Preferences for Image Editing

[Furore]

Just a thread to discuss the programs you use for editing pictures and photos.

Personally I use Paint.NET with a ton of plugins for most things. It has red eye reduction and other simple tools for photos, but it really shines with what I spend most picture editing time on. Graphics for my own web-pages as well as sigs/avatars. It was responsible for the lovely sig below. As well as the past few.

I use PIXResizer for changing formats/size when in a hurry as it's wonderful when it comes to keeping the pictures looking similar. Not as much visible colour loss than some alternatives.

For animating gifs I tend to use UnFREEz mostly. Very basic, but it does the job. Everything I use is free (at the very least for non commercial use) and I tend to find most applications are easier to use than their commercial counterparts and can lead to some stunning results. The main thing for me is getting my hands on every Paint.NET plugin I can get my hands on.

And yourselves?

[Violet]

I use Photoshop CS3 for most of my drawings these days. I hate wasting paper and lead, and I also hate it when I erase something on paper, but it wont erase well enough. I use a tablet to draw on Photoshop, so I can draw regularly and erase without wasting anything.

[Omega Weapon]

I have been using Photoshop for more than four years now and I am currently using Photoshop CS3, It simply rocks! the best version of Photoshop so far. However, I prefer the older versions of Photoshop especially 7.0, I agree that the difference between CS3 and 7.0 is incredible but 7.0 paved the way.

Paint.NET, I don't really use it but it's a damn powerful image editing software, It's free, easy to use and does almost everything, you can hardly notice the difference between it and Photoshop 7.0, it's really help beginners to got more and more into image editing.

I use Photoshop CS3 for most of my drawings these days. I hate wasting paper and lead, and I also hate it when I erase something on paper, but it wont erase well enough. I use a tablet to draw on Photoshop, so I can draw regularly and erase without wasting anything.

I totally agree with you. Drawing tablets are great when using graphics programs like Photoshop. Drawing or painting with the mouse is a bit like drawing and tracing with a brick. I have a small Wacom tablet which meets my needs. You get more precise control and really feel like you're painting traditionally on paper or canvas. Tablets also give you the ability to make pressure sensitive marks- thick and thin which a mouse cannot.

EDIT: I forgot to mention that I use ACDSee as my default image viewer, I've been using it for more than six years now and it's by far the best image viewer I've ever used. As a Photoshopper, I am currently using version 8.0 in which PSD file format is supported. Plus it shows the PSD thumbnails, very useful really.

[Victoria]

I use Photoshop CS2. It gets the job done for me. I don't draw with a tablet or anything, though.

The main question I have to ask, is if CS3 is better than 2, or if I should just stick to CS2.

[Omega Weapon]

The main question I have to ask, is if CS3 is better than 2, or if I should just stick to CS2.

Although some of the new features in CS3 such as the new interface and palette layout can be seen immediately. It's still slightly better than CS2.

If you are happy with CS2 then stick with it, there won't be much in CS3 you can't live without. Plus, CS3 is so expensive but I bet you used an illegal way such as warez to download your copy of CS2 anyway, you are probably gonna do the same thing with CS3.

EDIT:

This PDF document may provide more information about the new features in CS3. You can also download a 30 day free trial copy of CS3 from download.com and find out for yourself.

[LocoColt04]

I've been using Photoshop/Illustrator for eight years now, and yet I don't have current copies of either installed on my laptop.

I use Paint.NET when I want to do some quick editing, fixing, or resizing. If I want to create something, I fire up The Gimp. It's basically open-source Photoshop, and because of that, it's free. It's not quite as comprehensive as some of the newer versions of Photoshop, but there are still a handful of little filters and such that it's got that I've never seen in an Adobe product.

For animation purposes, well, I haven't done anything animated in so long now. I think the program I used for it is still on my old laptop. I can't remember what it's called. Something free that I got off of Dawezy some years ago, I guess.



I could really go for some updated Photoshop and Illustrator. And hell, Pagemaker too. I spent years in publishing, and I can do a hell of a lot with it.