Corel PaintShop Ultimate 2018 Review

[tarekma7]

Corel PainShop is the ultimate in photo editing and graphic design software. You will get Photoshop-like results for less with PaintShop Pro 2018. The ultimate version of the program includes a faster, easier PaintShop Pro and an exclusive bonus collection of premium software you won’t find in Photoshop. You can also turn your photos into works of art with Painter Essentials 5, automatically correct images with Perfectly Clear 3 SE, and edit RAW photos quickly with Corel AfterShot 3.


Homepage:

https://www.paintshoppro.com/en/products.../ultimate/

Download:

64 bit version:

http://dwnld.paintshoppro.com/trials/psp...taller.exe

32 bit version:

http://dwnld.paintshoppro.com/trials/psp..._32bit.exe



System Requirements:

Windows:  7 (with the latest service pack), 8, 8.1, 10 (64-bit or 32-bit editions). For virtualization: Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2016 or later
processor : Intel/AMD 1.5 GHz or faster
2 GB of RAM (4 GB recommended), 1 GB free HDD
1280 x 768 resolution with 16-bit color display
DirectX 9 or higher compatible video adapter with the latest driver
IE 10 or higher, Internet connection required for online features and tutorial videos

Import Formats Supported: AI, BMP, CAL, CALS, CGM, CLP, CUR, CUT, DCX, DIB, EMF, EPS, GIF, HDP, IFF, IMG, J2C, J2K, JIF, JP2, JPC, JPE, JPEG, JPG, JPS, JPX, MAC, MPO, MRW, MSP, PBM, PCD*, PCT, PCX, PDF, PGM, PIC, PICT, PNG, PNS, PPM, PS, PSD, PSP (PSP image files), RAS, RAW, RIF, RLE, SCT, SVG, SVGZ, TGA, TIF, UFO, WBM, WBMP, WDP, WEBP, WMF, WPG

RAW file support for over 450 camera models, including the following file extensions: 3FR, ARW, CR2, CRW, DCR, DNG, K25, KDC, NEF, NRW, ORF, PEF, RAF, RW2, SR2, SRF, X3F (see all RAW camera support below)

Export Formats Supported: BMP, CAL, CALS, CLP, CUT, DCX, DIB, EMF, EPS, AI, PS, GIF, HDP, WDP, IFF, IMG, JP2, J2C, J2K, JPC, JPX, JPG, JIF, JPE, JPEG, MAC, MSP, PBM, PCX, PGM, PIC, PPM, PNG, PSD, PSP (PSPIMAGE FILES), RAS, RAW, RIF, RIFF, RLE, SCT, CT, JPS, PNS, TGA, TIF, TIFF, WBMP, WBM, WEBP, WMF

Brush Formats: PaintShop Pro Brush (.pspbrush), Adobe PhotoShop Brush (.abr), Jasc Brush (.jbr)

For full details, visit this page:
 
https://www.paintshoppro.com/en/products...tech-specs

Installation:

After downloading the installer files, double click on the installer and follow simple on screen instructions to have the program installed on your computer. After complete installation, you will be asked to register using your email and you will see a guided tour to help you start using the program. Now you have 30 days free trial version to test all the program features before doing purchase











Purchase and Activation:

After complete purchase on the official website, you will receive an email with your license key. Simply submit the serial in the activation dialogue while connected online





User Interface:

The user interface is very friendly and easy to use



Menus:

     

  

    

    

  

Top reasons to try PaintShop Pro Ultimate:

Edit photos like a pro with a complete set of professional image editing tools
Find everything you need to produce a variety of impactful graphic design projects.
Easily transform your pictures into realistic paintings with Painter Essentials 5.
Enhance photos instantly: Restore details, color, and more lost by your camera with Perfectly Clear 3 SE.
Work with RAW images: Quickly learn professional-grade RAW photo editing with AfterShot 3.

Discover the affordable alternative to Photoshop:

Get affordable, subscription-free photo editing software with Photoshop-like results. Buy PaintShop Pro once and it’s yours in perpetuity at a lower cost. Get the professional power you want, plus the high-quality tools you need to take your photos and designs to the next level.

Subscriptions really add up when you do the math:



The ultimate version of the app expands your creative capabilities with dozens of brushes, textures, and over 100 royalty-free backgrounds.



Compare PaintShop Pro’s features with Photoshop:

https://www.paintshoppro.com/en/products...compare-ps



Exclusive bonus collection:  This is the best choice as you will have the photo editing software and bonus collection. You will enjoy an exclusive bonus collection of premium photo software that you won't get with Photoshop. Painter Essentials 5, Perfectly Clear 3 SE, Corel AfterShot 3, and creative collection. You can enjoy photo-painting, automatic image corrections, RAW photo editing, powerful batch processing, and more in one complete photo collection.

Painter Essentials 5: (64-bit) This is an app with photo-painting tools that will easily transform your pictures into impressive art right before your eyes. You can start sketching, drawing and painting from scratch with the brushes that are custom selected for beginners. There are a wide variety of painting styles, brushes and photo effects that let you create an authentic, hand-painted look every time.

