VIOLET HILL: Album Cover Art (?)

Yes they do, Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator are the industry standards (at least when I studied design, anyway). BUT, there are certain functions of those programs that no self respecting designer with any proper training would ever use, because they make the work look cheesy and amateurish. It would mean never being hired again because any potential clients would think you didn't have a clue what you were doing.

THat's what I thought.

I agree with alvin about the emboss function, but only to a point. I use it...I use it alot...in VERY small degrees, and it looks great because you can barely see it. Yeah, overusing it just looks cheesey.

Anyway, I'll go away until I'm on topic again,lol.