Web Elements
Source: Tom's Guide | Keywords: photoshop, photoimpact, editing | Themes: Software
5. Web Elements
No discussion of PhotoImpact would be complete without mentioning its Web specific features, which can be extremely useful even for those that do very little Web related work. PhotoImpact contains the most advanced and customizable Web background designer that I’ve ever used. Schemas are used to select a generalized type of background (such as brick, concrete, or sand). Sample images are then generated, and you can make changes based on background type, color, and four additional controls. In the end, regardless of how complicated your background is, it will tile seamlessly when used on a Web page. The image below shows PhotoImpact’s Background Designer on the left, with its Color Ramp Editor on the right.
PhotoImpact also makes button designing easy with two tools: Button Designer (Rectangular) and Button Designer (Any Shape). The Any Shape version of the tool is also a superior general purpose lighting / embossing filter.
And if there’s anything else you need for Web work, the Component Designer has you covered. It creates banners, bullets, icons, separators, and even rollover buttons, complete with JavaScript code that can be pasted into your HTML page using Dreamweaver or any text editor.
For one of the most important tasks when combining photo editing and Web work, saving your images to a Web format, PhotoImpact includes the Web Image Optimizer.
The Optimizer isn’t just similar to Photoshop’s, it’s superior, because it enables complete control over the JPG subsampling process. When you see JPG artifacts occur in a color gradient (such as a blue sky), or along sharp edges (such as text on a photo) JPG subsampling is usually to blame. Photoshop allows absolutely no control over subsampling; it’s just turned off at some unknown quality level, and Adobe won’t even disclose what quality level that is (they consider it a trade secret). PhotoImpact puts subsampling in the hands of the user, where it belongs.
Along with its special effects plugins and GIF Animator, Ulead created Smart Saver, a Photoshop plugin that enables this kind of fine control from within Photoshop. But just like the special effects plugins and GIF Animator, Corel pulled Smart Saver from its product lineup at the end of June.
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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.