Anyone use Paint Shop Pro instead of Photoshop?

[misstwinklytoes]

Or know and are willing to share neato techniques?

 

[KmH]

Not me, but lots of people use it.

You've probably noticed that there is not all that much online stuff on how to do things with PSP, but: PSP tutorials - Bing

 

[misstwinklytoes]

Thanks Keith!

 

[mwgpe]

I have been using Paint Shop Pro for probably over 10 years. I currently use Paint Shop Pro v8.0 by JASC Software. I never upgraded after Corel bought JASC. I have experienced how Corel has destroyed other programs they bought.

Most work has been with the point and shoot camera photos and graphics for websites etc. I recently bought my first DSLR camera, so we shall see how PSP keeps working!

I like alot of the batch file features....I use it to reduce file sizes quickly for posting online or e-mailing photos.

The layering is easy to work with. It also has a lot of features for modifying files for us on the web for website graphics.

It all depends on what you are looking for....it is pretty powerful and much cheaper that Photoshop. But there is more information out there on Photoshop, so far a s tutorials are concerned and plug-ins, etc.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[misstwinklytoes]

I use PSP 7 from JASC

We'll have to share techniques.

I have PSP 10, but I lost the CD key for it.

 

[swedberg311]

I Love how user friendly it is but I only have it on my desktop and im normally on my laptop so then I use photoshop, I have psp 12

 

[PerfectlyFlawed]

Ive used PSP for YEARS!... My all time favorite version was PSP-8. Very simple... I think the largest variety of masks/gradients/tubes/brushes, etc. etc... were made for *that* specific version, as well as PSP7 . When PSP was at its peak.

Ive upgraded it pretty regularly. Currently running PSP-x3. ( imo, a downgrade from PSP-x2)
But With PSP, things are quite simple, user friendly... I think they have *everything* PS offers..But with simplicity. Down fall is because PS is more popular--there is more to offer for extras/tutorials for the PS program.

I have PS CS-5, LR3, and PSPx3... and i rarely use PS. I use LR, then PP it in PSP.

 

[steverino]

I have PSP 10, but I lost the CD key for it.

Hi. From the brief note, I don't know whether you once had PSP 10 installed. If you did, Belarc might find it in your system for you. The basic program is free, and you needn't purchase any extras to see 'keys'.
Hope it works out for you.
Belarc Advisor - Free Personal PC Audit

 

[Gerty]

I started with Jasc v 8 I now have paintshop photo pro x3 love paintshop pro

 

[OrionsByte]

I use PSP X3, mostly because I also need to use the vector graphics capabilities as well as photo editing, for different tasks of course. I do very little actual photo editing in it though, especially since I bought Lightroom. Occasionally I'll use it to clone something out that takes more finesse than Lightroom offers, and in one case I did some pretty challenging (to me) compositing using nothing but PSP.

 

[skieur]

I use Paintshop Pro X3 with plug-ins and Photoshop CS5 too. Paintshop Pro X3 is great for speedy edits and software filter plug-ins. Express Lab is also faster and seems to have more editing capability than Lightroom and it is part of the Paintshop program.

skieur

 

[Olcoot]

I also use PSP X3 and have been using it for years wonderful and powerful software at a decent price. I also use Adobe lightroom 3 which severs my needs best of all

 

[scorpion_tyr]

I use PSP X3. I used Photoshop in high school, but I didn't have to pay for it. I don't do a whole lot of editing so PSP is more than enough for me. Mostly what I use on it is the Smart Photo Fix, the Clone, Sharpen, Soften, Crop, One Step Noise Removal, Skin Smoothing, Scratch Remover, Blemish Fixer, Toothbrush and Brightness and Contrast. For B&W work and selective coloring I use Gimp cause it's easier IMO, and it's FREE.

 

[scorpion_tyr]

Here's some more tips I've figured out with PSP X2 & X3:

If the skin smoothing isn't smoothing enough, try the one step noise removal (even if you don't have noise) and then smooth the skin.

I always sharpen the eyes of my subjects just a little

I find that the smart photo fix always tries to add too much brightness, and hardly ever adds saturation. I almost always bump the brightness down 10 and the color up 10.

The scratch remover is an awesome tool! You can use it to remove hair from a face, telephone poles and lines, stretch marks on pregnant women, and so much more. If the blemish fixer is giving you unfavorable results no matter how you set it, try the scratch remover.

Any area that I edit that isn't the main subject of the photograph, or if i want a smooth appearance, i use the smoothing tool, it covers up editing marks quite well.

Want to remove something unwanted from the background? The clone tool is great for that, just takes some playing around with it to get it right.

The toothbrush is an awesome little tool, you just have to play with it a lot. Watch out for it making the whole face white instead of just the teeth. If you're looking for the vampire look though, bump it up a bit and it'll add a neat ghostly white appearance to the face.

Almost every picture I touch up I always use the brightness and contrast under the adjust tab. I usually do this last and leave brightness on 0 and add about 4-8 on to the contrast.

 

[2WheelPhoto]

Does Paint have a plug-in for photomatix such as Lightroom does? Also will it do global changes to a batch of imported pics, such as the clarity, exposure, and sharpness adjusts?

I use lightroom 3.4 for about everything and then Gimp for occasional tweaking and layer stuff. I'm debating a student copy of CS5 when I start night photography classes at the local university, but for the money this Paint seems hard to beat.