OT; Photo Editor

[The Medway Handyman]

Thinking of buying SWMBO a photo editing program thingy as an Xmas gift.

Any suggestions?

[Nightjar]

It would be more useful if you told us what she wants to do with it. Adobe Photoshop, which I use, will do just about everything, but if you don't need all its features it would probably be better to buy something cheaper.

Colin Bignell

[Jeff Gaines]

For browny points with no cost:

Adobe Photoshop Elements has most of the features of Photoshop (which is the professionals' standard): sell it but it's worth looking around.

There is quite a learning curve on this sort of program :-)

[Andy Burns]

[Jeff Gaines]

It's a DIY group, he can make one :-)

[Mike Clarke]

Or the Gimp which is free, with Windows version at . Then you can spend the money you've saved on an extra pressie for her.

[Dave Liquorice]

Xmas

Essential, is it just manipulation of photgraphs or is there any requirement for drawing or creating images from scratch?

I use Paint Shop Pro (an ancient v7 I think), does all I want with photogrpah/image manipulation. It's a Photoshop clone in many respects. When I got it, last centuary I should imagine, it was about US$35 and shareware. It's now US$99.99 and a commercial product from Corel.

The learning curve can be steep as well, you know the program can do what you want but working out how the many controls work and the effect they have and the order in which to do things is hard.

[HappyHunter]

Corel Paintshop Photo Pro X3. About £40 on Amazon (cheapest place to buy it).

Have used this since it was Jasc Paintshop pro v7 !

Very good software, much much much cheaper than the professional Adobe Photoshop. I think it's pretty easy to use, but them I've been using it for a long time.

There are good tutorials that come with the software, so you can learn how to use it.

I this current version, don't particularly like the Corel Viewer that comes with it. If you double click on a picture, it loads into Corel Viewer, then you'd click edit to load Paintshop Pro. Or you can just right click on the photo and Paintshop Pro.

Haven't used any others, so can't really comment.

[Lobster]

Only that IME 'techie' stuff doesn't cut the mustard as regards Xmas gifts for girls... sounds sexist maybe, but BTDTGTTS!!

[Huge]

What does she want to do with it? If it's just adjusting colour balance, straightening, cropping & red eye removal and a bit of minor editting, then Google Picassa can do all that, and it's free.

The Gimp is very powerful, but the learning curve is vertical.

[John]

I have a couple of programmes but for the last couple of years I have used Picasa as it is so easy and does most common tasks.

Find it on Google

[Adam Aglionby]

Or a virtual one;-)

or low cost software and new printer with selection of posh or unusual use papers , mebbe bit more girly friendly than techie present, currently have a few mugs in daily use done with laser print magic decal paper at beginning of year , no signs of wear or fade

[stuart noble]

I'd forget the whole idea. I've used PhotoImpact for years and have got my head round probably 25% of what it does. If she wants to enhance peoples' complexions or trim down their waistline, better enrol her on a course instead. For the simple stuff most people I know find Picasa very easy and intuitive. A graphics tablet is fun if she's arty

[Bob Eager]

GIMP is very good and will do what you want. Then you spend the money on a good book about it....

[Mike Clarke]

a few years and there's lots of features I haven't even got round to understanding yet. But the same would probably apply to most fully featured graphics programs for which you'd probably end up needing to buy a good book anyway to supplement the (usually) inadequate bundled documentation.

Having said that though the Gimp user manual is much better than many. Due to it's size it isn't included with the GIMP installers but is available as a separate download.

[Huge]

I've just ordered the book Bib recommended. It better be good. :o)

[The Natural Philosopher]

Gimp

Its free.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Corel photopaint is very similar.

So is the GIMP.

[John Rumm]

Much the same as the others really...

The ultimate can do anything, medium difficulty to learn, take years to master is Photoshop - but probaly way OTT for a bit of light retouching.

The cut down version Elements (much cheaper, simplified user interface etc) would be a better bet.

GIMP is a photoshop wannabe, so again not an entry level tool.

Picassa is free and probably does what you want.

Other options include things like Paint Shop Pro, fairly fast and easy for the basics, but more tricks up its sleeve if you want to get more creative.

After those there are a number of other also rans out there - again all able to do the basic stuff well enough, and chances are you would get one free with hardware of some sort like a printer, scanner, or graphics tablet.

If she has artistic leanings and/or wants to do lots of image retouching, then a tablet makes it all much more fun and "natural" feeling. However be prepared to get a decent one[1], and that basically means a Wacom. USB ideally, and they don't need to be huge to work well. A6 is useable, and A5 ample. The A4 and above only really start to matter if you want to digitise old drawings with a puck rather than a pen.

[1] Decent tablets have pen that does not have a wire hanging out of it, and they sense pressure, and tilt of the pen in two axis as well, so with the right software can mimic real drawing implements accurately, and for retouching, they allow you to control the intensity of the effect you are applying with ease.

[John Rumm]

Why does everyone always use that metaphor the wrong way round...?

A "vertical" learning curve would suggest that the rate of aquiring adequate knowledge is rapid and easy - moving from novice to guru in a very short time.

A "hard" or "difficult" learning curve is an almost flat one - probably with lots of plateaus along the way. Suggesting long periods of study and practice and years to mastery.