Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 Walkthrough
Tuesday, August 5, 2008 by Island Dog | Discussion: Personal Computing
I have used Paint Shop Pro since about version 8, and I have upgraded to almost every other version update since then. I was always recommended PSP from many members of the skinning community, and even today I know many popular skinners who use this. Paint Shop Pro has come a long way since I first started using it, and even though it has moved more towards use with photography, I found it’s still a great graphics tool that is perfect for making skins and themes. Best of all, it’s a great alternative to other higher-end imaging software which costs much, much more.
The first thing I notice when opening Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 is it’s sporty a sleek new graphite theme, which can be disabled if you rather have the previous style. The graphite theme works well and gives a darker look to the whole application, which at least to me, makes working on graphics easier on the eyes. If you are new to Paint Shop Pro, or just need some help in some areas, there is a Learning Center docked to the left side which guides you through the process of several techniques like making photo collages, adding effects, adjusting images, etc. Of course you can configure the interface to your liking, but I found the default quite suitable for my needs. There is also an image browsing window where you can easier organize, find, and edit images stored on your computer.
All the tools you would ever need to either create graphics for skinning, or for adjusting photographs, are right here. I was happy to see one of my favorite tools, the picture tubes, are still there. There is such a wide variety of settings and tools available that I could write all day about, but take my word for it, it has what you need. On the photography side, there are several “one-step” fixes for various common corrections in photos. There is also a new Express Lab which can batch edit several files or folders at once with actions like crop, resize, etc.
Some other new features are the HDR Photo Merge which combines two or more images and corrects the contrast automatically. Also new is the addition of layer styles and watermark support, both of which should be welcomed to both beginner and seasoned professionals. The Black & White conversion tool has also been enhanced along with the Makeover tools which are essential for fixing any impurities in images.
While I was once concerned that Paint Shop Pro would only be useful to photographers, I have now realize that it’s only added to the graphics experience. Whether you are a photographer, graphic designer, or skinner, Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 has all the features necessary to bring your creativity to life.
Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 is now available from the Impulse Store for just $79.99.
 |
|
Page 1 of 2 | |
|
|---|
Reply #2 Wednesday, August 6, 2008 2:10 AM
Thanks for the heads up and preview/review, ID, it has been helpful and is appreciated.
Reply #3 Thursday, August 7, 2008 1:34 PM
There is one thing, however, I can't find the downloaded installation file and need help as I would like to be able to burn it to disc to save having to re-download the whole thing when I need to re-write Windows, etc. So yeah, if somebody could advise as to how I could make a hard copy it'd be appreciated.
Reply #4 Thursday, August 7, 2008 2:03 PM
your default Corel folder "C:\Program Files\Corel" at least that is what happened here.
The setup.exe file is inside of folder "Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 - Installation Files"
I just burnt all files within "Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 - Installation Files" to sisc then setup starts
automatically when disc inserted.
Corel have got bit edgy as of late about number of activations so may need phone support to activate if you ever format PC etc.
Reply #5 Thursday, August 7, 2008 4:50 PM
Reply #7 Thursday, August 7, 2008 11:03 PM
your default Corel folder
Thanks, Ausvet... found them in a folder named 'Impulse Setup inside the Corel folder. Not exactly where I would have expected to find them (it was late and I was tired) but it's all good and I'll make a hard copy shortly.
Me too... though I should probably dabble more in PhotoShop to get a better handle on it. Shoot, I haven't even mastered PSP yet... so much to learn and only so much time. Not to mention memory... more RAM, Scotty. I need more RAM!
***More RAM??? I'm giving it all you've got, cap'n***
Reply #8 Friday, August 8, 2008 10:12 AM
That's also OEM software which is supposed to be bundled with hardware.
Reply #9 Friday, August 8, 2008 1:47 PM
I've uninstalled, run a Ccleaner cleanup and reinstalled it, but that didn't help any... in fact the uninstall hung for 5 mins at the end, and the reinstall hung for about the same with just 1 second remaining.
Could be that I got a bad download or it's not happy with something on my system (Vista Ultimate SP1), but in either event I need to resolve this issue cos I suffer with chronic insomnia and can fall asleep faster.
