Paintshop Pro vs. Photoshop... your thoughts?

[sandra]

What a great site this is!! I am so excited! As you can see, I have already taken advantage of the Freebies here. The users here are so talented and generous to share the fruits of their labor as well as their knowledge! On to my question...

I have been using Photoshop/ImageReady 7.0 to make sigs and handle my digital pics. I have been learning my way through it, although it is probably a little out of my league. I have done some animating with ImageReady. I know it can do so much more than I have learned with my Adobe programs!

Many of you use PSP, and I am inspired by the things I see here! I am wondering if I should make the switch from PS7 to PSP9. I don't know enough about PSP to decide. I hear about these tubes... what are they? How do tubes compare with Photoshop? How about AnimationShop? If I knew it was able to as much as PS7 (or more?) and was also a little more user-friendly as far as interface goes, I might switch.

So, whether you are a PS lover or a PSP user, how did you come to love/hate your prgram? What can you do with it that you can't with others? Is your program user-friendly? Can you animate easily? Any input would be appreciated!

[Stacey42]

I made my choice between PSP & Photoshop 3 years ago. I had borrowed PSP6 and PS5 (I think those were the versions) from people at work just to be able to do some basic photo editing & they were both very similar for that. But then I started making blinkies & other graphics & PSP7 (with animation shop) came out ahead for me. It was easier for me to do those things with it than Photoshop - just from a 'jumping in with no experience' standpoint.

I use Jasc AfterShot for my basic photo stuff & even resize things to upload in it rather than PSP but that is mostly out of habit. I upgraded to PSP9 a few months back & I love it. I had considered at that time switching to Photoshop because that is what a friend of mine used for digital scrapbooking & I wanted to do that. After looking around on the web I discovered a bunch of tutorials (and eventually this place) for PSP, so I chose to stick with what I already knew worked well for me.

I don't know what the learning curve would be to switch, but I can say that that was one of the factors in my choice to stay with PSP. I really did not feel up to tackling learning new software once I learned what I already had would do the job just as well.

[Starling]

If you have Photoshop 7 you already have all the program you need. You could upgrade to CS2, and it wouldn't be all that expensive to do it. You already have enough of a program that it could take you several years to learn how to do everything it does do.

PSP does some things Photoshop doesn't do. Photoshop does some things PSP doesn't do. Six of one, half dozen of the other.

[sandra]

Thanks Stacey and Starling (is it Agent Starling? ;) ) What's the deal with PSP tubes? People are nuts for them... what are they? What can they do? With what PS tool are they comparable?

[Emma]

I'd stick with PS if you have it. It does everything you need. PSP does some stuff PS can't do, but not worth $100 if you already have something that's awesome, right?

Tubes are like stickers. Little images you you use a brush to paint on. Mostly they're things that scatter around, like coins or other realted groups of images. In scrapping you'll get the same feature with the little PNG elements like you've downloaded. If there's a tube you just HAVE to have...well, there's just so much scrapping stuff I wouldn't even bother. The brush feature for me is silly because I like more control to place my stuff EXACTLY where I want it, not play with settings and see what comes out the end of the brush.

Most tubes are just photos anyway, extracted from their backgrounds. That is NOT a reason I would purchase PSP over PS. I think the main benefit of tubes is the ability to make strings of things like popcorn, fibers/yarns, and other great textures. But again, $100 worth? I almost never use tubes.

I do really like PSP for working with patterns, I think it's far superior to PS in that regard. However, I've learned enough about patterns in PS that I can get what I want, it's just easier in PSP for that function.

I also don't find PSP any easier to use than PS. They're both hard, LOL! PS has a lot more hidden options and such, just goes on and on, but getting started with them both is equally difficult. Some prefer one to the other, depending on how their "brain" works, but they seem fairly similar to me.

Stick with what you have. Use the tutorials. Lots of us use PS, you can definitely handle it.

[Stacey]

Hi Sandra! I am a PSP'er. I've been using it for years. I am so comfortable with it that I haven't had the desire to switch to PS, even though it seems to be the program of choice for most digital scrappers. Since you already have PS7, why not download a trial version of PSP 9 (http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=Corel3/Downloads/Trials) and then you can see for yourself which one might be more compatible for you. They are both excellent programs.

