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The GIMP/PhotoFiltre/Paint.net/etc., thoughts...

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johnpulliam:
I've used both Photoshop and the GIMP a few times in the past, and I found them both pretty difficult to use, especially PS.  the GIMP at least is free and compact, and later versions get easier and easier to use.  Of course, any software is like that, you have to get up the learning curve to get to a point where it's useful. 

But, for what it's worth, the GIMP is an excellent program.  Thumbs Up. :Thmbsup:

mitzevo:
yeah that's right, GIMP is an excellent graphics program, it just takes a while to get used to it and learn how to use it, there are a few plugins/addons that make the UI look and act a bit like PS (as mentioned some where) - If you plan on giving the GIMP a shot (for the nth time ;)) maybe you can try one of them.  :Thmbsup:

Hirudin:
My latest, brief, encounter with The GIMP was overall OK (I refuse to believe the zoom was suppose-to act the way it did, and the rest of the problems I chalk-up to bugs). I look forward to the next version (or the first version that is Vista x64 compatible)!

None of the other softwares that I've tried receintly seemed like they would be able to compete with a working GIMP, especially when you consider the price!

OK, Photoshop probably could, but I find that it's equally difficult and unintuitive (and has an only slightly less-ridiculous UI). But the $650 spent on PS could buy you a pretty darn decent dedicated Linux computer. Or, a 24" LCD 1920x1080 monitor!

KenR:
After trying PSP XI a little; I didn't notice any severe problems and am pretty impressed. I even created a cool CD image (which I'm pretty proud of) that I'm using for a couple icons in Directory Opus.
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I think PSP is one of the most intuitive paint programs out there (I haven't tried them all though, but I'm attempting to). But I must say that I was missing some of the features I managed to discover in The GIMP during it's 1 day on my computer. The most notable would be selection constraints in The GIMP. By holding Shift, Ctrl, and/or Alt you can force the selection tool to be constrained to different shapes/have different origin points. So, if you're using the 'Circle' selection tool, you can hold one key to make the cursor the center of the circle, by holding another you can force the selection to be a perfect circle, and by holding both you can do both. VERY handy IMO!
-Hirudin (June 16, 2007, 11:42 AM)
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Hirudin,
Sorry to be sooo late in responding to your post. Your CD images is fantastic. My compliments. I thought that your use of the base image was clever and the various layers showed an impressive understanding of masking.

Second, I agree that PSP has the most intuitive interface. I had not tried any of the programs people had recently been discussing except Xara. So, I downloaded a copy of all of them and tried each (that's one of the reasons it took me so long to respond). I found the UI of PSP far more refined and intuitive than the others, including Photoshop (at least v7 which I purchased).

Ken

mikiem:
Every one of my favorite graphics programs has wound up getting bought out over the years... Probably a lesson for me in there somewhere  :'(  -- maybe why I've given up not ever buying from companies I dislike. I've got & use P/Shop 7, and will eventually get around to upgrading to CS3, but only to preserve my ability to upgrade and pay the far lesser price... 7's the oldest version that qualifies I think, & probably won't for CS4.

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