Corel Paint Shop Pro (Windows Only) \u00a0
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Corel’s Paint Shop Pro can (and has been) referred to as a poor man’s version of Photoshop (the real deal, not Elements) and with this new version, it may be worth giving it a shot.\u00a0 Paint Shop Pro X2 includes more features (layers, for one) but is still maintains its ease of use.\u00a0 A great program for someone just starting with digital photography but probably not for the hard-core Adobe fan.<\/p>\n

Functionality and User Friendliness: <\/strong><\/p>\n

Paint Shop’s “all-in-one” deal definitely stands out as a “pro” — it combines full-fledged photo editing, painting, drawing, and image management into one convenient software package.\u00a0 For those who are looking for basic retouching (think similar to iPhoto’s capabilities plus some), Paint Shop Pro is a great choice as it offers a good amount of “makeover tools” like:
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 red eye retouching
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 thinify (makes people look thinner, just as the name implies — some may find this a bit gimmicky but it’s a lot easier than trying to do it with Photoshop)
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 eye drop (think of it as virtual Visine — whitens the whites of the eyes)
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 blemish remover (a basic retouching tool)
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 suntan tool<\/p>\n

For more heavy duty editing, Paint Shop Pro X2 also (finally!) supports layers, RAW editing (but only from a handful of cameras, so be sure to look yours up before buying), supports most Photoshop plugins, and lets you save your image in over 50 different formats.\u00a0 Customizable toolbars and personalized workspaces that you can save, as well as effects and presets make it easier to jump back into your work.\u00a0 You can also share those settings with others.\u00a0 Paint Shop Pro also includes Corel Media One Plus, making it easy to showcase and share your photos.<\/p>\n

Paint Shop Pro is only available for Windows XP and Vista.\u00a0 For comparable Mac-compatible programs, check out Adobe Photoshop Elements as they both retail for about $99 USD.<\/p>\n

Awesome Features: <\/strong><\/p>\n

\u25aa\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ExpressLab (see below for details)
\n\u25aa\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Integrated photo organizer.
\n\u25aa\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Web Tools (image slicing, mapping…)
\n\u25aa\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Fun special effects tools (Time Machine is a fun one: you can edit your photos to look like they were taken in the 1800’s or 1960, and anywhere in between.)
\n\u25aa\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 One Step Photo Fix:\u00a0 this feature auto adjusts brightness, colour, contrast, and sharpness in one click.\u00a0 It doesn’t always do a great job but you can manually adjust things too.
\n\u25aa\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Easy sharing: one-click e-mailing and uploading (to the online photo-sharing site of your choice).<\/p>\n

Features to Write Home About…<\/strong><\/p>\n

Express Lab:\u00a0 I briefly mentioned this in the above section but I’ll mention it again because it was my favourite part of the program.\u00a0 It’s basically a streamlined interface that lets you work with tools to quickly edit your photos.\u00a0 Bonus: it’s really easy to use.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Context-Sensitive Help: in short, Corel’s learning center knows which tool you’re using and displays relevant help information.\u00a0 It’s also got extensive online resources, forums, and phone support (for a fee).\u00a0 The program is relatively easy to learn and with a little time and effort, not that hard to master.<\/p>\n

Bottom Line:
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\nIf you’re a fan of Photoshop Elements but are looking for something new and with more heavy duty editing capabilities, or you’re familiar with Corel’s interface from other programs — this is a great choice for you.\u00a0 Also good for editing newbies who need a “do-it-all” app for a small price.<\/p>\n

Final Mentions:
\n<\/strong>
\nSome tout Paint Shop Pro as a “graphic design” tool and although it has a lot of drawing and paint functions, I’d still consider it more of a graphic editing and photo editing software — for graphic design, I’m a big fan of Illustrator.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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