Review: JASC Paint Shop Pro 7

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Review: Paint Shop Pro 7 Review

Author: Eugene Frank
Manufacturer: Jasc Software (http://www.jasc.com/)
System requirements: CPU: 300 Mhz Pentium or better; 128 MB RAM; Monitor Display: 32 bit and 1024 x 768 resolution
System used for review: CPU: 350 Mhz Pentium II; 128 MB RAM; Monitor/Display 16-bit and 1024 x 768 resolution

Note: The PROGRAM ran extremely well on my system and showed excellent color and color rendition. All parts of this program ran well and I was very pleased with the program. I use 16 bit color because my eyes cannot tell the difference between 16 and 32 bit and because some of my programs (internet) need 16 bit to operate properly.

Paint Shop Pro 7 is an excellent program that offers a well rounded, economical, application with superb features.

Installation and Operation:
Installation was a joy. Sometimes while installing programs I've run into all kinds of glitches. Some programs require multiple attempts while others require special configurations and involve various hang-ups. With Paint Shop Pro 7, I was able to install in a few minutes without a single question in my mind as to whether or not I was doing it correctly. I've used the program extensively in order to review it and in all that time, not a single hang-up occurred. There were no freezes, problems or error messages.

First Impressions:
I. I loved the Browser feature in this program. If one goes into a folder with a different assortment of graphics and extensions Paint Shop Pro will open most of them and show them as thumbnails. I counted 44 different graphics formats, not counting different file extensions for some formats. Probably all graphics programs can save to some format readable by Paint Shop Pro 7. This program can also save to these formats, which is a big convenience.

II. When I first get a new program, I ask myself the questions; "What are the strongest parts of this program? How will I use this program? Why this program instead of another? I will use this program mostly with digital photography whether acquired by digital camera or scanner. The enhance photo features in the program are among the best I've ever used, both in the automatic enhancer and in the manual adjustments. This program has the ability to adjust the monitor to match the colors in the program, an excellent application. The enhance features are intuitive and, for me, had no learning curve. One can fix lighting, redeye, saturation, cropping, balancing, or whatever else one wishes. This is not to mention the great number of sharpen, geometric, illumination, reflection and texture twists one can add to a photo.

III. Another great feature is the Print Multiple Images Command under "File". Open a number of images and then use this command. Your images will show up as thumbnails on the left side of the screen. Then, just drag the image onto a preview page. You can move them around and adjust size and what you see is what you get. I even like to use the above feature for printing single images because I can immediately tell exactly what the program will print.

IV. I was so pleased by the feature that allowed me to adjust monitor color balance that I immediately began looking for a feature that would automatically adjust the printer. This feature was missing and would make an excellent addition for a future version. My Printer has a color printer balance feature, but it doesn't work well. In order to get a good print, I have to manually reduce the red by 40% using Paint Shop Pro. This prints a great image but the image left on the screen is off color. Wouldn't it be great if Paint Shop Pro 7 could print a test page of 9 thumbnails of differing color balance. One would pick the best image and then print another 9 thumbnails and pick the best picture. Paint Shop Pro would then be perfectly balanced to the printer.

Program Overview:
Paint Shop Pro 7 is really a number or programs in one. It is a graphics viewer and can batch convert one graphics format to another. Let's say that you have a number of graphics in the format used by word but wish to use them in Word Perfect. You can simply batch convert the Word format to a Word Perfect format in a few minutes.

Paint Shop Pro 7 also enhances, balances, adjusts, and gives a myriad of special effects to work with any photograph. Of particular note is the excellent picture framing provided by this program. It is powerful and very easy to use.

Paint Shop Pro 7 is a full drawing program. And it even has Vector Drawing and Vector Text. Have you every tried to draw on the screen with your mouse. The results are usually jagged and unpleasant. Vector Graphics smoothes all the jags out and provide a pleasing drawing. With a little practice one can even learn to sign one's name. The text features provide many possibilities for striking text. One can easily place text on any graphic, even photographs.

Many of the features of this program are easy to use. Other advanced features require some learning and trial and error. There are nice features for preparing graphics for the internet including animation shop, and different choices for gif, png and jpeg manipulation and optimization aimed at the internet and web pages.

The books and help menus are complete and helpful. While Paint Shop Pro 7 may not prove to be the program of choice for a graphic artist who wishes to create original graphics and paintings, the draw features are a nice addition, and will more than meet the needs for the average user.

This is a program with a myriad of features and I have not covered all of them in this review. For me the strongest points were the superb graphics browser, the improving photographs features, and the superb print function when using the print multiple images feature. Paint Shop Pro 7 is an excellent computer application and continues Jasc Software's excellent reputation.

