Products & Services Software Roundup

The Competitors and My Methods A Snapshot of Photo I’ve taken a look at a handful of the competitors in the affordable (less Editing Options than $150) image editing category and held them to the standard of By J.V. Bolkan Photoshop CS ($649): • Elements 2.0 ($99) • Ulead’s PhotoImpact XL ($89.95) • Jasc’s Paint Shop Pro 8 ($87) • ArcSoft PhotoImpression 5 ($49.99) I was unable to obtain a copy of Mi- crosoft’s Pro 9 ($99.95) in time to include it, but hope to do a review in an upcoming issue. The fi rst thing you’ll notice when shopping for imaging software is the bewildering array of versions, many with very similar names, and even multiple packages from the same vendor. For instance, Jasc offers its Paint Shop Pro 8 for about $90 and Paint Shop Power Suite—Photo Edi- tion for nearly $130. The suite offers a number of imaging utilities, such as lenty of pro- door for a whole host of much more an image database, project templates, fessionals will tell you that versatile, friendly, and affordable and photo e-mail. Typically, these PAdobe’s Photoshop CS is the competitors. In some ways, Photo- add-ons are also available separately, best photo editing application money shop is the 18-wheel tractor trailer of so you’re likely to see three boxes can buy. Professional digital photo- digital . That will get you on the shelves: the image editor, the graphers love its raw power, industrial plenty of attention, especially if the editor bundled with utili-ties, and reliability, and high-end feature set. goal is having trained professionals do the utility kit. Making it more con- Years ago, when Adobe and Aldus some heavy hauling. However, if you fusing, the names are often less than became a single company, Photo- just want to get around town, have forthcoming. We looked at the pro- shop not only became the de facto some fun, or teach a child to drive, grams here in regard to their editing standard, for certain professions it you’d be better off with one of the capabilities. became the only option. Even today, low-cost sedans, sports cars, or SUVs I weighted my evaluations strongly with the enormous popularity of of the photo editing world. toward ease of use and features that digital , few competitors even Of course, Adobe hasn’t ignored are practical for the classroom. My bother making competitive claims the popular market. The company test photos include an image from a against Photoshop. However, despite has a consumer-oriented software, two-megapixel digital and a its overwhelming market dominance, Photoshop Elements. But even the large (25 MB) scanned image from a Photoshop probably isn’t the wisest familiar name combined with signifi - traditional photo. I looked to correct choice for your classrooms. cant amounts of its sibling’s core code common image fl aws such as poor ex- Somewhat ironically, Photoshop’s hasn’t prevented a host of worthy posure, red-eye, and scratches. I also near total control of the high-end competitors, some of which I review created composites by pasting image photo editing market has opened the here. elements into my test images.

54 Learning & Leading with Technology Volume 31 Number 8 Copyright © 2004, ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education), 1.800.336.5191 (U.S. & Canada) or 1.541.302.3777 (Int’l), [email protected], www.iste.org. All rights reserved. Software Roundup

called Recipes, are pretty nifty, but the program doesn’t include enough of them. Fortunately, you can down- load more, but a program of this sort should come with every bit of help possible. For just about any photo-editing task short of commercial printing preparation, Elements 2.0 is more than up to the task. The drag-and- drop fi lters and effects in particular are fantastic and have incredible control options. The sheer volume of options and dense interface make this a better choice for older students. For only a fraction of Photoshop’s price, high-school and advanced middle- school students can explore their cre- ativity almost endlessly.

Arcsoft PhotoImpression Adobe’s Photoshop Elements has plenty of power and features, but also has one of the steeper learning curves. Arcsoft’s PhotoImpression has easily the most welcoming and nonthreat- Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0 but really provides little more than a ening interface. Younger students are Adobe’s biggest challenge seems to be distraction when you move the cur- likely to feel comfortable with the avoiding making a better Photoshop sor over the incredible array of tools minimalist menu and large icons and than Photoshop at a much more at- in the tool menu. Adobe’s tutorials, buttons. Although PhotoImpression tractive price. Essentially, Elements is much of what the name implies, many of the key elements from the company’s fl agship application with a bevy of automated and wizard-based features mixed in. If you’ve spent any time in Photo- shop, Elements will seem very famil- iar—you may even think it is an up- grade to the workhorse. Virtually all the tools and menus from the expen- sive program are there, along with all the automated and semi-automated additions. Naturally, a few high-end pieces of Photoshop are missing, but the omissions are few. This makes Elements the most daunting editor in the group, especially to fi rst-time image editors. Power and control are the strengths of the program. A large default Hints ArcSoft’s PhotoImpression offers extreme ease-of-use and effective wizard-based corrections, window eats plenty of interface space, but doesn’t offer the power of the others.

May 2004 Learning & Leading with Technology 55 Copyright © 2004, ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education), 1.800.336.5191 (U.S. & Canada) or 1.541.302.3777 (Int’l), [email protected], www.iste.org. All rights reserved. Software Roundup In short, PhotoImpression might be a good choice for elementary class- rooms, but is a bit too limited and unconventional to be a strong choice for use with older students.

