Today's topics: * ArtWorks 2.7 released
                * AWViewer 2.06 released
                * Transparency-enabled AWViewer released for free!
                * Meet me at this weekend's Wakefield Show!

ArtWorks 2.7 released
=====================
ArtWorks 2.7 has been released and is available for purchase. This
release marks another milestone in the development of the platform's
most popular advanced graphics illustration package. For the first
time, users are able to create graphics work with more than one page
and export high quality multi-page PDF files. Consistent layout across
pages are facilitated by master layers that appear on every page or on
odd/even pages only.

In addition to supporting multiple pages, Direct PDF Export has been
improved significantly. Most importantly, it optionally uses internal
compression for the main contents stream and for embedded bitmap
images, which dramatically reduces the file size of exported PDF
files. Commercial users will appreciate that spot colours and
overprinting information are exported.

In addition, ArtWorks 2.7 offers various other improvements added by
popular demand:
- Colours on the colour bar can be reordered (which also changes the
  order on the colour menu).
- Colours can be sampled from screen.
- The text in selected text lines/areas or all text on a single page
  or on all pages can be exported.
- The layer list can be turned into a permanent window, which makes
  working with layers far more productive.
- New keyboard shortcuts to quickly switch between colour separations.
- Various minor user interface enhancements.

The retail price for a full version of ArtWorks 2 remains at 169
Pounds (inc VAT). An upgrade from ArtWorks 2.6 to 2.7 costs 30 Pounds
(inc VAT). Prices for other upgrades and order information can be
found at:
  http://www.mw-software.com/paying.html

AWViewer 2.06 released
----------------------
In order to render multi-page documents created in ArtWorks 2.7 a new
version of AWViewer/AWRender has been released. This new version
accepts multi-page documents and renders the page that was active when
the file was saved in ArtWorks. A future version will also be able to
show all the pages of the document. See the next section for download
information.

Transparency-enabled AWViewer released for free!
------------------------------------------------
To celebrate the release of ArtWorks 2.7, the transparency-enabled
ArtWorks viewer has been released as a free download. Formerly, this
version was only available as a commercial product (or as part of the
ArtWorks 2.6 purchase).

So, finally, ArtWorks files can be rendered with transparency in
third-party applications on ever machine with RISC OS 3.5 or higher!
AWRender 2.06 supports the full range of object types and transparency
effects offered by ArtWorks 2.7 and enables third-party applications
(e.g., OvationPro, PhotoFiler, EasiWriter and TechWriter, etc.) to
render all ArtWorks files exactly like ArtWorks itself, including
files with advanced transparency effects.

AWViewer 2.06 can be downloaded from the AWRender 2 home page
  http://www.mw-software.com/software/artworks/awrender2.html#download
or from the original AWViewer download page
  http://www.mw-software.com/software/awmodules/awrender.html#download

Meet me at this weekend's Wakefield Show!
-----------------------------------------
As usual, I will attend this year's Wakefield Show, held this
Saturday, the 19th of May. You can find details at
  http://www.wakefieldshow.org.uk/

Martin Wuerthner
MW Software
http://www.mw-software.com/