available to business, education, and government customers worldwide. Additional information on Macromedia is available on the Internet at www.macromedia.com