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Decent photo editor, but features are hard to find and use
My experience is......
203 Paintshop Pro Reviews
Overall Review Sentiment for Paintshop Pro
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Having used PSP since the Jasic days, I'm familiar with the tools. I find it easier to use than Adobe Photoshop because you don't have to deal with layers, various color schemes, backgrounds, etc. Not that PSP doesn't let you do all of these things! Mainly, I use PSP to resize and save images that require certain specifications in order to be featured on a customer's website. Another plus... for one of my client's websites, I HAVE to save my images with PSP. Even if I created/modified them using Photoshop! Something in the way Photoshop saves .jpg files... this client's website does't read them correctly! Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.
These days, it's easier for me to resize images using Photoshop. PSP also has a much smaller work area within the program than Photoshop does. Many of the functions are fortunately similar - but PSP makes it more difficult to do more detailed tasks. And unlike Photoshop, my version of PSP doesn't have the toolbar readily available when i open the program. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.
My favorite thing about paint shop pro is that it’s less expensive than photoshop. I also like the face recognition feature it has. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.
Mostly that it’s not photoshop because that’s what I am familiar with....it also seems to run a little slow. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.
This program was great for diversity. I could use it to create graphic art, edit photos, manipulate photos, create advertisements and book covers. It has the tools to do a lot of different things and it served me well when I was first getting started. It is fairly easy to pick up and use for the basics. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.
While there is a lot of diversity in the tools, nothing is over specialized. It is difficult to edit a photo well and unnoticably without a lot of practice and tweaking. To really do anything that is going to look professional, it is a very step learning curve with not many great tutorials in-program. It is certainly not as fast as other programs currently available. Graphic art is easier, but doesn't have a lot of the options that other program has to make it fast. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.
Nearly all of my illustrations are created or modified by Paintshop Pro; you can view my portfolio at http://mjarts.com/portfolio.html
The feature I like best is that Paintshop Pro works with psd files--Photoshop files. The greatest feature of the Photoshop file is that it allows one to work with layered transparent backgrounds. With a layered transparent background, one can create illustrations in the same manner as the early Disney animations--paintings on transparent backgrounds, that when stacked, become a symphony of images. In that sense Paintshop Pro is very similar to GIMP. Both programs allow one to work with any type of image, and have very intuitive controls.
I have Photoshop on my computer, and use some of that programs filters; but Photoshop, for me, is a very non-intuitive program. To use Photoshop effectively one needs to use keystroke combinations that aren't in my brain, and don't make much sense.. Most of my work is done with a mouse, and while I use a few of Paintshop's keystrokes for altering contrast, hue, saturation and lightness, for the most part I use a mouse.
I use very old versions of Paintshop Pro--versions created by JASC back in the nineties, when dinosaurs ruled the earth. Paintshop Pro 6 and 8 both work in a W10-64 bit environment; I use version 8 for most of my work; I use version 6 for drafting. Version 6 is less of a memory hog, but it has limitations when using deformations.
I also use Paintshop Pro 8 for photo enhancement. I also use Lightroom for certain features; and need to use Photoshop to work with some aspects of RAW images. Most of my photo enhancement work is done using Paintshop Pro 8's built-in features. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.
The ONLY feature found in Photoshop that I can't find in my old Paintshop Pro versions in a 32-bit environment, is the retention of transparent backgrounds for png files created in Photoshop. In a 64-bit environment, this problem seems to have disappeared. The old versions of Paintshop Pro, in a 32-bit environment, will automatically flatten a png image created with a transparent background.
I'm a 'if it ain't broke...' kind of guy; I don't need to buy the latest software in order to do my work, when the software I use still works. I have CS5 installed in my Graphics computer that I use for video production; and there are tons of features available that I rarely explore. I don't like Adobe any more than I like Microsoft. I would probably have the same problems with Apple. I don't like computer manufacturers telling me what I have to do in order to use their product; I come from a pre-computer business world; and learned my skills while computer were new, and far more flexible. Before the companies became Galactic Empires... Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.
The ease of use and the excellent professional results. The interface is easy to use and the menus are pretty much straight forward. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.
Sometimes you have to look through a few menus to find what your looking for. This does get better once you have become adjusted to the menus. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.
