photoshop

Ummm, I like PhotoShop, and my job makes me use it every day.

Re: photoshop

Sure. It's great, if somewhat over-rated...there are alternatives with better value.

I love it - what other programmes would you suggest Monger? (for a painter and photographer)

Depends on what you do & the size of your wallet. I use Photoshop exclusively, but then I've never had to pay for it.

Corel Painter is a great option which is far more affordable and very high in standard as well. Keep in mind though that Painter is at its core a paint-application. (Of course you can still use it as photo-editing software, just like Photoshop, though.) It all depends on what you are working with. If you are heavily into photo editing the best choice is Photoshop. If you are into artistic creative work, Painter is superior. Naturally, some people like to have both on hand for different purposes.

Jasc Paint Shop Pro is a good option for photo editing and such and is nearly 1/9th the price of Photoshop.

Then there's the Gimp, which is a free, open-source option.

thanks all... why don't you give us some lessons or show us some of your own designes with the photoshop or any other programmes .... that would be nice .... i guess and thank you all again

Monger, its hard to find tutorials/effects/brushes and stuff for non-photoshop softwares >_<

Actually, a number of graphics programs including Corel Painter (and to a lesser extent The Gimp) support many Photoshop plug-ins. However, yes, since Photoshop is used by more people it's easier to get free tutorials and help on forums etc. for it.

thanks monger - I'll look into the Gimp. Wallet is limited! I've used Corel a little but never really got into it deeply to appreciate what it can do.

I've used Fractal Painter a little but never had the time to study it enough - it isn't user friendly like Photoshop and will need a lot of studying.

hail, how i use Photoshop? well i use multiple layers almost all the time, filters only very sparingly as they are extremely gimmicky if not used carefully, clone tool, adjustment tools, eraser .... if you go into my profile you will see my website address and a lot of my digital work is on there. if it isn't there any more you can pm me and I'll send it to you if you are interested.

I learnt to use ruby mask for selecting but have to remind myself how each time as i only use it occasionally.

Thanks Vivien , i am really interested in desigening ....

The key to using filters well often comes down to really knowing how to use, modify & combine them to create an effect or idea you already have in your head.

I also use Photoshop just about every day.

Me too. If you are going into web work, I don't really know how it stacks up against other programs, but for print, Photoshop can't be beat, and is the industry standard.

It's an industry standard for Web graphics just the same. Photoshop 7 & CS (8) in particular are full of features designed for Web developers. v7 & 8 also bundle Adobe ImageReady for free, which offers even more Web production capabilities including, among numerous other things, Flash file export & animated GIF creation.

[quote="MongerThe key to using filters well often comes down to really knowing how to use, modify & combine them to create an effect or idea you already have in your head.[/quote]


very true - although sometimes i just play about and see what unexpected things happen as well. Yes i do combine/modify effects. I'm self taught though so no expert

Photoshop all the way...

Actually, I wouldn't call it an industry standard for web graphics. Macromedia's Fireworks MX is a competitor that beats PS when it comes to most things web-related.

You're right. But really, you should be comparing ImageReady to Fireworks.

And seeing as a fair amount of web stuff is done with vector graphics, there are more options to consider as well.

In the end the best tool is the one that you feel most comfortable with and allows you to perform the work you need to do.

That's true Monger but sticking to industry standards sure does make your work easier for everyone else, like printers, to work with. Alot of printers were complaining a while back that print designers are using applications like Illustrator and Photoshop instead of Quark, for example, to build documents and not only is that clumsy and time consuming for the designer, it also causes problems on press. And God forbid that a client has a copy change and requests the printer to handle it.
Something to be said for 'industry standards.'

I, too, use photoshop on a daily basis...and would love to see the photoshop user-base grow here.