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Author: Eugene Frank Manufacturer: Jasc Software (http://www.jasc.com/) System requirements: CPU: 300 Mhz Pentium or better; 128 MB RAM; Monitor Display: 32 bit and 1024 x 768 resolution System used for review: CPU: 350 Mhz Pentium II; 128 MB RAM; Monitor/Display 16-bit and 1024 x 768 resolution

	Note: The PROGRAM ran extremely well on my system and showed excellent color and color rendition. All parts of this program ran well and I was very pleased with the program. I use 16 bit color because my eyes cannot tell the difference between 16 and 32 bit and because some of my programs (internet) need 16 bit to operate properly. Paint Shop Pro 7 is an excellent program that offers a well rounded, economical, application with superb features.
Installation and Operation: Installation was a joy. Sometimes while installing programs I've run into all kinds of glitches. Some programs require multiple attempts while others require special configurations and involve various hang-ups. With Paint Shop Pro 7, I was able to install in a few minutes without a single question in my mind as to whether or not I was doing it correctly. I've used the program extensively in order to review it and in all that time, not a single hang-up occurred. There were no freezes, problems or error messages. First Impressions: I. I loved the Browser feature in this program. If one goes into a folder with a different assortment of graphics and extensions Paint Shop Pro will open most of them and show them as thumbnails. I counted 44 different graphics formats, not counting different file extensions for some formats. Probably all graphics programs can save to some format readable by Paint Shop Pro 7. This program can also save to these formats, which is a big convenience. II. When I first get a new program, I ask myself the questions; "What are the strongest parts of this program? How will I use this program? Why this program instead of another? I will use this program mostly with digital photography whether acquired by digital camera or scanner. The enhance photo features in the program are among the best I've ever used, both in the automatic enhancer and in the manual adjustments. This program has the ability to adjust the monitor to match the colors in the program, an excellent application. The enhance features are intuitive and, for me, had no learning curve. One can fix lighting, redeye, saturation, cropping, balancing, or whatever else one wishes. This is not to mention the great number of sharpen, geometric, illumination, reflection and texture twists one can add to a photo. III. Another great feature is the Print Multiple Images Command under "File". Open a number of images and then use this command. Your images will show up as thumbnails on the left side of the screen. Then, just drag the image onto a preview page. You can move them around and adjust size and what you see is what you get. I even like to use the above feature for printing single images because I can immediately tell exactly what the program will print. IV. I was so pleased by the feature that allowed me to adjust monitor color balance that I immediately began looking for a feature that would automatically adjust the printer. This feature was missing and would make an excellent addition for a future version. My Printer has a color printer balance feature, but it doesn't work well. In order to get a good print, I have to manually reduce the red by 40% using Paint Shop Pro. This prints a great image but the image left on the screen is off color. Wouldn't it be great if Paint Shop Pro 7 could print a test page of 9 thumbnails of differing color balance. One would pick the best image and then print another 9 thumbnails and pick the best picture. Paint Shop Pro would then be perfectly balanced to the printer. Program Overview: Paint Shop Pro 7 is really a number or programs in one. It is a graphics viewer and can batch convert one graphics format to another. Let's say that you have a number of graphics in the format used by word but wish to use them in Word Perfect. You can simply batch convert the Word format to a Word Perfect format in a few minutes. Paint Shop Pro 7 also enhances, balances, adjusts, and gives a myriad of special effects to work with any photograph. Of particular note is the excellent picture framing provided by this program. It is powerful and very easy to use. Paint Shop Pro 7 is a full drawing program. And it even has Vector Drawing and Vector Text. Have you every tried to draw on the screen with your mouse. The results are usually jagged and unpleasant. Vector Graphics smoothes all the jags out and provide a pleasing drawing. With a little practice one can even learn to sign one's name. The text features provide many possibilities for striking text. One can easily place text on any graphic, even photographs. Many of the features of this program are easy to use. Other advanced features require some learning and trial and error. There are nice features for preparing graphics for the internet including animation shop, and different choices for gif, png and jpeg manipulation and optimization aimed at the internet and web pages. The books and help menus are complete and helpful. While Paint Shop Pro 7 may not prove to be the program of choice for a graphic artist who wishes to create original graphics and paintings, the draw features are a nice addition, and will more than meet the needs for the average user. This is a program with a myriad of features and I have not covered all of them in this review. For me the strongest points were the superb graphics browser, the improving photographs features, and the superb print function when using the print multiple images feature. Paint Shop Pro 7 is an excellent computer application and continues Jasc Software's excellent reputation.