Corel Paintshop Pro is an expansive image editing suite and graphic design software application with numerous editing, design and graphic tools such as palettes, brushes, gradients, picture tubes and textures.
Adobe Photoshop or Phase One Capture One Pro may provide more seamless synchronization and content compatibility; however, Pixlr Express provides great value for those seeking both photo editing and graphics design functionality in one suite.
Photo Editing
Corel PaintShop Pro is an all-in-one photo editing program with an array of tools and features for editing photos, creating videos, and adding graphics. Designed to meet the needs of both beginner and experienced photographers alike, its intuitive user interface features an extensive array of image-editing tools along with numerous helpful resources.
The software offers advanced image-editing features not typically found at this price point, including support for RAW images (which contain more information than compressed image formats such as JPEG), an image retouching brush, and HDR processing tools. In addition, users can add and edit text onto photos as well as create photo collages.
Corel PaintShop Pro 2023 brings several new features, such as the Frame tool for quickly placing photos or other raster objects into specific shapes – an invaluable feature in graphic design work. AI Portrait mode automatically isolates subjects from backgrounds; HDR photo merging enables seamless images containing multiple photos with differing exposures; and Bokeh effects can be created using HDR photo merging technology to produce stunning bokeh effects in images.
Users can make fine-tuned adjustments to an image using the curves adjustment tool, which displays a graph showing original and modified brightness values for every pixel in an image. Alternatively, this program offers an automatic contrast and brightness control that can change its overall tone.
Graphic Design
Corel Paintshop Pro is one of the premier graphic design software applications currently available for purchase, offering similar tools as those found in Adobe Photoshop but at an attractively lower cost.
The program provides great flexibility when working with vector, raster and art media images. Furthermore, its flexible layer management system allows you to easily create and manipulate masks. Furthermore, its Smart Selection Brush and Auto Selection features provide precision when selecting complex shapes.
Corel Draw software features an extensive library of brushes, color palettes, gradients, patterns and picture tubes accessible through its Materials panel. In addition, Corel provides several pre-designed templates as inspiration for users’ own creations.
Corel PaintShop Pro can also run on Windows-powered laptops and tablets, providing more responsive operation to help increase productivity.
Sea-to-Sky Workspace for drone and underwater photography; Painter Essentials 8 for digital painting; PhotoMirage Express for video creation; and After Shot Lab for RAW processing are among the software’s bundled extras. Unlike with some programs, however, these extras can be copied across X versions without requiring uninstallation if upgrading versions.
Web Design
Corel PaintShop Pro can improve images for web use by making them less blurry and decreasing file size, while also offering tools to create vector graphics. Used both professionally by graphic designers as well as creative users alike, this program supports various file formats with vector tools, layers and photo editing/painting tools – plus offers great tutorials/content plus plugin support!
PaintShop Pro’s latest version introduces an entirely revamped interface and design, intended to make it simpler for beginners. The program now features an improved welcome screen offering helpful links and tutorials as well as multiple workspaces designed specifically to meet users needs.
Essentials Workspace allows novice editors to perform basic edits, while Complete workspace offers all options available and also boasts an expanded template window with over 50 creative templates, from cards and collages to brochures and more.
Corel Paint Shop Pro is an outstanding image editing and graphics creation program suitable for both novices and experts alike. It boasts some surprisingly powerful features, such as RAW image processing thanks to integration with After Shot Lab as well as photo organization and editing tools that will enhance any photo collection.
Printing
PaintShop Pro gives photographers plenty of choices when it comes to photo printing. The software lets them print photos on various media types and create slideshows and books using customizable templates; PDF and JPEG file formats are supported. When saving files for personal printers, PaintShop Pro automatically flattens layers; for professional services you should consult them beforehand regarding maximum print sizes and color depth limitations.
This program comes equipped with color palettes, brushes, gradients, picture tubes and textures that you can access through its Materials panel for use in your projects. Furthermore, you can import custom colors and brush styles and work with images up to 100MB in size.
Corel PaintShop Pro boasts an array of image editing tools comparable to that provided by Adobe Photoshop, but is more tailored toward novice and casual users than its rival. It provides an easier, beginner-friendly workspace as well as built-in tutorials and learning content, thumbnail previews for recent files and document-aware scaling; enhanced usability features such as thumbnail previews for recently opened files, document aware scaling as well as advanced tools like Curves & Levels dialog boxes – in fact the software can even open and edit RAW files from most popular digital cameras!