very extensive, but not always easy to use

Anticipation, otherwise I edit my photos with a special program HDR (HDR Projects Professional) and Corel Draw's PhotoPaint. For a few specific tasks I've always used a version of Paint Shop Pro (version X3). Therefore my program is not unknown, but solely from the habit out I made so far is not much so.

Installation on Windows 8.1 (64-bit) was then but first a little bumpy. Not only do you have to individually install multiple components in succession, rather than that there is a continuous flow. No, after an update should then be imported, which stubbornly refused to can be installed ...

Then the service was contacted by email, and it was unfortunately only 3 days to this feedback came, with a link for download and some "suggestions" what it could be. I've tried it, and eventually it worked well.

After that, the program welcomed me as recently many image editing programs, as I shall create any libraries / can. Frankly, the confused me more than it benefits me, because actually I would like to order only edit images ... Archiving I do prefer to "walk" with standard Windows tools.

The workspace is divided into 3 main window. After all, you can adjust the settings to edit the tab so that it appears first. A convenient "drag and drop" of image files, only works there.

In some program points the built-in help function is not always optimal. So it's somewhere> click "Add Photos"
Here and there, there in the menu buttons and instruction texts also quite gross misspellings, which should not really happened at a company like Corel. (Which is certainly not reduce the extent, but it leaves a bad impression)

I will now not go into all the program can and not what. There is simply too extensive and the beginners as transfer passengers must first thoroughly work here definitely. In terms of creativity, it is for the competitors in anything.

I was disappointed by the HDR processing. I'm going to set a few sample photos here. Of course, HDR images are anyway always in the respective tastes of the viewer, and can be modified on dozens of variations even in retrospect. I had the default settings at any rate usually somewhat "too much" and more reminiscent of fairground than to HDR photography. But you can not expect an all image editing software includes a special HDR tool along the way of course. Anyway, it's nice that at least this is given the opportunity.

What I love about the "normal" image processing like good, is that many settings, "saved" the program remain, so they do not always have to be reentered. Example, I want to shrink multiple images on screen size. Then I do it once and the next time the preset percentage is still in there. When big sister PhotoPaint, I have to enter this number every time ... In this sense I can work a bit faster with Paint Shop Pro. (For larger amounts you can of course also choose the batch).

Likewise me the appearance of the countertops says too much. The dark gray colors and images can come very good effect. The automatic scaling of images when editing work here in my opinion better than the photo editor Corel Draw, where I always have trouble with very large images, for example, to check the focus.

The function "Removing digital noise" do not like it here, however. It looks as if it is made easy only blurred, which can not be the purpose.

One feature that I really love in Paint Shop is that you can produce a photo "Around" a frame without the actual picture to zoom. Many other programs stain then namely the marginal zone of the image and thus goes some image content is lost. With "Image / RAND Add" Paint Shop enlarged namely the image to the percentages of the edge pixels and makes the image content unaffected. (May be that other programs that also can - at least they have it then well hidden.)

Conclusion: Paint Shop includes a wide range of qualitative and creative tools for virtually all jobs around the photo. Only it's not particularly intuitive - you should already a longer training period schedule (although this is not different with Photoshop and Photo Paint).