Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP2 Upgrade Versio...
32 Stores $140 - $399
Photo Editing Software Buying Guide
Photo editing software is a useful tool whether you’re a mom looking to upload and share photos of your kids or a professional graphic designer looking creating logos and packaging. As you might guess, the mom and the graphic designer need two vastly different pieces of photo editing software. The mom may benefit from photo editing software that will organize her photographs, crop and touch up color and upload them to an online album. The graphic designer needs an entirely different set of tools to draw, adjust hue and saturation, import images and apply filters. Pronto’s Photo Editing Software Buying Guide will help you find the photo editing software that is best for your needs.
More »
the five
What are the five key points I need to look at?
Why get photo editing software?
The photo editing software packaged with digital cameras is extremely basic, typically designed only to transfer photos from the camera. If you have needs beyond the most basic editing or want to plan photo projects, additional photo editing software is necessary.
Fine-tuning every picture
When shopping for photo editing software, look for features like cropping, color correction, special effects filters and image format conversion. If you want to create and edit graphics for Web use, look for photo software that specifically includes button tools, Web optimization and automatic HTML generation.
I live to paint
To do more artistic work, look for photo editing software with draw and paint tools, which allow you to create unique images. You’ll find many uses for text styling tools, but if you need freehand illustrations that don’t include photos and text, you should choose software designed for drawing.
Organizing photos
If you need to manage projects such as slideshows, collages and online photo albums, look for photo organization software. Some photo organization software includes very basic editing functions, but they’re not robust enough to fix a bad picture. Look for built-in templates that will have you scrapbooking like a pro in no time.
Technology versus creativity
Be realistic about your needs and level of graphics comprehension. Novice users should look for photo software with cropping, red eye removal, color and lighting balance. More advanced photo editing software lets you control hue, saturation, layers, burning and dodging and darkroom filters. Make sure you understand the features in your photo editing software to ensure that you’ll truly utilize its capabilities.
pronto pick
What product do we recommend?
We like Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 & Adobe Premiere Elements 4. This is a bundled set of photo editing and video editing software designed for home users by Adobe, which is a recognized leader in professional photography programs. This photo editing software combines high-quality editing tools with a user-friendly interface that most consumers will love. While it lacks some of the filters and f...
more
experts say
CNET—“Microsoft Picture It Digital Pro… offers dedicated amateur photographers the advanced features they'll find in Photoshop but in a much more friendly interface. Novices who just want an easy way to remove red-eye from their photos or create a simple photo album should grab the less expensive Picture It Photo or Photo Premium. But if you're an enthusiast who wants to do some high-quality image retouching, Pro is the way to go.” Source: CNET.com
About—“[Adobe] Photoshop Elements incorporates many of Photoshop's powerful features without being too overwhelming to the novice user or ‘dumbed-down’ to the point that it frustrates experienced users. With a photo organizer plus fun and flexible photo-sharing projects, it's a perfect all-in-one solution for the majority of digital camera users.” Source: About.com
Kim Komando—“You can't judge a book by its cover. And you can't judge software from its box. So, download trial versions before settling on a photo-editing program. This will let you see what you're getting before you spend your hard-earned cash.” Source: Komando.com
hot buzz
What's the latest in the world of photo editing software?
If you’ve dreamed of using Adobe’s industry-benchmark photo editing software but been scared of the price and the learning curve, help is on the way. Set to debut in 2008, Adobe Photoshop Express is a free online version that will provide users with basic image editing functions and a straightforward interface that novices can quickly master, powered by the Photoshop algorithms that deliver exceptional quality and control.
Wallet Impact
What can I expect in my price range?
| Price | Description | Good Pick (see all Photo Editing Software) |
| $ | Budget photo editing software usually caters to novice users or specialty niches. This range includes photo organization software with project management features and basic editing and drawing features. |
Compare prices at 4 stores $24 - $56 |
| $$ | Mid-range photo editing software provides more advanced editing options that give you greater control and the ability to repair damaged or poor photos. Simple interfaces make these packages the best choice for intermediates as well as advanced users who don’t need a full suite of image-altering filters and tools. | |
| $$$ | High-end photo editing software is typically the preferred choice of graphic designers and professional photographers. This software has the greatest level of image control combined with an equally high learning curve. |
Buy now at 
$649.99 |
shop talk
What are the terms and definitions I need to know about?
Cropping
Removing an area of an image either to eliminate unwanted elements or to create a stronger focus on the subject. Cropping is an extremely common editing function found in even the most basic editing software.
Filters
Special effects that you can apply to an image. Filters may convert an image to black and white, make the image appear blurred or raised or include a number of artistic effects.
GIF
Graphics Interchange Format, a low-resolution image format that uses 216 “Web-safe” colors that display identically on any computer. GIF format is still used for basic text elements and buttons, but it has been replaced by JPEG format for photos and detailed images.
Image conversion
A feature that allows you to save an image in a variety of compressed and uncompressed data formats.
Image repair
Photo editing software tools that remove blemishes, whiten teeth, eliminate red-eye and change backgrounds and colors in photos.
JPEG
Joint Photographic Experts Group, sometimes shortened to JPG, an image format that supports thousands of colors and allows for variable data compression of an image. High-quality JPEGs are large files with little compression and the highest level of detail. Low-resolution JPEGs sacrifice image quality in favor of smaller file sizes.
RAW file support
This feature allows photo editing software to open and alter RAW-format images that have not been internally processed or digitized by a digital camera.
Red eye
A common problem in photography where light reflected off the retinas in the eyes makes the pupils appear red instead of black. Most photo editing software includes a feature that can automatically correct this.
Web optimization
A process that converts an image to a JPEG or GIF format at a lower resolution that will load faster on the Internet.
guide tools
top brands
Software
Research Central
We've compiled this group of information links to help you further your research