Use All Your Graphic and Vector Assets

Incorporate graphics from other applications using standard file formats such as JPEG, PNG, and GIF, or open vector-based artwork from other popular graphic tools. The powerful new Adobe Photoshop File Format Importer (PSD) enables you to import Photoshop files with full layer support providing you a streamlined workflow with your traditional design tools. Export is provided in a variety of standard formats such as PSD, PDF, and XAML.

Precise Edits

Work with advanced and flexible vector manipulation tools, path operators, and shape transformation/morph capabilities.

Pixel-perfect

Place and align your graphic elements precisely with snap-to, grids, points, guides and pixels.

Powerful Tools

Intuitive and flexible shape drawing tools including Bezier, B-Spline, and polyline---with full curve control. The Paintbrush tool gives you precision drawing control, while tablet support lets you draw with greater expressive freedom.

Editable Live Effects

Apply non-destructive Live Effects to any object or image. Then re-order the effects, toggle them on and off, or change the effect settings for a completely different look and feel.

Expansive Options

Enhance your vector paths with a wide array of preset fills, strokes, and gradients, or create your own to build a unique appearance or texture.

Connect with Expression Studio

Powerful new export and image slicing tools seamlessly bring your artwork to Expression Web and Expression Blend®. Target individual slices as separate formats, including Silverlight canvas, WPF canvas, WPF resource dictionary, HTML comp, PSD and PDF. Maximize re-use of your image assets. Graphics can be overlaid by multiple and overlapping slices, so you can simultaneously export multiple formats in one simple action.

Build Assets

Create image assets such as buttons or backgrounds that you can use in any authoring tool, such as Expression Web or Visual Studio.

What's New:

Importing Windows Metafile and Enhanced Metafile documents

You can import Windows Metafile (WMF), Enhanced Metafile (EMF), and Enhanced Metafile Plus (EMF+) files into your Expression Design project. WMF and EMF files are highly portable files that contain vector-based graphics content commonly created using the art and illustration tools in Microsoft Office applications such as Office Word and Office Visio. For example, Office Word uses the EMF format to create WordArt images, and the slides and charts created in Office PowerPoint use this format also. The metafile formats can store complex, rich image data in relatively small files.

You can import WMF, EMF, and EMF+ files into Expression Design in four different ways:

  • By using the Import commands.
  • By opening the WMF or EMF file directly.
  • By dragging the file into Expression Design using Windows Explorer.
  • By copying and pasting from another document

Saving your workspaces

You can arrange your workspace layout to suit your project and then save the workspace to use later. You can save any number of workspaces to accommodate the variety of projects that you work on, or the variety of working scenarios that you may work in, such as using multiple monitors or smaller monitors.