Corel Releases Paint Shop Pro Photo X2
Image © Corel
Express Lab
The all-new Express Lab mode enables users to view and edit dozens of photos in the time it used to take to edit just a few. When using Express Lab, users can rapidly crop, rotate, apply color adjustments and perform other common tasks on large numbers of images without having to open each image individually. Now even new users can edit photos with the speed and efficiency of a professional photographer. Express Lab includes full support for all file formats including camera raw.
Graphite Look and Feel
Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 features a new graphite workspace that puts the focus on the photo. The new interface also provides a neutral background for unbiased color adjustments.
HDR Photo Merge
With the NEW HDR Photo Merge, users can easily create photos that capture the full details found in the shadows and the highlights of a high-contrast scene. Users can combine two or more photos taken at different exposures and use the Clarify feature to automatically "dodge and burn" bringing out the contrast.
Makeover Tools
With the NEW Thinify™ tool, users can make anyone look thinner with just one click. The NEW Eye Drop tool takes the red out of bloodshot eyes. The popular Suntan brush and Blemish Fixer have also been enhanced so users of any skill level can quickly and easily touch up images like the pros.
Layer Styles
With the NEW Layer Styles, photographers and business users can add drop shadows, embossing, outer and inner glows, bevels and reflections to text, photos and creative projects.
Visible Watermarks
Users can easily create and add a personal watermark to their photos, whether they are a professional photographer sharing proofs with a client or an individual user who wants to share images online.
Auto-Preserve Originals
The NEW Auto-Preserve Originals option enables users to freely experiment with changes to their photos, confident that their original image is preserved.
Save for Office
With the NEW Save for Office option, photos are automatically resized and saved in the appropriate format for a given project. File sizes are also automatically compressed to make it easier for the business user to share images via email. Users who prefer to Copy and Paste can use the NEW Copy Special options for the same benefits.
Dynamic Language Switching
With Dynamic Language Switching, Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 makes it easy for users to work in their preferred language, a feature especially useful to Corel's growing number of multinational corporate site license customers.
Crop as New Image
For people who scan multiple images at once, the Crop as New Image option automatically opens scanned photos into separate documents, dramatically increasing the speed and efficiency with which users can crop and save their photos.
For a complete list of new and enhanced features in Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2, please visit www.corel.com/paintshopprophoto.
Also see:
• Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 for Windows Review
• Paint Shop Pro User Resources
Comments
I had heard rumors of this, guess it’s true. I got it in my inbox today. I don’t know if I’ll upgrade for $59.99 USD, but I may take it for a spin. Hopefully there won’t be issues as in the last release.
Agreed, that’s why I’m not rushing to upgrade to X2 from X2.
My first impressions are that this version (X2) should have been XI before XI was rushed for release. It runs smooth, the graphite interface is OK, but thinking a bit after using the program, I think XI although somewhat sorted out now, was a stop-gap for this version.
New users will enjoy it, veteran users may not find much new, but it’s worth a look.
Dave, we seem to be following each other. I’ve been playing with X2 for several days now.
No crashes, better organizer, opens as fast as XI even with the organizer set to open, new tools OK but not a reason to upgrade. The new HDR is basic it doesn’t seem to use tone mapping. The same effect can be accomplished in less than a minute in older versions of PSP. I don’t understand why they changed CTRL+L to CTRL+V and added a key to paste a layer. Express lab is a convient tool but well hidden it isn’t in any of the drop down menus. several other changes make no sense. All can be changed but why the change in the first place? Thinnify works okay but again easily accomplished with tools already available. Takes quite a bit of playing with the options in curves to get those tools to work properly the default settings are to strong.
My problem is that for the second version in a row they’ve done nothing for the advanced user and they continue to use those tiny before & after views instead of allowing the option to use the tools on the opened original not to mention no markers in curves.
It’s a good upgrade for the new user it will allow them to accomplish quite a bit but for the intermediate or advanced user there is little reason to upgrade to this version.
I am with the product team at Corel and ask that you do give the new version a try.
The HDR Photo Merge does use tone mapping — we use the term Clarify as it is similar to this feature that’s been in PSP for a while (but it’s local tone mapping just the same). We added Clarify to the Black and White Film feature as well, where it can also dramatically improve the appearance of an image. Our HDR is simple to use but the results are similar to what plug-ins require mastering complex interfaces to get.
Ctrl-V was changed to be like virtually all other software — it pastes into the current doc, not into a new doc. Our usability testing showed our old way to be very confusing to new users, even though all of us existing users had gotten used to it. I think you’ll find that you adjust quickly.
Also give the Layer Styles a try. Again, these are things you can do in past versions but it’s so much easier now (and updates automatically when the layer is edited).
In short, I think you’ll be pleased if you give it a try.
I’m a new X2 user. I’m an *old* graphics suite user. I can’t say if it’s vista or X2 but the darned file system doesn’t work properly (missing files) in my copy. I can’t access my primary drive and the photos there don’t show up until I load them individually from Vista (even after individually opening entire files, the files still don’t show up in the menu nor can you browse them)! What a *pain*!!! I’m hoping this is simply because they were on the drive before the program, but honestly, what an oversight… Only those photos you download through X2 being picked up even with “browsing” the file system???
The rest of the program works fine and I’m finally happy to have RAW support in my own chosen graphic system. Even without RAW I’ve been using my Corel products (unhappily about the lack). I’m very pleased to have the choice now! Yes, I know I was behind the times…