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The days of an application being just slightly changed and then released are past. With buyers demanding more, and not impressed with simple incremental upgrades, the new Paint Shop Pro 8 is a dramatic revision of an application that has been a long time favorite for many. Something of a Photoshop Junior, Paint Shop Pro now has a more polished look to reflect its new identity as a more serious application.
When Paint Shop Pro made its debut, it was as a shareware program devoted mainly to file conversions. Since then it has evolved into a solid value packed bitmap editor, and now with some heftier vector tools. Costing considerably less than its high powered competition, Adobe Photoshop, Jasc has carved out an effective niche as a mid level digital image manipulation tool for the masses. It is in this role that Jasc excels.
However, Jasc is not the only player in this ball park. Ulead’s equally power driven application, PhotoImpact 8, also in the version number 8, has raised the stakes considerably by adding more features and more power. Not to be outdone, Paint Shop has lifted the stakes even higher by making help menus and how to menus much more accessible. The theme for version 8 is make it easy, make is accessible and make it look good.
The major "facelift" that Jasc has given the new Paint Shop Pro has to do with icons that are richer and more aesthetically pleasing, as well as greater options in the layout of the program and dockable palettes. Think of the palettes as being a bit "Corel" like. Looking less like a shareware application, Jasc now has the feel and look of a polished program with some interesting refinements. The interface, particularly the menu bar that alters with the tool being used, seems reminiscent of Adobe Photoshop. While Adobe remains the dominant player in the major leagues of graphic design, Jasc is clearly aiming for higher ground by adding features and making those incorporated easier for newcomers. Obvious the conspicuous placement of the "learning center" as a dockable palette makes that clear.
For those fond of the older models of Paint Shop Pro, version 8 is a radical revision. In the past other upgrades were much less pronounced. With this new incarnation, so much has been altered, it will take a while for those familiar with Paint Shop Pro to become familiar with this very radical, but much needed overhaul. Thankfully, there are help menus, instruction guides, and the retail boxed version ships with a nice thick manual for those times when you need hard copy. I am a real believer in manuals, and I am happy to see that Jasc has not left out this essential tool. I have a feeling that those new to the program, and those new to version 8, may refer to the book from time to time.
The major differences that will require some adjustments for experienced users of the past versions will be the dockable palettes, the new feature sets and the obvious placement of a script to record actions to enable easier batch file conversion, a long time speciality with Paint Shop Pro. For those new with modest needs, these features may not be quickly accessed, but it does make sense to include them in an application moving from specific functions to a more full featured one. For those that like having brushes and lots of options, Jasc has added some muscle to its painting engine. If you liked Jasc’s traditionally rich effects, you will not be disappointed with the effects, improved preview options and slew of other additions and refinements.
The only downside is that this once small application has grown. It is to be expected that a full featured program will have some "weight." This translates into 200 MB of room for the program itself on your hard drive. Include a few plug-ins, and that 200 MB could be just a basic space allotment. While issues of size are becoming non-existent with the new larger hard drives, for those older users of Jasc Paint Shop wanting to make the jump to version 8, you may want to consider a larger hard drive and a more powerful processor. Jasc has kept up with the times in version 8, so just expect a larger more demanding program. I do strongly recommend a Pentium 4, at least 256 MB of RAM and a 20 to 40 GB hard drive to make this all run smoothly. Also, if you have not migrated to XP, for issues of stability and to get the most out of this program, in fact all new programs for the PC, do seriously considering augmenting your purchase by obtaining a copy of Windows XP.
For those coming to this program from other programs, do take some time becoming familiar with the way Paint Shop does things. Some of the conventions of programs like Adobe Photoshop do not always translate. Point for point, Paint Shop Pro does much of what the bigger programs can do, but it does so using different methods and vastly different looking tools in some cases. While the concepts may be similar, there are some marked differences in the way both programs work and are utilized.
For end users that are new to photo editing, the PC and want a lot more than a simple picture editor, but wish to stay within reasonable price points, Jasc offers a solid option with the new Paint Shop Pro 8. Looking a great deal like the excellent Photo Album 4 in some respects, which in my mind is the best digital organizer on the planet, these two Jasc programs do indeed compliment each other. For editing on the fly, newbies and those that appreciate value and quality, you really cannot go wrong with the new improved Jasc Paint Shop Pro 8. For those that are considering upgrading, this is the one to go out and get. Point for point, there are just too many solid reasons not to upgrade.
For Windows 95 users, sadly, this version will not work. As is the case with many new applications, compatibility with older Windows systems is on the decline. Also, there is no Mac version of the application. Looking past these areas, Jasc has created one excellent value packed application.
For those intimidated by the PC, or graphics programs in general, Paint Shop Pro 8 is the better choice for those who are new to digital editing and need a helping hand. The nice thing about Paint Shop Pro 8 is that it can grow with your new abilities.
Talk to Kurt in Graphics Unleashed Forums
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