Microsoft PhotoDraw

Microsoft PhotoDraw

A screenshot of PhotoDraw 2000 V2 running on Windows 95.
Developer(s)	Microsoft
Stable release	2.0 / October 4, 1999
Development status	Discontinued
Operating system	Microsoft Windows
Type	Vector graphics editor
License	Proprietary
Website	[1]

Microsoft PhotoDraw 2000 is a discontinued vector graphics and raster imaging software package developed by Microsoft.

Microsoft PhotoDraw 2000 was released in 1999 along with Microsoft Office 2000 Premium and Developer, but came separately on 2 CDs. It developed from the Picture It! 2.0 engine's .MIX format and expanded further into vector imaging technology. It required a separate installation from the main installer for the core Office suite, and was also released as a stand-alone product as part of Microsoft's Graphics Studio line of products (Greetings, etc.).

Microsoft released the subsequent version called Microsoft PhotoDraw 2000 Version 2 to General Availability on October 4, 1999.

PhotoDraw 2000 shipped via these release vehicles

PhotoDraw 2000 Version 2 shipped via these release vehicles

Both versions of PhotoDraw were branded "Microsoft Office Application," and considered a "member of the family," as were other Microsoft applications (most notably Publisher) at the time.

After PhotoDraw 2000 Version 2 was released, Microsoft discontinued the program.

PhotoDraw is a full-featured dual-type (vector and bitmap) graphics software application like Adobe Fireworks, developed for semiprofessional business use. It includes a vast library of clip-art, and a good collection of additional fonts. Its user interface introduced an activity-based approach (manifested in special graphic menus), a concept later evolving into the Ribbon interface of modern MS Office and other applications.

As positioned mainly as an MS Office family companion and a business graphical solution suite, it was not useful enough for home users, who are more interested in manipulating digital pictures - which are bitmaps - than creating vector graphics. Microsoft has responded by bundling Windows Picture and Fax Viewer with Windows XP, developing Microsoft Picture It!, as well as creating Microsoft Office Picture Manager for Microsoft Office 2003 to expand on Microsoft Photo Editor. Furthermore, PhotoDraw was also not good enough to challenge Illustrator, the de facto standard for graphics professionals. For professional purposes Microsoft acquired, introduced and developed Microsoft Expression Studio, a graphics solution suite but it has been also discontinued, leaving MS Office users without any proper illustration tool with capabilities exceeding those of PowerPoint.