I had thought about re-downloading a fresh copy, but first I think that I should gather as much info as I can and submit a 'ticket' to see if Stardock Support have any answers.
Reply #10 Saturday, August 9, 2008 4:55 AM
Anyhow, it runs fine on XP so I'll keep PSP X2 on there... and PSP IX on Vista. Would have preferred it the other way around, but it's no biggie and I can live with it just fine.
OK, so now it's play-time.
Reply #12 Saturday, August 9, 2008 10:50 AM
Like I said... at least on my machine. Yeah, I fiddled and fiddled with it - uninstalled and reinstalled it twice - pretty much did everything I could think of but to no avail. So in the end I lost patience and installed it on XP... like, I wasn't gonna spend 87 bucks and not be able to play with it.
Being the weekend n' all, I knew there wouldn't be any tech support or anything 'til Monday - late Monday for me - so I figured this would be the easiest solution for all concerned, if it worked... which it did/does.I really isn't a problem, though, I'm quite happy with it running in XP, which it does very nicely, I might add. PSP X2 does seems to be a little silkier/smother to run than XI, and the UI is fantastic, so yeah, I'm pretty pleased with my purchase.
Now all I gotta do is learn how to use it... well better/more efficiently anyways.
Reply #14 Saturday, August 9, 2008 10:47 PM
anyway, I digress - and I noticed that Auslogics Defrag was defragging literally thousands upon thousands of PSP X2 files, around 4 1/2 thousand of them. Yup, the 'files being done' counter was going around faster than chopper blades and I was worried it was gonna take off ...
..........................
"Ah!", I thought to myself: "no wonder it wasn't working very well... it's a bloody mess in there."... so on the off-chance that it'd work OK, I started it up and eureka, it worked and didn't hang nearly half as long. However, that wasn't the only reason it was taking an eternity to load...I happened to notice that the 'browse folder' toolbar was checked to "Browse More Folders", meaning that in effect it was searching my entire (3/4 terabyte) PC for image files and thus slowing itself down. Once that was unchecked and the 'My Picture' folder was selected instead, PSP X2 loaded properly and I was able to use it within seconds rather than minutes. Hooray! 
............................
I can't believe it was something so simple - and probably should have been obvious - but then I've always been one for over-analysis and going the long way around things.
.............................
Anyway, if I was happy yesterday, I'm even happier today... I can have PSP X2 running on my preferred OS and I can relegate PSP IX to XP. Reply #15 Saturday, August 9, 2008 10:57 PM
Reply #16 Sunday, August 10, 2008 4:07 AM
Oh I don't have that much of time to follow a learning curve... I have my management textbooks and projects, I am learning vbscript, and learning blender, terragen too...
I will try it later though after learning blender...
Actually I am not familiar to their interface. I would love to see a MS paint or Picasa like interface....If there is any such.....
Reply #17 Sunday, August 10, 2008 7:09 AM
I will try it later though after learning blender...
Yeah well, learning those will give you a bit of a head start when you get around to trying your hand a PSP later on.
The previous version PSP XI has more of a Paint/Picassa interface... however, this newer version is visually easier to use.
Reply #19 Sunday, August 10, 2008 8:13 AM
We also have a full copy of PSP 5.5 on one of those freebie discs that come with PC magazines, but it wouldn't get a look in these days... not with PSP XI and PSP X2 at our disposal.
Reply #20 Sunday, August 10, 2008 9:23 AM
Please login to comment and/or vote for this skin.
Welcome Guest! Please take the time to register with us.
There are many great features available to you once you register, including:
- Richer content, access to many features that are disabled for guests like commenting on the forums and downloading skins.
- Access to a great community, with a massive database of many, many areas of interest.
- Access to contests & subscription offers like exclusive emails.
- It's simple, and FREE!
|
|
Page 1 of 2 | |
|
|---|
Reply #1 Tuesday, August 5, 2008 1:22 PM
I still use PSP7 myself. It gets the job done for day-to-day stuff, and it's fast and light. I've checked the demos of a couple of more recent versions, but I haven't really been too impressed with the direction Corel took it after they bought Jasc out.