![]() You can check out all of Serif's offerings - a font manager, a DVD creator, a panorama-stitching app and more - at the company's website. ![]() ![]() Still, might be something nice to get for mom or dad so they can start experimenting with website building. I didn't get to play around with it, but flipping through the user manual didn't do much to cool my inner, burning fear of WYSIWYG applications. They also sent us WebPlus, a WYSIWYG editor for building websites. PhotoPlus takes care of all your image creation and photo editing needs. Serif actually makes several products for the Windows desktop. If you're shooting images for use the web, you'll be glad to know that the image compression utility does a good job of exporting web-ready files in jpeg, gif and png formats. Serif also claims to support all Photoshop plug-ins, though I didn't have any on-hand to test.Ĭamera RAW files are supported, which is great news for those in the Flickr set who like to get more out of their point-and-shoot cameras. There's also a feature called the Makeover Studio which mimics Photoshop's healing brush and exposure correction tools. More powerful feautures like sharpening, gradient creation and color correction proved more useful. It's axiomatic: The more features you add to a product, the more difficult it is to master.The included effects are somewhat run-of-the-mill, but at least the basics are covered: blur, sepia, halftone, the watercolor effect and the like. Serif PhotoPlus X2 attempts to be the exception to that rule, and by and large it succeeds. The software doesn't try to reinvent the wheel. It mimics (but doesn't surpass) most of the advanced features of Adobe Photoshop CS3, so anyone who has tried that program-or any of its imitators-will feel at home in PhotoPlus. Nor does the product try to create a revolutionary new interface, which can end up setting users adrift, the way competitor GIMP does. Moreover, because beginners get a considerable amount of handholding, those looking to correct photographic imperfections or let loose artistic impulses won't feel inadequate trying to learn the ropes. ![]() In this version (whose odd numbering convention, I assume, is meant to match that of $99.99 rival Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 from Corel), Serif has expanded and enhanced what it calls its "How To" pane. This window, on the left-hand side of the interface, offers step-by-step help with a variety of tasks, some common and some more advanced. A Makeover Studio, for example, teaches you how to remove a blemish. And then it shows you the tool and even gives you the option of having the program carry out particular steps, such as setting a duplicate layer so that you don't have to edit the original file. The how-tos also avoid obscure nomenclature, using the phrase "smoothing skin," for instance, rather than "dodging tool." That's quite helpful for those new to photography.īy walking users through these steps, the how-tos attempt to help users build skills they can apply to other editing tasks. I found the system extremely effective without being condescending or tedious. In general, Serif's suite offers more help than the guide mode in Adobe Photoshop Elements 7 beta does at the moment, for example. Other walk-throughs in PhotoPlus include Fixing Photos (which shows how to perform jobs like resizing or sharpening photos), Being Creative (for things like removing people from backgrounds), and Back to Basics (a how-to that covers key editing concepts).- Next: Quick Fixes with QuickFix StudioĪlternately, for basic tweaks, you can jump to the built-in QuickFix Studio.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |