Corel PaintShop Photo Pro X3 Ultimate

What It Does

Corel PaintShop Photo Pro X3 Ultimate is photo-editing software which allows you to create photos, utilize photo effects, and create magnificent digital paintings. It's great for editing high definition D-SLR photos because it can handle the high resolution of the photo, and even take them to the next level in terms of clarity and the ability to alter them using special effects. If you ask them, they'd make a specific effort to point out all of the things they can do that a full version of Photoshop CS cannot. Here is a list of features available in Corel PaintShop Photo Pro X3 Ultimate that you can't get in Photoshop CS: background eraser, color changer, smart photo fix, teeth whitener, object remover, noise removal tool, perspective correction tool, purple fringe removal, black & white film effects, infrared film effects, straighten tool, depth of field simulation. That's a lot.

Don't be intimidated by the myriad of features and the seemingly complexity of it all. With the Learning Center you can learn how to use these features and how to use them efficiently. Tips & tricks are available if you consider yourself an expert but might want to learn secrets of the trade from the software developers themselves. Corel PaintShop Photo Pro X3 Ultimate is also easy to learn because of its uncluttered interface. There are tons of options available to you, but finding them is easy and using them is just as simple. You don't have to have used previous versions of this software in order to feel comfortable. Combining an easy interface and the Learning Center and you're going to be creating magnificent photos in no time.

If you want even more features than is available in Corel PaintShop Photo Pro X3 Ultimate, there is a bonus pack available that adds on features to the Ultimate edition. The bonus pack includes the KPT collection of plug-ins. This is a collection of 24 image effects that increase your ability to alter photos and create exquisite images. Another feature in the bonus pack is Digital Painting. Digital Painting allows you to turn photos into art with Painter Photo Essentials 4. You literally can change a photo into a picture which looks like paintstrokes. Lastly, the bonus pack provides a full printed User Manual so you can reference it and get the help you need while working with photos instead of having to open up the Learning Center.

There are many digital workflow tools which make working with photos more efficient and easier to do. An Enhanced Photo Organizer organizes your photos in a way so that they are easy to find and can be manipulated to sort them in a way that suits your needs. Multi-photo Editing is a feature that lets you apply image effects on multiple images simultaneously. This is great if you know you want all of a set of photos to be black & white, or if they all have the purple fringe problem. Instead of going through each one-by-one you can use the effect on them all at once. Sharing photos is also easy with Corel PaintShop Photo Pro X3 Ultimate. Share photos and videos via e-mail, Flickr, Facebook, YouTube and more. Print photos at home or online. You can also easily create photobooks, collages, and cards which can be both printed and shared online.

Corel PaintShop Photo Pro X3 Ultimate also provides for some advanced editing features. The new Smart Carver is a new seam carving tool which lets you splice multiple photos together, or cut something out of a photo and being able to pull it back together without leaving a trace. The new Vibrancy-Boost feature increases color in areas of a photo where it is less saturated.

And what about performance and feature improvements? Well, the RAW Lab can handle the latest RAW formats so you don't have to worry about your D-SLR photos not being compatible with the software. On-Image Text Editing lets you place text onto the photo and make it look professional, not like a low-end PowerPoint. Create HD Video slideshows of your photos so they can be played on an HDTV during parties or when trying to bore family and friends with pictures of your latest family vacation. Lastly, Corel PaintShop Photo Pro X3 Ultimate is Windows 7 compatible.

Cost

$79.99 retail. I've seen it for as low as $59.99

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Sources:

http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satellite/gb/en/Product/1184951547051#versionTabview=tab1&tabview=tab0

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832106193