![]() ![]() Anyone needing or craving the full Photoshop can move up, but Corel's and Serif's one-size-fits-all suites have to do too much for too many. ![]() Elements leads the pack thanks to truly unique features (especially its revolutionary Photo Recomposition) and because it knows and delivers to the full spectrum of its target audience of consumer-level enthusiasts. Serif's software more active interaction, which is probably better for learning the exact techniques the experts use, can still be a bit overwhelming at first. Elements' Guided edit mode removes still more barriers to entry by using plain English descriptions and minimal controls to help even the most apprehensive amateur perform complex enough editing maneuvers to feel like a pro. PhotoPlus X3's QuickFix Studio bears a strong resemblance to Elements' Quick Edit mode, but Adobe presents fewer choices that are easier to understand at first glance, and don't require the heavy navigation of Serif's otherwise useful How To pane. Those modes help Adobe better tailor Photoshop Elements to multiple kinds of users with a minimum of clutter Serif still seems a bit rocky in this area. But Adobe works everything in together and unites it all with a cohesive design that always feels right whether you're in the Full, Quick, or Guided edit modes. Serif surpasses Corel in this regard-the Ultimate version of the Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 suite requires installing several external programs. ![]() Its tendency to open "studios" for certain tasks (such as the Raw Photo Studio, Instant Artist for making photos look like paintings, and PanoramaPlus for combining several photos into one sweeping landscape) can make navigating slightly clumsy and you have to install the (very limited) image organizing and sharing app, AlbumPlus SE Pro, separately. Most users probably won't need to these things, but they're components that can make the software more attractive for advanced photographers and editors.Įven with these new features, PhotoPlus X3 Digital Studio lacks some polish in its design. Chief among them: High Dynamic Range merging, for combining multiple poorly exposed shots into one with perfect lighting (this works about as well as the corresponding new feature in Photoshop Elements) the Raw Photo Studio, for processing and editing images straight from digital cameras and support for 48-bit-color. (You can collapse the pane if you don't need the help.) In most other ways, the workspace's layout closely matches Adobe's and Corel's, and is little altered from Serif's previous edition, PhotoPlus X2 there are only some relatively minor cosmetic changes.Īlthough PhotoPlus X3 boasts support for Microsoft HD Photo files, new filters and QuickShapes, and more realistic reflection effects, major updates from PhotoPlus X2 are few. This helpful trend continues in the editing workspace, which looks very much like Photoshop's (minus its darkly elegant color scheme) and has an automatically open "How To" pane providing even more assistance and a low-confusion entrée to tasks like makeover effects and grayscale conversion. There's still more help in a 224-page PDF user's guide and theoretically online videos, too, although only one, a basic overview, exists as of this writing. It's impossible to get lost, and if you need very specific help, there are 38 tutorials that open in Acrobat Reader and cover everything from opening images to working with vector masks. If Elements simplifies things even further, with just Organize and Edit buttons, PhotoPlus X3 gives you a better immediate idea of what it can do. The startup screen is divided into three categories (Create, Open, and View) that offer between them nine likely initial options, ranging from starting a new image to perusing tutorials. PhotoPlus X3 Digital Studio welcomes in the inexperienced with open arms from the very beginning. Better-versed users may be frustrated by app's lack of cohesion, but this software is a good, friendly choice for neophytes who may not be aware of everything photo-editing software lets them do. This no-frills app brings you a lot of the functionality that Adobe does with Photoshop Elements 8 (which costs $99.99, or $79.99 with a mail-in rebate) and Corel does with its $79.99 Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 Ultimate, but adds a lot more up-front assistance. If you're the easily overwhelmed type who'd rather snap, save, and share photos than fret too much about editing them, Serif PhotoPlus X3 Digital Studio ($79.99 direct) may be for you. Best Hosted Endpoint Protection and Security Software. ![]()
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