Microsoft Expression Blend

Microsoft Expression Blend is Microsoft's user interface design tool for creating rich graphical interfaces for web and desktop applications that blend the features of these two types of applications. Expression Blend is itself written using the .NET Framework 3.0 and Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF). Expression Blend is effectively an interactive, WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) front-end for designing XAML-based interfaces for WPF and Silverlight (Blend version 2.0 onwards).

Expression Blend was code-named Sparkle, and originally the product was announced as Microsoft Expression Interactive Designer, before it was renamed Expression Blend in December 2006.

Expression Blend supports the WPF text engine with advanced OpenType typography and ClearType, vector-based 2D widgets, and 3D widgets with hardware acceleration via DirectX. It is completely written using WPF, as opposed to Windows' older GDI or GDI+ graphics technologies. It is one of the applications in the Microsoft Expression Studio suite.

A trial version of Expression Blend is available. [2] A preview version of Expression Blend 2.0 is also available which supports developing Microsoft Silverlight browser-based Rich Internet Applications providing animation, vector graphics, and interactivity and video playback capabilities.