Which software to use?

Sophie Ploeg · 02-27-2003, 10:54 AM

Hi, after finally making the decision (thanks to all your help) to buy the Epson 2100/2200 printer, my next question (hopefully last - time to get back to painting!

) concerns software.

I don't know much about it all - and prefer not to have to get a computer degree for me to understand it.

I've got Micrografx Picture Publisher 10 (digital camera edition) which does not support CYMK jpeg images. Is this a problem with the Epson 2200? It also has very limited features - I could not even get a grid (to line up things) in my image.

Also got Ulead Photo Express which can do even less.

I want to be able to print cards, brochures and reproductions of my art work, preferably without too much trouble in color matching. Text and image should work together in an image.

Is Photoshop really the best of the best? It is so expensive and my choice for the Epson printer left me a little out of pocket. Do I need it? Are there alternatives?

Help!?

Thanks for any suggestions you can make.

Sophie.

Michele Rushworth · 02-27-2003, 11:05 AM

Sophie, I use Photoshop, but then again, I got it free from a friend who used to work at Adobe. I understand they sell some versions of Photoshop that are less feature-rich and that don't require you to be as cash-rich to acquire, either. Might be worth checking out.

I know others use Paint Shop Pro. I don't know much about the printing capabilities or price of it, though. Perhaps someone else who uses it could respond.

Sophie Ploeg · 02-27-2003, 11:10 AM

Thanks for your reply, Michele.

They do indeed publish Photoshop Elements which is more affordable. I was wondering if it is any good. Anybody out there with experience?
Cnet.com rates Paint Shop Pro higher than Elements but PSP does not support CYMK images either. What is that anyway?

If it supports it, does that mean it can 'write' to the printer more easily? No more color matching and testing?

That sounds too good to be true.

Thanks again,
Sophie

Mari DeRuntz · 02-27-2003, 11:15 AM

Here's a screen shot of Jasc Software's Paint Shop Pro, and a link to a thread on this site where Cynthia mentions she created this whole website using that program. At the time she started that thread, you could buy PSP through her link to Amazon.com for something like $45 with rebates.

Paint Shop Pro seems to offer all of the features I've ever used in Photoshop, at a substantially lower price. I think on the Jasc homepage, you can even download a trial version to explore its features yourself.

The other option open to you is that Photoshop is available in a teachers/students version (it is the full version, by the way) priced at around $180. And of course we're all students of art, aren't we?

Cynthia Daniel · 02-27-2003, 12:18 PM

At below $100, Paint Shop Pro is still an absolute bargain. I've used it since the beginning. I have Photoshop 7, and do use it once in a while, but most of what I need is in PSP.

I'm not sure about the CYMK subject. I just checked in PSP and I looked under File and there is a selection "CYMK Conversion Preferences." CYMK, if I understand correctly, is for the printing business. You can print to your inkjet printer with RGB, but you'll need to do tests and adjusments most likely.

Some of the little things that are nice about PSP:

1. You can hover your mouse over an image and the height and width appear in the status bar (Photoshop does not have that). I use this covenient feature all the time.

2. If you want to delete a layer in a multi-layer work space, with the Mover tool, click to select the layer you want deleted and hit the delete key on your keyboard. In Photoshop, it's a bit cumbersome by comparison.

I highly recommened PSP.

Michele Rushworth · 02-27-2003, 01:17 PM

Sophie, even with Photoshop's CMYK jpeg compatibility there's still a LOT of color adjusting and testing to be done in order to get a good print.

Sounds like Paint Shop Pro is the way to go.

Elizabeth Schott · 02-27-2003, 11:32 PM

Sophie, unless you are going to reproduce your art with offset lithography, Cynthia is correct C (cyan) Y (yellow) M (magenta) K (black) is a separation process for the printing industry. Most software provides different "modes" for editing images now so you wouldn't need it.

If your digital camera is taking your photos in CMYK jpegs, you might be able to change that. I didn't know they did that, I always thought digital cameras would support a screen mode of RGB. The newer, expensive cameras have two formats (not jpg - sorry, I can't remember the names), that are better for white balance, level and curve retouching.

It's an easy decision if you are going to have materials commercially printed - Photoshop is the best. If it is just for the web, computer or your personal print needs, Paint Shop Pro sounds like a great deal.

Sophie Ploeg · 02-28-2003, 05:24 AM

Phew, thank you all, for your great responses. PSP sounds good. I've had a try at it years ago and it seemed fine to me, but that was a long time ago.

Photoshop is really out of my league at the moment.

So, if I understand correctly, I don't really need a program that supports CYMK images? You all seem pretty happy with PSP and that one does not seem to support that (according to Cnet.com at least).

Does anybody understand why I could not print from Micrografx Picture publisher (what I have) to my old Epson 740? (It then says "you have selected a non-postscript printer along with a print style that specifies halftones and black generation settings".) My computer keeps on saying this, if I go to the RGB mode or the CYMK mode. Anybody up for this one?

Thanks all, for your help. I wouldn't know who else to ask. It is really appreciated!

Sophie

Steven Sweeney · 02-28-2003, 06:24 AM

Regarding your "old" Epson, don't kick yourself too much -- software and hardware is "old" the second you install it. (The business development folks aren't dumb. Their profit-sharing comes from the sales divisions. No sales, no profit.)

Go to www.epson.com and try to locate a downloadable (usually free) upgrade and/or driver for your current hardware. Epson is very, very good. You should find what you want there.

That will work most often, but changes are occurring so often and so quickly, depending on your computer platform (PC vs Mac, new vs old platforms), that sometimes you can't keep up without spending more money. It's very hard, but the money's usually well spent. No company ever goes back to the old way, so don't wait for it to happen -- especially in computers, where nobody ever even goes back to yesterday.

Jacqueline Dunster · 02-28-2003, 07:22 AM

I'm a big fan of Photoshop, but I used Paint Shop Pro back when I was mostly on my PC and I know it was fine. Now that I've switched to Mac, PSP is kinda out of the question.

I got a real good deal on an older version of Photoshop off of eBay. (It was legal and registerable and all that.) I registered it with Adobe, and then could upgrade it later. It was a fraction of the full retail version's price.

I am sure PSP is fine, but there is SO much support for Photoshop out there (in the way of books, videos, even a conference, for crying out loud!) I like that built-in feeling of community and support. Plus, I find myself learning new things about Photoshop's depth all the time. I am glad I have it. You never know when you might need one of its more "hidden" features!