Perfectly Clear 3 SE: (64-bit) Perfectly Clear has mastered the science of intelligent image correction. You can restore details, color, and more lost by your camera with the built-in proven, patented corrections. You can easily create a custom look with the presets that let you control multiple adjustments with just one click. You will save a lot of time. You will not leave PaintShop Pro.

Corel AfterShot 3: Using this tool you can quickly learn RAW photo editing and take control of very large photo collections in a professional way.  You can make easy corrections and enhancements, and save time with batch processing tools.

What’s new in PaintShop Pro 2018 Ultimate:



Simplified UI for a better experience: (64-bit): The new version lets you enjoy an improved, easier-to-learn application with faster navigation and bigger icons., Two new workspaces were added including Essentials and Complete. This will help to enjoy a more streamlined workflow and match your level of expertise. The new Welcome Tab is bursting with helpful tutorials and creative content.





Essentials and Complete workspaces: (64-bit) Never has PaintShop Pro been easier. Easier to get started, to learn and to master with a choice of two workspaces, tailored to suit your workflow or skill level. The Essentials Workspace offers a streamlined UI and larger icons. This is perfect for those just starting out as it gives you all the tools and quick photo enhancements you need. The Complete Workspace is great for suitable for experienced user as it includes all the professional features that help in complex projects. You can also customize your Tools toolbar by showing all the tools you use regularly and hiding the ones you don't. This is simple with the use of the new Quick Customize feature.



In addition, the program allows you to have more control over features, functionality, and customization. For example; scroll bar bigger.

This built in welcome tab lets you feel right at home when you launch PaintShop Pro. You can choose a workspace, start a new project, or access recent files. Explore tutorial videos, keyboard shortcuts, free and premium plugins, applications, scripts, brushes and more.

Faster results and improved tools
You will experience a faster, more efficient photo editing program. The launch time is markedly reduced by over 50% from the last version. The speed of some editing features is much accelerated. Many of the frequently used tools are enhanced. For example; Crop, Text, Selection, Clone, Gradient, Eraser and Dropper.

New ways to express creativity
Design without boundaries. Take advantage of more creative content, from brushes and color palettes, to gradients, patterns and textures. This powerful photo editing software offers you more creative options for the features you use most.

Painter Essentials 5 and Perfectly Clear 3 SE

Now let’s discuss the program features in more details:

Professional photo editing:

The program has a complete set of professional image editing tools for photo adjustment and composition. You will enjoy the powerful, layer-based editing capabilities you find in Photoshop at an affordable and subscription free.

RAW editing: Enjoy complete control over your RAW images using the Camera RAW Lab. This includes before and after views, and a large preview option.
HDR tools: These tools let you combine multiple exposures of the same scene to create a single, stunning, HDR photo with intense visual contrast.
Lens Correction: to correct the distortions, vignetting and chromatic aberrations common in most camera lenses.
Scripts: Speed up common and repetitive tasks.







Improve any photo with quick fixes:

Makeover tools: help you to easily eliminate red-eye, blemishes and unwanted lines, or smooth wrinkles, whiten teeth and even out skin tones.

Batch Processing: applying adjustments to many photos at once, this will increase productivity.



One-click photo fixes: If you’re not sure what adjustments to make, (or try the Smart Photo Fix).
Crop, straighten and correct perspective

Add effects for attention-grabbing photos:

Instant effects: Choose from a variety of preset effects organized into style categories such as Artistic, Film Styles, Black & White and Landscape.
Retro Lab: help you achieve vintage-look photos by applying old school color and contrast inspired by early lo-fi cameras.
Graduated Filter tool: add unique color gradient effects to your images to simulate a graduated filter effect.
Depth of Field: Play with depth of field in your photos to keep parts of the image in focus and the rest blurred. The program delivers a 4x faster Depth of Field feature!



Retouch and restore your favorite photos:

Selection tools: Enjoy several handy selection tools that make it fast and easy to adjust or retouch one area of a photo, or to copy a portion of a photo and paste it onto another image.
Remove flaws and objects: Use Magic Move and Magic Fill, to automatically fill the empty area when you move or remove an object from your image, so it matches the surrounding background. Try the Object Remover or Clone Brush to get rid of imperfections.
Photo restoration: Use the Fade Correction tool to restore the color and contrast of faded photos and the Scratch Remover to repair unsightly cracks in tattered photos to make them look new again.
Remove red eye: restoring a natural look.

