At the center of the update is AI Generate. Designers can start with a blank canvas, describe the image they need in words, and generate several options before continuing to refine the result with familiar CorelDRAW tools. Users can choose a style, color palette, and image format, or use an existing visual as the basis for a new variation.
This is particularly useful during the early stages of a project, when teams need to explore several ideas quickly. Instead of searching for a suitable image or manually preparing each concept, designers can generate multiple directions within minutes, choose the strongest approach, and continue developing it themselves.
AI can also be applied to existing content. The Remix feature allows users to modify individual elements of an image or change its surroundings using simple text prompts. For example, a product photo can be placed in a different setting, or several visual concepts for an advertising campaign can be created without building every layout from scratch.
Corel has also simplified one of the most time-consuming tasks in photo editing. A new AI-powered tool can remove backgrounds with a single click while handling complex edges such as hair or fabric more accurately. Corel PHOTO-PAINT also introduces intelligent masking that automatically identifies the subject while still allowing designers to manually refine the selection.
The company is not positioning AI as a replacement for the design process. Instead, the focus is on accelerating the stages that typically require the most time. AI-generated or AI-edited content remains a regular part of the project and can continue to be refined using CorelDRAW’s standard editing tools.
The 2026 release also brings an updated interface, faster application startup, and expanded capabilities in CorelDRAW Web. Users of the web version gain access to the same new AI tools available in the desktop application.
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 2026 is available for Windows, macOS, and the web. Generative features operate through an AI credit system. Subscribers and customers with active maintenance receive 2,000 credits per month, while perpetual license users receive a one-time allocation of 2,000 credits.
The new release reflects Corel’s broader approach to AI. Rather than offering a separate image generator, the company has integrated AI directly into the designer’s workspace, shortening the path from idea to finished layout while keeping the final result under human control.
