Paint Shop Pro 9
Image Editing Software

Are you looking for a good image editing program that has many professional features but won't leave a huge hole in your pocket? Those of you familiar with Adobe Photoshop CS will know it is the king of the hill in image editing - but it comes with a staggering price tag. Enter the world of Paint Shop Pro. I've been using this little darling of a program since it was released as shareware many years back.

 I find myself coming back to it again and again due to its superb quality and features. The latest version, Paint Shop Pro 9, adds various new features - including artist tools, digital photo touchup tools and an enhanced undo function.

Paint Shop Pro 9
 

Art Media Tools

Ever wanted to be a computer based Picasso? Paint Shop Pro 9 adds a suite of new computer artist tools called Art Media Tools. I tried them out and it's pretty neat. You can mix and match colors on a Mixer palette much like a real world artist would. You can use different types of canvas textures and brushes (e.g. Chalk, Crayon, Oil Brush). After trying the tools out for a while I really did feel like some sort of computer artist. A very nice addition to the program, in my opinion - but for best results, you'll need to use a graphics drawing tablet.
 

Digital Photography Tools

The developers of Paint Shop Pro have been busy in the digital photography department. Here are some of the tools they added in this category:

• Chromatic Aberration Filter - This new tool is very useful for removing magenta or blue fringing around silhouettes and highlights within a photo.
   
• Digital Camera Noise Removal - If you shot your picture with a high digital ISO setting, there could be a lot of image noise in the photograph. This tool is a one-step solution.
   
• Fill Flash and Backlighting - The Fill Flash tool corrects underexposed shadows, while the Backlighting tool corrects overexposed highlights.
   

History Palette

Paint Shop Pro 9 has added a new History palette to the program. This essentially lists all the actions done on an open image. Now, you can choose any step in the list and undo all changes made since that step. What I found amazing, however, is that you can choose to undo individual steps without affect subsequent actions. For example, if you made ten brush strokes, you can pick an earlier brush stroke and just undo that stroke alone. I've yet to see this capability in other image editors, including Adobe Photoshop CS.
 

The Downside

On the whole, Paint Shop Pro 9 is an excellent image editing program. My only complaint is the program's processing speed. Now, frankly, in my opinion, Paint Shop Pro has never been as fast as Adobe Photoshop. I still think it takes eons for my filters to take effect on an image. Also, the amount of processing involved often leads to lag when you're using the Art Media tools to draw pictures. This causes painting in Paint Shop Pro to be less spontaneous as compared to painting with traditional art media.
 

Conclusion

Although it has a few quirks, I find Paint Shop Pro 9 to be one of the best programs for editing your digital photos. The program costs much less than Adobe Photoshop CS, yet still offers many professional features. If you're unwilling to fork out too much cash for Adobe Photoshop CS, then Paint Shop Pro 9 will be your next best bet.

Touch Up Your Photos Easily

Ulead PhotoImpact is a great photo editor that does its job - yet doesn't burn a hole in your pocket. I've used this program for a long time and it has never let me down. PhotoImpact has all the usual tools you expect in a photo editor, contained within a smart, uncluttered user interface. It's definitely worth a try, especially if you don't want to invest in expensive commercial editors like Adobe Photoshop CS.

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