Jasc Paint Shop Pro At one time, Paint Shop Pro was arguably the closest competitor to Photoshop. The current incarnation hasn’t lost the power or the depth of a full-blown commercial-level prod- uct. Not surprisingly, the program is nearly as daunting at fi rst glance as Adobe’s Elements—the feature set is extremely deep. Although Paint Shop Pro has industrial-level menus with relatively arcane capabilities such as the ability to convert into CYMK for commer- cial printing, it smooths the learning Jasc’s Paint Shop Pro is the most powerful editor in this roundup, yet manages to maintain a good level of usability and some great wizard-based tools, such as the red-eye removal example curve with some excellent automated shown above. features. It did the best of all the programs at attempting to perform was the weakest in offering automatic photo can be lightened, but you can’t a “one click” fi x of our seriously fi xes, basic editing commands and adjust midtones, lighten shadows, or underexposed image. wizard-based corrections are very easy boost highlights. Likewise, you can Paint Shop Pro also features a won- to fi nd and perform. With manual adjust and saturation, but you derful implementation of the multiple tweaking, results were very good. can’t adjust individual color levels. undo—unlike PhotoImpact and Although students may get started quickly, two drawbacks to the approach are evident. First, Arcsoft’s unconventional interface offers little transferable experience. In other words, once students out- grow this imaging application, the transition to another isn’t made much smoother. Outgrowing the program is quite likely, as the second drawback to a streamlined interface is a lack of control. For instance, the program makes it very easy to rotate an image 90 degrees, fl ip it, or mir- ror it, but it doesn’t offer incremental rotation. Compositing is almost im- possible with this lack of rotational control, and the layers functionality is rudimentary. Despite the lack of fi ne control, the program does very well at correct- ing and color problems, in a broad way. An overall underexposed PhotoImpact XL editing features offer a nice balance between complexity and ease of use.

56 Learning & Leading with Technology Volume 31 Number 8 Copyright © 2004, ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education), 1.800.336.5191 (U.S. & Canada) or 1.541.302.3777 (Int’l), [email protected], www.iste.org. All rights reserved. Software Roundup a bit heavy-handed, but quick and Selected Feature Comparison of Image Editing Software simple. More nuanced corrections Product Adobe ArcSoft Jasc’s Paint Shop Ulead’s are available in the Post-processing Photoshop PhotoImpression 5 Pro 8 PhotoImpact XL Elements 2.0 wizard, with only a modest increase in complexity. PhotoImpact has a Suggested $99 $49.99 $87 $89.95 number of options for fi xing damaged Retail Price images, offers full support for layers, Suite Available/ Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No Yes/Yes and like both Elements and Paint Suite Included Shop Pro, includes multiple undo Compatibility Mac/Win Mac/Win Win Win capability. Once users become accus- Ease of Use Good Excellent Good Very Good tomed to the wizards, the menus offer extreme control. This multi-tiered Feature Set Excellent Fair Excellent Very Good approach makes PhotoImpact a solid Control Very Good Poor Very Good Good choice for a wide range of students, serving as scaffolding that will lead Advanced Very Good Poor Excellent Good Features them into better understanding of digital imaging concepts. Auto Photo Yes/Fair Yes/Poor Yes/Fair Yes/Fair PhotoImpact XL offers the deepest Enhance Feature/Quality array of image creation tools. These tools take up space in the menus and Red-Eye Good Fair Very Good Good add somewhat to the complexity of Removal the program without delivering much Special Effects Very Good Fair Very Good Excellent value to image editing. However, they Effect Preview Excellent Good Excellent Excellent are undeniably fun and help spur cre- ative exploring. PhotoImpact’s menu Help System/ Good Poor Good Very Good Tutorials and tool conventions are standard enough that switching to another Grade Level 9–12 3–5 9–12 6–12 program shouldn’t be diffi cult. For middle school students, this may be Elements, it can undo a command fi x the cat’s eyes quickly without the ideal choice. from the middle of a series. For in- making it look like a monster. stance, if you’ve made seven changes Paint Shop Pro is a very power- Conclusion and decide that the fourth change was ful program that could easily handle The affordable image editing software a mistake, Paint Shop Pro allows you even school yearbook chores. Younger category is very competitive and full to undo just that action. The others students can easily get lost in the deep of incredible values. The products we require you to discard all the actions menus and even advanced students looked at deliver nearly the power of that follow the mistake. may fi nd some options too complex, Photoshop in packages that are much Correcting the red-eye problems in but overall it strikes a good balance easier and convenient to use at a frac- our large scanned image was a mixed between power and usability. tion of the cost. If you’ve been wait- bag. Zeroing in on the subject’s eyes ing until you can afford Photoshop in the cramped work and preview Ulead PhotoImpact XL CS to bring into panes was diffi cult and far from in- PhotoImpact may be the best of your classroom, you’re probably wait- tuitive using the clunky navigation this group at balancing power with ing for no reason. controls. However, once correctly ease of use, with the edge going to- oriented on the problem area, Paint ward friendliness. Although it lacks J.V.J.V. Bolkan is senior editor for Shop Pro’s red-eye fi xes were the best the incredible depth of Elements L&L. He has written hundreds of the bunch, easily. Unlike the other and Paint Shop Pro, it is still a very of articlesarticles and rreviewseviews for programs, it actually attempts, with capable editor. numerousnumerous computer and mul- great success, to replicate a human eye Automated and wizard-based tools timedia publications and has been an editor for GPS World, rather than simply replacing the red are plentiful, powerful, and easy. Cor- PC GraphicsGraphics & Video,Video, and with black or another color. There is rections in some of the wizards, the NT Studio.Studio. HeHe has primaryprimary rresponsibilityesponsibility for even an animal eye option that let me ExpressFix wizard, for example, are the L&L Web area.

May 2004 Learning & Leading with Technology 57 Copyright © 2004, ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education), 1.800.336.5191 (U.S. & Canada) or 1.541.302.3777 (Int’l), [email protected], www.iste.org. All rights reserved.