[GizmoBird]

PSP tubes are nothing more than images with transparent backgrounds that are added via a special tool. They are easy to resize, you do it before using the tool. And you can draw with them also, I made one with 4 different flowers and was able to draw a lei (sample here (http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/6978/lei0at.png)). Yes, they are popular and its a good way to pick up embellishments. I just tried changing the extension on one to a .gif and .png to see it you could use them that way -- it didn't work :( . If you really see a tube you want, a PSP user could save it for you as a .png. .png retains the transparent background.

[Emma]

I have this old link for converting .tub files, never used it so don't know if it works (I use PSP so if I really want a tube I just use it there or save it for Adobe myself)

Let us know if this is any good!
http://www.mediachance.com/pbrush/tips/tip2.html

[Pam]

I've used PSP since v.3 when I needed to create some simple web graphics. One thing I hear from others that Paint Shop Pro hasn't yet changed is brush size (PS allows for large brushes, whereas PSP allows only small ones) - but if I want a large effect on a page, I can create a mask and use that feature instead.

I disagree about tubes being just little images or stamps - because they can be used as a brush. There is a stitching tube from PSP that allows you to stitch in any direction - and if you use the grid and the snap to grid you can draw a straight line (or on a path - or by clicking in one area and then shift-click somewhere else to complete the stitch. This is also true for beads, chains, crochet, lace & ribbons - I can draw a ribbon where I want it from the tube.

But you already have a program that will do great things and help you to make great scrapbook pages (as well as elements to place on the pages). There are tutorials listed (check the top of the page) - as well as classes for various levels of learning.

[MaureenH]

A big advantage of Photoshop CS/Elements is that the majority of classes and tutorials are it. Our local technical college and university both offer Photoshop classes, but not PSP. It's also the program of choice for digital photographers. Just lots more support, knowledge & options out there for it.

[Lauren]

I started ( years ago) with psp ( I think it was at version 4 then)- I upgraded regularly ( in fact I have psp9 installed on my computer) but I was given Photoshop7 to use for my other job. I only used it about 3 times before I realised it had much vaster capabilities than psp . The layer styles palette in photoshop is something psp just doesnt have anything to replicate - also the bevel feature in psp is limited in its pixel size which is a pity, Brushes in psp are limited to 500 pixels (from memory) - and 2400px with ps .
While you can achieve just about anything in psp with the help of filters that you can in ps ( in ps you dont NEED the filters) my preference has to be with photoshop - expensive - sure- if you were deciding which of the two to buy it would be a different story - Id say choose the least expensive - but if you already have ps7 I say stick with it and learn its full capabilities - and believe me Ive been using it for 3 years now and Im not close to learning its full capabilities.

[sandra]

Thanks, everyone! All the input has helped me decide to stick with my Photoshop 7.0... advanced as it may be, it is still what I am familiar with. I won't outgrow it, that's for sure LOL! :)

[Emma]

that's good to hear

Newbies often fall into the trap of buying every software, downloading every freebie, buying every page kit, but never really SCRAP anything. Then they have all this stuff and say, "Tried that, didn't like it, spent too much money." Don't fall into that trap, use what you have!

Stick with what you have, make pages. Later on, onc eyou get to know PS better you can download the PSP trial and repeat the process of First Page tutorials, asking questions, etc and use the feature in PSP that you love as well as in PS.

[Pam]

I agree that scrapbooking - creating layouts of your special photos and being sure to add journaling so your children/grandchildren will know about the love, the traditions, and the family -- is so important.

For those still making the decision (who don't yet own a software program), my Broderbund Print Shop supports the PNG images in kits - and I can make beautiful layouts and calendars! So does Picture It! (Digital Image Pro). It's about what you can be comfortable with -- if you're inquisitive and want the challenge of creating elements, then PS or PSP or Corel (and others) are what you will eventually need. Mostly, have fun -- ask lots of questions, and add lots of journaling (I have so many photo albums full of people I don't know -- were they family or friends?).

[Starling]

For those still making the decision (who don't yet own a software program), my Broderbund Print Shop supports the PNG images in kits - and I can make beautiful layouts and calendars! So does Picture It! (Digital Image Pro). It's about what you can be comfortable with -- if you're inquisitive and want the challenge of creating elements, then PS or PSP or Corel (and others) are what you will eventually need. Mostly, have fun -- ask lots of questions, and add lots of journaling (I have so many photo albums full of people I don't know -- were they family or friends?).

Which is why most people should look at what they already have on their computers, and use what they have for the first few layouts. It might be all they need.

I'm going to second Emma and Pam. Get those first layouts made. Use what you have if you can to do that. You can't make informed decisions until you actually are informed.