Can you recommend programs similar to Adobe photoshop that aren't as expensive? I would like a program that will allow me to use different effects to edit images, layer/blend images and include text with special effects too. I'm not a computer whiz, I just know that I was able to do this with Adobe photoshop when I was in college using campus computers. Thanks.
2006-10-08 04:10:43 · 10 answers · asked by GIG45TXFL 3 in Computers & Internet ➔ Software
I would recommend one of the following programs, all costing under $100. Which you choose will depend on how you expect to use it. All four programs have free trials you can download and use for 30 days, so I would suggest doing so, to see which best suits your needs and personal style.
Adobe Photoshop Elements 4 at http://www.adobe.com
Corel Paint Shop Pro X and
Corel Painter Essentials 3 both at http://www.corel.com
PhotoImpact 11 at http://www.ulead.com/pi/runme.htm
Of the above, Paint Shop Pro will be most like Photoshop in potential and capability, but it may not be the one that most suits your own needs.
There are a number of free programs available, but none will be as capable as the above programs. However, they might do what you need to, depending on what that is. Linked below are seven of the free programs available.
http://picasa.google.com/index.html
http://fileforum.betanews.com/detail/PaintNET/1096481993/1
http://www.plasticbugs.com/index.php?p=241
http://www.freeserifsoftware.com/software/PhotoPlus/
http://www.photofiltre.com
http://park18.wakwak.com/~pixia/
http://www.snapfiles.com/reviews/Project_Dogwaffle/dogwaffle.html
2006-10-08 16:27:07 · answer #1 · answered by Pichi 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The two most common low-cost alternatives are Photoshop Elements (from Adobe) and Paint Shop Pro. They both cost under $100, and I think Paint Shop Pro has a 30-day free trial.
Photoshop Elements has about 90% of the features of Photoshop, the ones most people want, without some high-end features that only graphics design professionals tend to use. In some cases simplfied versions of features exist. I guess the main advantage of Elements is that once you learn it, you're a bit familiar with the general way Photoshop does things, so if you later decided to use Photoshop, you're not starting from scratch on the learning curve. Also since it's a "Photoshop Lite", most info you get from books about Photoshop also applies to Elements.
Paint Shop Pro is also an excellent program. I'd say it's got 95% of the functionality of Photoshop, but it's got an entirely different set of commands and tools which have no relation to Photoshop's conventions. I personally find it easier to learn & use- the only disadvantage is that if you work with companies/people that use Photoshop, you're stuck with a different native file format. Plenty of how-to books have been written for Paint Shop Pro as well as Photoshop.
Both programs allow you to do stuff like retouching to eliminate scars & blemishes, eliminate red-eye, play with contrast and color balance, apply special effects, cut & paste images, scale & resize, change backgrounds and convert between image types like jpeg, tiff, gif etc.
There's also a freeware program called GIMP which has a lot of fans, but I'm not sure exactly how it stacks up vs the main commercial products. Still, you can't beat the price so it may be worth a look.
Here's a brief overview of the differences between Photoshop Elements and it's $600 sibling:
2006-10-08 04:35:13 · answer #2 · answered by C-Man 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Ulead PhotoImpact
Microsoft Digital Image Suite
Paint Shop Pro
PhotoStudio
FotoFinish Studio
PhotoPlus
PhotoSuite
Photo Explosion Deluxe
Picture It!
Corel Photobook
PhotoImpression
ACDSee
Brilliant Photo
Picasa
2006-10-08 04:16:50 · answer #3 · answered by ...................... 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Gimp Shop
http://plasticbugs.com/index.php?p=241
It's a mod of the Gimp source code.
A photoshop clone.
It's free.
2006-10-08 05:19:24 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try The Gimp. It's free and an excellent alternative to Photoshop. I use both and can recommend The Gimp
2006-10-08 04:18:26 · answer #5 · answered by Roger B 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
adobe photoshop 9 is very similar to photoshop
2006-10-08 04:12:19 · answer #6 · answered by Mendi8a 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hello Dear
Photo Impact and Microsoft stater and Ilusatore
Good luck
2006-10-08 04:24:21 · answer #7 · answered by farzad789 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My personal favorite is Paint Shop Pro
2006-10-08 04:12:23 · answer #8 · answered by the_news_junky 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yeah, GIMP is free, not quite as good as PS of course, but does do a lot for an open source program
2016-03-18 06:31:46 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
why not get trial version of photoshop 9 from adobe site and then crack it? there is also PaintShop pro
2006-10-08 04:12:40 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