Corel Paint Shop Photo Pro X3
Rating:
out of 5.
Based on features, easy-of-use
and value for the money.
Pros: Affordable,
powerful editing tools, new HD video capability, expanded RAW lab. The non-distracting graphite gray workspace
lets your photos pop out. HDR photo merge is fun,
selective color replacement, fast editing with Express
Lab, non-distracting graphite workspace. Easy to use.
Microsoft® Windows® 7, Windows Vista® or Windows® XP with latest service packs installed (32-bit or 64-bit editions)
1.5 GHz processor (2 GHz or higher recommended)
1 GB of RAM (2 GB or higher recommended)
3 GB of free hard drive space
Minimum display resolution: 1024 x 768 (24-bit color)
Windows-compatible DVD-ROM drive for installation
Internet connection required for online features
Corel Paint Shop Photo
Pro X3 was released in January 2010. Once again PSP gives Photoshop Elements a run for the money. In fact, it even has a number of features you won't find in Photoshop, at a fraction of the price and learning curve. I've always found Paint Shop Photo Pro to be easy to use with an extremely comprehensive feature set with excellent "how-to" information. Among the new features and options in this release is HD capability, which will be appreciated by SLR camera users who can shoot in HD video.The new X3 remains an exciting, easy-to-use photo editor and
manager with near-Photoshop quality tools at under $100.
New Feature Highlights:
RAW Lab – Users can manually adjust groups of RAW photos (exposure, white balance, etc.) during the loading process. More than 350 RAW formats are supported.
HD photo and video – import and export HD video. Users can create HD slideshows and movies quickly, using the same tool.
Enhanced Express Lab – Quickly scroll through images and fix common flaws such as contrast, levels, white balance, etc., apply effects and delete images you don't want.
New Editing Tools – Smart Carver will remove objects from an image and change the aspect ratio of the photo without distorting it. Vibrancy adjusts the saturation in selected areas of an image without affected the rest of the image. Object Extractor isolates an object so it can be copied to a new background or so you can replace the current background.
Built-In Projects – New project creator feature for designing and sharing photo and video projects such as photo books, HD slideshows, cards, calendars, and more. Photos and projects can be emailed, printed online or at home, and sent directly to Facebook, YouTube and Flickr
Batch Photo Adjustments – Make changes to one photo then copy those changes to a group of photos at the same time.
Enhanced, Integrated Organizer – Embedded into the program are tools for importing, managing, and locating your images. You can view scaleable thumbnails of your
stored images and video clips or search based on filename,
date, file type and size, folder location, keyword tags and
ratings. The Quick Review slide show lets you view images
or video clips in full screen mode, make basic adjustments
or add text. The Organizer also displays
advanced information, such as exchangeable image file format (EXIF).
Other Features
Graphite Gray workspace
The non-distracting graphite gray workspace
lets your photos pop out.
Express Lab
In addition to the helpful graphite interface, the Express
Lab greatly speeds up common editing tasks. You can quickly
make edits without waiting to open each file individually.
It works sort of like a slide show. You select a series of
images to edit and the first one appears. You make your edits
such as crop and rotate, blemish removal, hit the forward
arrow and the next one instantly appears.
HDR Photo Merge
HDR Photo Merge is a unique tool that lets you combine two
or several bracketed images into one image. For example, if
you take two photos of the same subject and one is overexposed
and the other underexposed, HDR Photo Merge will take the
shadows from one image and the highlights from another and
automatically combine them into the best possible exposure.
Auto-Preserve Originals
We've all goofed up and accidentally edited and saved an
image without making a copy of the original, and then realize
we don't like the edited image. With Auto-Preserve Originals
your original image will automatically be preserved when you
save an edited image. The only glitch is that if you open
the edited image and use the Restore Original command, you
lose your edited version.
Makeover Tools
New/improved makeover tools include an eyedropper for making
the whites of eyes whiter and a Thinify tool to make subjects
appear a few pounds lighter. They are fun but basic tools
without a lot of adjustment options. There are also blemish
removal, suntan, teeth whitener and red-eye removal tools.
These are all included in the Express Lab.
Layer Styles
The new Layer Styles feature lets you apply effects like
drop shadows, embossing and glows.
Other Features
Paint Shop Photo Pro X3 is one of the few programs outside
of Photoshop that is capable of importing or exporting CMYK
images, which is what is used in four-color printing for publication.
The Depth of Field tool softens the background focus
so you can emphasize an object or person in the foreground.
The Color Changer tool is a super tool for recoloring
objects in an image with only one click. For instance, you
can quickly change the color of a shirt from green to blue
and preserve all the nuance of highlights, shadows and texture.
The Skin Smoother softens wrinkles for a more youthful
appearance, however it is slow.
Time Machine,
under the Effects menu converts
your photos into representations of what they would look like
if they were taken in another age. The Time Machine starts
in the early days of photography with the Daguerreotype, used
in the 1840's, then Albumen (mid-1950's to 1890), Cyanotype,
Platinum (1873 to 1920), Early Color, Box Cameras and then
Cross Process (1960 and on).
Should You Buy It?
Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X3 is a great option for
beginning to advanced photo enthusiasts looking for a strong
editing program at a competitive price. The Learning Center
is great for novices. If you are looking for a combination of easy-to-use photo and video editing, organizing and sharing features, check out the new Corel Digital Studio 2010.
out of 5. 
from Amazon
