These tools offer bitmap-based image editing, photo enhancement, and painting capabilities. When choosing a photo editor for professional or business use, you need flexibility, stability, and an intuitive interface which provides a streamlined workflow. Automation capabilities are a big plus as well. Here are my picks for Windows image editors that best fit these requirements.
As the industry-standard, Photoshop skills are a necessity if you want to be employable in the graphic design field. As the most expensive choice in this category and with a learning curve to match, it's not for everyone, but the investment does pay off in increased productivity and the ultimate in flexibility.
Paint Shop Pro has frequently been lauded as the affordable Photoshop alternative, but in the past I didn't feel it measured up. Since version 8, however, Paint Shop Pro has become more mature and refined. The workspace has been streamlined and updated; there are new tools and effects, productivity enhancements, and personalization options. For those looking for flexibility and ease of use at a price within reach, Paint Shop Pro Photo makes an excellent choice.
As its name implies, Painter is more of an artistic tool than a photo editor. It certainly has the most sophisticated and diverse selection of natural media painting tools than any other product in this category. But it's also well equipped with photo-enhancement functions, Web graphics capabilities, automation features, and a selection of nontraditional tools. Painter is an essential digital artist's tool.
I have not personally used Serif PhotoPlus, but it is frequently recommended by readers as a good, less-expensive alternative to Photoshop. Looking over the product features, it does seem to be very competitive with Photoshop and costs less than $100.
Available as part of the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite, PHOTO-PAINT has everything you need for professional-level photo editing, with a wide array of artistic tools also. It's a bit weak in Web graphics capabilities, but when you consider what you're getting with all the products in the suite, it's a super value for anyone looking for an all-in-one-box graphics solution.
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