Adobe Photoshop / Extended CS4 review

RECOMMENDED

VERDICT An excellent release that reworks Photoshop’s core colour correction capabilities making them even more productive and powerful.

Adobe Photoshop is universally recognized as the most powerful photo-editor available, but Adobe isn’t resting on its laurels. With Photoshop CS4, Adobe is determined to make the best even better.

VERDICT: Plenty of core new power for the digital camera user – but Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 is still playing catch-up.

Over its long history Paint Shop Pro has built up a great deal of bitmap editing power, but it has also come to seem dated and increasingly out of tune with the times...

RECOMMENDED

VERDICT: A new interface, smart albums, guided editing and photo merging but comparatively little to boost core efficiency.

Organizing and enhancing thousands of digital photographs is a time-consuming task and the digital camera owner needs dedicated help to make the process as productive and enjoyable as possible...

RECOMMENDED

VERDICT: Non destructive image processing and creative filters lead the feature list in a comprehensive upgrade to the market leader.

Photoshop entirely dominates the world of professional photo-editing which makes it the must-have tool for designers and gives it a central role as the flagship for Adobe’s new CS3 releases...

With no real competition Adobe could have taken its foot off the pedal, but this latest version again pushes forwards on all fronts.

RECOMMENDED

VERDICT: Photoshop moves beyond photo editing to conquer completely new territory.

My first reaction to the news that a new enhanced version of Photoshop was being introduced was deeply cynical...

Tom Arah looks at some recently released creative add-ons from Alien Skin and Twisting Pixels that could help make your work stand out

With all creative professionals using Adobe Photoshop it’s difficult to make your work stand out. The solution is to extend your creative arsenal by choosing from the wide selection of Photoshop plug-ins.

RECOMMENDED

VERDICT: Best-of-breed photo management, editing and sharing with great usability and value – what more do you want?

VERDICT: Paint Shop Pro Photo XI is moving in the right direction but it’s not easy teaching an old dog new tricks.

Paint Shop Pro (PSP) is a long-established and popular software brand, but over the years it has come to seem dated – an old-style bitmap editor rather than an up-to-date PC Photography package.

It’s a perception that new owner, Corel, is determined to address as shown by the recent release’s change of name to Paint Shop Pro Photo (PSPP).

VERDICT: Some reasonable hands-on editing power but image management and sharing are seriously disappointing.

Serif PhotoPlus is not well-known, but it’s now in its eleventh release so it must be doing something right.

VERDICT: A wide range of power, but too old-fashioned and confusing for most users.

Ulead (since taken over by Corel) PhotoImpact was the first major bitmap editor to recognise the need to focus on digital camera owners.