Patrick Hastings Posted December 21, 2005 Report Share Posted December 21, 2005 Ok I am do for some better Software. Not sure what I am looking at. I have been working with two outdated programs for a long time (arcsoft2000 and MS photodraw) They are second nature to me, but they are also starting to fossilize. I want to step up and get familiar with something good so as not to waste my time or money. What do the pros use? Or what would the pros recommend for $300 or less. Patrick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janel Posted December 21, 2005 Report Share Posted December 21, 2005 Whether I am pro or not, I use Adobe Photoshop CS. It is not the bundled software, just the Photoshop Part. I upgraded to it last year, I do not recall what the price is/was. Jim Kelso has other recommendations, I am sure, and he is presenting beautiful photos. Janel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DFogg Posted December 21, 2005 Report Share Posted December 21, 2005 I use Photoshop CS, but a really good program for less than $100 is Paint Shop Pro. Another one that I like because it is so fast and can do some amazing things is Xara Extreme. While we are on software, I just started using Advanced JPEG and it is the best compression program I have used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Kelso Posted December 21, 2005 Report Share Posted December 21, 2005 Hi Patrick, You can get Photoshop Elements4(or 3 for Mac) for under a hundred bucks. It is a powerful application with probably all of the tools and then some that you would find useful in the full program. My understanding is that the main difference is that it doesn't have color separation ability for book publication. Elements is not just a hobbyist program. If you decide to go with it, I can recommend some learning aids. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Kelso Posted December 21, 2005 Report Share Posted December 21, 2005 There is also the open-source GIMP. I don't have any experience with it, but I would suspect it works quite well and the price is certainly right(free!). Check it out Here Also, for Mac users there is an excellent program Graphic Converter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Hastings Posted December 21, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2005 I use Photoshop CS, but a really good program for less than $100 is Paint Shop Pro. Another one that I like because it is so fast and can do some amazing things is Xara Extreme. While we are on software, I just started using Advanced JPEG and it is the best compression program I have used. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Don that Advanced Jpeg softwar is interesting. did you purshase it or are you useing the free download. That could really increase webpage loads and reduce bandwith without sacraficing quality. Is it really that easy to use or does it take some getting used too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Hastings Posted December 21, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2005 There is also the open-source GIMP. I don't have any experience with it, but I would suspect it works quite well and the price is certainly right(free!). Check it out Here Also, for Mac users there is an excellent program Graphic Converter <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I want to get something fairly main stream so I can ask queastions and someone will be able to help hehe. Lot of links to research now. ( Janel, you don't have to be pro Ill look into your advice regardless ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DFogg Posted December 21, 2005 Report Share Posted December 21, 2005 I bought the Advanced JPEG converter. The download version will give you a sense of how the program works, but you can't save the file after you have worked with it. I was using Adobe to compress the images, but it takes forever to load and this seems to do a better job of it. The interface is a bit geeky, but play with the sliders and you can a feel for it. Adobe Elements that Jim recommended is on the A list too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.