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Alternatives to Printshop?

Alternatives to Printshop?

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My wife uses Printshop, its now up to V21, its an ok prog for graphics but just that, ok. I don't know of many projects she did that came out exactly like she wanted. It shifts word positions around, doesn't print the colors she assigns, etc. Anyone into graphics here? I know about Adobe and such but wondered if there is anything under 100 bucks US that is really reliable. She has used printshop basically from the beginning and she worries about the learning curve of something better. Any ideas, reliability, usability, user friendliness and cost?

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Originally posted by sonhouse
My wife uses Printshop, its now up to V21, its an ok prog for graphics but just that, ok. I don't know of many projects she did that came out exactly like she wanted. It shifts word positions around, doesn't print the colors she assigns, etc. Anyone into graphics here? I know about Adobe and such but wondered if there is anything under 100 bucks US that is ...[text shortened]... ning curve of something better. Any ideas, reliability, usability, user friendliness and cost?
Paintshop at www.jasc.com is free for 60 days, and costs about $100 last I checked. If she has some time she can download the free trial and learn it pretty quick, and decide if it's what she needs and worth the $100 bucks or so.

If she doesn't have time to learn something new right now, I'd hold off on downloading it... nothing stinks more than wasting a free trial cuz you didn't realize you didn't have any time to really mess around with it.

P-

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Adobe Photoshop

Paint Shop Pro


(Free)

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Originally posted by Bowmann
Adobe Photoshop

Paint Shop Pro


(Free)
How so, free? Last I checked, it was about 500 bucks US.

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Originally posted by sonhouse
How so, free? Last I checked, it was about 500 bucks US.
Free, as in 😉

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Originally posted by Bowmann
Free, as in 😉
Ah, as usual, great help.

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Originally posted by sonhouse
She has used printshop basically from the beginning and she worries about the learning curve of something better. Any ideas, reliability, usability, user friendliness and cost?
Have you tried Gimp? It's a little different in the interface, and I'm not sure whether it will fit your wifes (always your wife) work. But if Photoshop would do, Gimp will do.

Gimp is open-source, so it's totally free to use both professionaly and otherwise.

http://www.gimp.org/

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Originally posted by stocken
Have you tried Gimp? It's a little different in the interface, and I'm not sure whether it will fit your wifes (always your wife) work. But if Photoshop would do, Gimp will do.

Gimp is open-source, so it's totally free to use both professionaly and otherwise.

http://www.gimp.org/
Thanks for providing a real alternative. I looked at that, it seems to be more for photos than making graphics projects like calanders or reports or mixed graphics/images. Is that a good assesment?

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Originally posted by sonhouse
Thanks for providing a real alternative. I looked at that, it seems to be more for photos than making graphics projects like calanders or reports or mixed graphics/images. Is that a good assesment?
Like I said. It's a photoshop equivalent. So, yes, it's basically used for editing photos and the like. But just like photoshop, it can be used for most graphics work. I use it for all my webdesign needs.

But I wouldn't know if it would fit your kind of projects. You'll have to find that out yourself. There are plenty of tutorials on how to use Gimp out there, so just google on it and I'm sure you'll find the information you need.

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What exactly would you be using the program for?

I know people who use this as an alternate to Adobe Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro and Corel Draw and it is free.

http://www.eecs.wsu.edu/paint.net/


Gimp would've been my first suggestion too.

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Originally posted by Dr Strangelove
What exactly would you be using the program for?

I know people who use this as an alternate to Adobe Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro and Corel Draw and it is free.

http://www.eecs.wsu.edu/paint.net/


Gimp would've been my first suggestion too.
She makes business cards, broshures, flyers, ads, calanders, homework posters for the kids, that kind of thing. She does digital photography but edits the photos with HP solution center and others, not needing industrial strength stuff for that.

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Originally posted by sonhouse
She makes business cards, broshures, flyers, ads, calanders, homework posters for the kids, that kind of thing. She does digital photography but edits the photos with HP solution center and others, not needing industrial strength stuff for that.
All of which she can do with Gimp. It just takes a little creativity on her part.

http://www.gimp.org/tutorials/#Expert

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Originally posted by sonhouse
She makes business cards, broshures, flyers, ads, calanders, homework posters for the kids, that kind of thing. She does digital photography but edits the photos with HP solution center and others, not needing industrial strength stuff for that.
Sounds like she needs a basic tool with lots of memorized templates.

P-

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Originally posted by Phlabibit
Sounds like she needs a basic tool with lots of memorized templates.

P-
Most of the templates don't work for her, she has to make her own.
I found an academic version of CorelDRAW suite X3, the latest, that is supposed to be user friendly, not as powefull as photoshop but easier to learn. The academic price is only 95 bucks US (retail 400) so its a good deal. We had to use one of the kids report cards and fax it in to justify academic sale but he is taking printing technology anyway so he might even use it too. You are not supposed to do commercial work with it but I think its impossible for them to show that kind of use.