Next best thing to Photoshop?

sabbath999 · Mar 23, 2008

usayit said:
Why not?

You just have to make sure the Xserver software package is loaded. Is there something else?

Xserver?

I assume you mean X11...

Have you actually used it on a Mac? If so, I am surprised you ask me why not.

It is slow, ugly, buggy and VERY, full of unexpected quits and very un-mac like. The menus, when they work, are all goofy, and it is right-click city... hard to do with a single mouse button (not that I use one of those, I hate single button mice).

Any time you have to install a bunch of runtime stuff on a Mac, and then open terminal and type in "defaults write org.x.X11 wm_ffm -bool false" and
"defaults write org.x.X11 wm_click_through -bool true" just to get the program to behave nicely, then the program is crap.

Rick Waldroup · Mar 23, 2008

gryphonslair99 said:
Amen my brother. Can I get a hallelujah??? :bigangel::smileys:

Been there, done that and I gave the t-shirt away. The only thing I miss about my darkroom was the solitude from the wife on occasions.

Now that is one thing I do miss about not having a darkroom- being able to get away from the wife and kids for a while. :mrgreen:

JerryPH · Mar 23, 2008

Elements is ok, Lightroom is a little better, but after having had all 3 and a few more, CS3 really gives me the results that I want. I know its not what you want to hear, but my CS3 cost me exactly $209 dollars.

$10 for the CS2 original CD that I found in a garage sale, and $199 for the upgrade. You cannot beat that.

Mav · Mar 24, 2008

I use DxO for 99% of my post processing. It's great. It's truly rare that I need anything else, and it's only about $150.

Mike_E · Mar 24, 2008

If you are using Picasa, you will want to read this. :/

http://www.freepress.net/news/25906

tbstimp · Mar 25, 2008

Download the free trail of Lightroom. After 30 days of use I think you'll be convinced you need to spend the $300, or track down a $99 student copy.

Emerana · Mar 25, 2008

I bought DxO but it crashes alot on my computer...I am sure it is my computer though, I am stuck on a tiny laptop. So I do batch processing with it and then finish editing on paintshop pro x1. I am going to get an upgrade to x2 I think.

I worry though that to really have seriously good products, I would have to switch to PS at some point so I am debating taking a class and getting it at a discount, getting it from another source (not illegal) and starting now before I get really used to it.

I, like Lacey, LOVE picasa2 for organizing my photos and even cropping or minor things on SNAPSHOTS that are just sentimental. I also use it to upload to my smugmug, scan my work for ones I want to fully process. Its a great program for those things but I wouldnt use it to edit an important photo.

KevinDks · Mar 25, 2008

ladywings said:
I have to agree with those who are saying Paint Shop Pro X2... I love it.

Interesting that a number of people are recommending this. Does it have Curves and Channel Mixer controls? When I had the 30 day trial of CS3 I thought those were the two most useful features, but I just couldn't justify the enormous cost. I have free plugins for Elements for both of them, but they are nowhere near as good as the real thing.

Edit: found a reference to Channel Mixer on the Corel website, but no details about how it works. Also thought of another question - I like the Adobe RAW converter you get with PS Elements; is there a Corel equivalent packaged with Paint Shop?

Kevin

TCimages · Mar 25, 2008

Yes it has a channel mixer and Curves tool. You can process RAW right in the application itself. I choose to use the software that came with my camera for RAW tho. Just my personal choice.

It has very much the same things as PS. Both have certain things they do better.

snaremop · Mar 25, 2008

Elements has all of what you need for photography, but CS3 is more for graphic design.

Phranquey · Mar 25, 2008

Another vote for PaintShop Pro X2...I love it.

But, mine cost me a little more than $99. I bought it, installed it, only to find I had the minimum amount of RAM....:er:. BACK to the store for two RAM chips...figured I may as well do it right. I went from 512Mb to 2Gb, and it runs smooth.

TCimages · Mar 25, 2008

snaremop said:
Elements has all of what you need for photography, but CS3 is more for graphic design.

I kind of diasagree with you here. It can do some graphics, but its not really a graphic design tool. Illustrator is for sure.

TamiyaGuy · Mar 26, 2008

Mike_E said:
If you are using Picasa, you will want to read this. :/

http://www.freepress.net/news/25906

Oh, my God. That is REALLY worrying. Seriously, I'm going to read the Windows Live Spaces service agreement right now...

Because I'm a cheapskate, I wholeheartedly vote for The Gimp (2.4). If you're basing the programs on a dollar-for-dollar basis, the Gimp kinda snatches it :wink:

. Once you've got used to it, it's stupidly easy to use, and I love it.

And, of course, if you DON'T like it (which is probably never going to happen :lol:

) you haven't lost anything at all!

Arch · Mar 26, 2008

TCimages said:
I kind of diasagree with you here. It can do some graphics, but its not really a graphic design tool. Illustrator is for sure.

Na, photoshop is a must for any graphic designer. With the latest versions of CS it is even more of a must since it is so easy to export files to the other programs. Photoshop has always been a serious graphic design tool.