In February we’ll launch our first creative theme – Image editing. Image editing software can help you adjust digital images in every conceivable way, from the simple resizing of a photo to touching-up and restoring a treasured photo.
We’ll have video explainers for these software apps:
- GIMP, a completely free image editor and suitable for beginners
- Corel PaintShop Pro, which can be bought for a one-off fee and is suitable for hobbyists
- Adobe PhotoShop, most commonly paid for by monthly subscription as part of a wider collection of programs called ‘Creative Suite’
GIMP
You can download GIMP for FREE right now for your PC or MAC: GIMP download
GIMP has been a ‘go to’ image editor for newbies for many years. As it’s completely free, you can download it now and start having a look around ready for next month!
Corel PaintShop Pro
You can download a free 30-day trial of Paintshop Pro. If you plan to join us for the introductory explainers next month, you may prefer to wait until then before installing the trial.
PaintShop Pro has been available since 1990 and can be purchased for a one-off fee of under $100 / £100. Watch for deals! It’s PC only and is not available for Macs. A new version is released every year though incremental differences mean you may choose to upgrade every two or three years.
Adobe PhotoShop
So good, it’s a verb! You can download a free 30 day trial of the full Adobe Creative Suite (which is refered to as ‘Creative Cloud’). If you’ll be joining us for the digital imaging introductory explainers next month, you may want to wait until then before installing it. Note we’ll also be delving into After Effects later this year, which is part of the same suite. If you’ve already used a free trial you may not be able to do the same again later this year.
PhotoShop is the ultimate image editing toolkit, offering all the tools you could dream of and many more besides. Recent updates continue the move towards AI-driven adjustments. This software is overkill for occasional users – If you’d like to get a feel for PhotoShop without commiting to a monthly subscription, have a look at Photoshop Elements which can be purchased for a one-off fee of under $100 / £100. We’ll be introducing very simple PhotoShop workflows suitable for beginners in February.
Other Options
There are many more image editors out there, all competing for your attention and offering a different mix of functionality and specialisms. Here are a couple worth checking out for their unique positions in the market:
LUMINAR NEO is a subscription-based, AI-driven ‘editor’. Results can be impressive, but make sure the types of images it works best for match your own use-case. For example, it’s great at sky replacement, but how often do you need to replace an empty sky with a vibrant one?
AFFINITY PHOTO offers similar functionality to Paintshop Pro, can be purchased for a single, low fee, and is part of a suite of creative programs, all of which are available for PC, Mac and iPad:
There you go! Get downloading and see you next month 🙂
