Photo Editing
Source: Tom's Guide | Keywords: photoshop, photoimpact, editing | Themes: Software
2. Photo Editing
PhotoImpact X3 contains a robust set of tools for photo editing, with both strengths and weaknesses when compared to Photoshop.
The PhotoImpact X3 Interface with photo editing tools shown
PhotoImpact supports most Photoshop plugins quite well; the only ones that I was repeatedly unable to get to work were the old Extensis plugins. All other major brands that I tested, including Alien Skin, AutoFX, Flaming Pear, Kai’s Power Tools, Panopticum, Knoll Light Factory, and Twisting Pixels, worked with no problems or only minor issues.
Many of the adjustment and effects filters in PhotoImpact have thumbnail previews available, which can be extremely useful when making typical corrections such as brightness/contrast or sharpness. Of course, you can also access slider controls directly, if you’d prefer not to use the thumbnails. In this area, PhotoImpact does the same things that Photoshop does, but PhotoImpact can often enable a more productive workflow.
Similarly, the Color Balance filter also offers thumbnail previews and full control; the Presets tab can be used for quick color adjustments. You can also combine the effect of multiple thumbnails; for example, you can click red twice and yellow once to get a reddish-orange effect. Finally, it’s also possible to switch to the Smart tab, which enables you to select a specific color from the photo and then replace it with a color from the photo, or from the Windows or Corel color pickers.
PhotoImpact also includes a unique set of effects called Lens Filters. These filters digitally reproduce the effect that can be obtained by attaching special glass lenses to your camera. In addition to saving money, there are other distinct advantages to using filters instead of lenses: filters enable fine tuning effects, trying different ones, and let you keep an original copy of the photo with no effect applied.
Diffraction lenses apply a particularly eye catching effect by using carefully etched scratches on the lens’s surface; a similar effect can be achieved with the PhotoImpact Diffraction Lens Filter. The images below show the filter interface, which offers 13 customizable parameters. The result of applying the Diffraction Lens Filter on a photo is also shown below.
Another PhotoImpact filter based on glass etched lenses is the Star Lens Filter. This filter seeks out bright spots in an image, and adds a star shaped reflection, highlighting the brightness. The PhotoImpact Star Lens Filter has a total of 10 options, including the number of spikes that surround each star. When working with hardware lenses, changing the number of spikes would require purchasing another lens or filter. An example of a photo after using the Star Lens Filter is seen below.
Ulead used to be in the habit of recompiling its more popular filters and repackaging them as Photoshop plugins. Corel went on to buy all of these plugins when it purchased Ulead/InterVideo… and then promptly discontinued selling the plugins that it just purchased. Corel would certainly be wise to recompile and repackage PhotoImpact’s Lens Filters as Photoshop plugins, but wise marketing moves hardly seem to fit in with Corel’s current business strategy (perhaps a story for another article).
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- Next page Special Effects
I'm not that familiar with PhotoImpact, so this was useful to know information. However, it totally ingnores the fact that Corel has it's own "Photoshop", by the name of Paint Shop Pro. PhotoImpact seems much more of a special effects toy, where Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro are more industrial strength tools.
Unfortunately, it's impossible to mention everything everyone would like to see mentioned, since there's a limited amount of space available for any article.
I always read comments and usually don't respond, since I feel this forum is for the readers. However, there is some clarification that I feel is needed here:
PhotoImpact has roughly the same editing features as many consumer photo editing tools, *plus* the special effects, so I don't feel that "special effects toy" is accurate.
In my opinion, "Corel's Photoshop" is Corel Photo-Paint (which is part of the CorelDraw Graphics Suite). Photo-Paint has a full CMYK editing mode, and the other color and print features that you'd expect in a high-end tool.
I'm not sure that I'd call Paint Shop Pro "Industrial Strength". Paint Shop Pro's features are roughly equivalent to PhotoImpact's, without the special effects. Also, like all consumer editing programs that I've tested, it has no CMYK editing mode (just split/combine, same as PhotoImpact), and it's priced as a consumer editing tool ($79.99 for full version, $49.99 for upgrade version).
TCeleste,
Unfortunately Corel does not agree with your summation.
If you go to their web site, and select photo programs, they list Paint Shop Pro as their up market product and Photo Impact as their mid-level/entry level one.
http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satel [...] 1657927030
After reading your review, I am puzzled by your mentioning only "Photo Shop" not "Paint Shop Pro Photo". It seems to me that the natural and required information would include differentiating it between not only the segment leader costing 10x's as much but must also include the sibling costing 10% more.
Over all this review presented nothing to help me select between these two competitors. Those considering photo shop do not care about either of these budget tools. While those looking for a budget alternative most certainly care about both of these.
Over all, this omission and the focus on the non-competitive product makes this review a complete waste of space.
Thumbs down for lack of focus on the actual market segment interested in this product.
Photo Impact? Never heard of it before, but this is a newbie/amateur application, and you compare it to Photoshop?
Paint Shop Pro X2 replaced literally everything I used to do in Photoshop CS2, and it's filters run faster and simple effects are easier to do.
Unfortunately, after blowing money on a worthless purchase of Paintshop Pro X - I'll never buy another product from Corel - ever. I've never seen a more bloated piece of buggy, non-functional software.
What about The GIMP? www.gimp.org
How do you feel it stacks up for photo-image manipulation / image editing?
Excellent review! I love this software. The only two major problems are CMYK as stated, and the inability to import brushes.
PhotoImpact is not a "newbie/amateur application" as suggested by an earlier poster. I have used PI for 8 years from version 4 up to X3 and in many many ways it is easier to use than PSP or Photoshop, by a long shot. It's a great program.
Holla .
I invite u guys to have an look here :
http://www.zooppa.com/users/ranicallas
These are only a few things that i do in PI X3 .
You will find i these images - reflection and many other things.
Please have a look and maybe than you could probably tell that PIX3 is not a good program !!!!!.
PIX3 - 75 $ - PhotoShop 500 and more.
And i think that in photoshop the most nice part are plugins -
Instead of photoshop products i will use - the gimp or PIX3 ,instead of Illustrator i will use Inkscape. instead of acrobat reader i will use foxit ! instead of acrobat reader professional i will use the OpenOffice.
sry for my bad en.