Microsoft has finally officially released its free HD Photo plug-ins for Photoshop CS2 and CS3.

I wrote about HD Photo a while back when it was first announced and after my initial doubts - why on earth would we want a JPEG replacement? - I was won round by the flexibility of the specification...

If you were held back from buying a new camera because its RAW output wasn't supported in Lightroom or Photoshop CS3 then the latest free updates from Adobe might help.

14 new cameras are now supported namely the Canon EOS 40D; Fuji FinePix IS-1; Leaf Aptus 17, 54s and 75s; Olympus EVOLT E-510; Panasonic DMC-FZ18; Pentax K100D Super; Phase One P 20+, P 21+, P 25+, P 30+ and P 45+; and Sony A700.

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VERDICT: Improved interface and drawing capabilities, new photo matching and hand-drawn effects - and it’s still free.

Over the years @Last Software’s SketchUp managed to win itself a small fanbase, particularly among architects, for its valiant attempt to make 3D modelling as simple as 2D drawing...

Don’t be put off by the name (Project Dogwaffle), Tom Arah discovers some extraordinary painting power in the unlikeliest of places

After working in the digital design industry for almost 20 years and reviewing over 250 applications I like to think that I know the graphics software that is out there. Recently however...

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VERDICT: Modern photo management software that’s a pleasure to use and which offers some surprising power –especially considering that it’s free.

Since 2004, when Google bought up Picasa and began giving it away for free, the software has been developing quite a name for itself along with a growing userbase.

Tom Arah investigates Google’s acquisition of SketchUp and what it might mean for browser-based 3D.

I've long been a big fan of a little program created by @Last Software called SketchUp which is designed to make producing 3D models as easy as 2D drawing – “3D for everyone” as their mission statement puts it...

Tom Arah investigates the use of the web as a free online photo source.

It's a common question : how do you find images for your creative projects – for free. And at first sight the answer might seem obvious...