Creative graphic design:

Find everything you need to produce a variety of impactful graphic design projects. Design with layers, text, brushes, gradients, drawing and painting tools to create original cards, collages, banners, social media images and more.
Drawing and painting tools: Choose from a variety of creative drawing and painting tools for your projects.
Discover 30 new brushes in PaintShop Pro 2018. From Lightning and Fireball, to Sparkler, Sunburst and Fur, our new brushes give your creations something extra, and save you time by eliminating the need draw individual design elements yourself. You can also import your favorite Adobe Photoshop brushes
Use vector illustration tools to draw with preset shapes and pens.
Layers: Use layers for flexible non-destructive editing and rich photo composites.
Text tools: Incorporate text to any print, web or photo project with a wide range of typography tools. Adjust fonts, size, style, alignment and leading/kerning, and apply effects to get the creative text you desire.
Gradients: Drop gradients directly onto an image, shape, or canvas, then drag and drop colors to create a transitioning color effect. Explore 30 new gradients to enhance your designs.
Color palettes: Choosing the right colors for your design is imperative, as color can make or break your artwork. Now, you can apply inspiring color combinations from color palettes found in the Materials palette. Color palettes save you time and effort in picking and applying colors, and ensure your colors complement each other.



Gradients, patterns and textures: Enjoy 75 new gradients, patterns and textures to expand your creative potential. Whether you are looking for a marble or brick texture, a floral or geometric pattern, or a gradient that mimics a perfect sunset, and more.

Easy ways to start and learn:

PaintShop Pro includes all the tools you need to get started quickly and increase your skills with every project.
Feel right at homeusing the new Welcome tab. You will find tutorial videos, keyboard shortcuts, recent files, a gallery of user artwork, and more.
Take a guided tour: step-by-step virtual tour that help you to use the application
Enjoy learning on all levels with the help of video tutorials or learning page.

Share your photos:

Connect by sharing your photos with loved ones or the world using PaintShop Pro’s built-in social media features.
Find people: face recognition technology helps to identify and tag individuals for easier photo management.
Find locations: Map your photos to real-world locations and share them online.
Integrate with social media: quick upload and share of your photos and designs to your Facebook, SmugMug, Flickr and Google+ accounts.



Comparison of different apps:



https://www.paintshoppro.com/en/products...compare-ps

Improved Tools:

Enhanced! Crop tool:
Our most popular editing tool just got better. Now you can choose from new Grid, Diagonal, Golden Ratio and Golden Spiral composition guides, along with other Crop tool enhancements, to help you bring out the best in your image.

Text tool:
Text is key to any design workflow. Our Text tool enhancements help save you design time with the new superscript, subscript, and text justification options, all conveniently located in the Tool Options palette. You can also paste text into a shape and watch the text dynamically adjust to fit the space.

Clone overlay:
Now, when you use the Clone Brush tool, you'll see a preview of the source pixels that you're about to apply, so you can get the results you want the first time. For seamless editing, you can hide or show the  overlay with a simple shortcut key.

Enhanced! Dropper tool:
A new Sample and Fill icon in the Tool Options palette allows you to copy the color and opacity of sampled pixels. The Dropper tool instantly turns into the Flood Fill tool, allowing you to apply the copied properties to another area with a single click.

Enhanced! Gradient Fill tool:
Explore 30 new gradients to enhance your creative designs, and enjoy better results with improvements to the Gradient Fill tool. Now, you can recall your gradient line to edit an existing gradient.

Enhanced! Eraser tool:
Our users wanted a more refined Eraser tool, and that's what we’ve delivered! Now, the Eraser tool has improved opacity control for better results.

Quick Preview:
Get a better look! Preview the thumbnails in your Organizer palette at a larger size with one left-click to select your thumbnail, and a single click of your space bar to invoke the Quick Preview window.

Document-aware slider values:
All of PaintShop Pro 2018’s tools benefit from new document-aware slider values, so that your tool’s maximum size reflects the size of the image you are working on.

The Manage tab:
This lets you access photo management features that help you preview, organize, and streamline your photo-editing workflow.



Getting photos into Corel PaintShop Pro:
First you need to have all photos on your computer. This can be done using Windows or your camera software. Now, you can easily import your photos into the app. The process is very simple. All you have to do is to browse to folders where you save your photos. That’s all! The photos in these folders are then cataloged automatically in a database. This makes it easy to find, edit, and update the information for your photos. You can also get your photos using scanner software.
You can open any image using the menu bar or from the Organizer palette



Starting projects from a template: 
The program offers you many creative templates such as cards, to collages, brochures, and social media templates. You can choose from a selection of free templates or you can purchase templates.



Starting from a blank canvas: 
This feature lets you build custom projects, such as collages, and painting or drawings.





View image information:



Right-click menu of a thumbnail:



Tools Toolbar:



Organizer Toolbar:



Apply effects: 
You can apply many effects to your images. For example; 3D, artistic, illumination, reflection, and photographic effects. You can also add frames to your images. In addition, you can create unique effects using warp image areas or paint with images.

Printing:
Corel PaintShop Pro provides extensive options for printing your work. This includes printing images, creating layouts, editing templates and layouts

Screenshot:
This is a built-in tool that lets you capture screen content then edit and save

Program Settings (Preferences):













Conclusion:
PaintShop Pro 2018 is the most advanced photo editing and design suites. It includes many additions and enhancements, along with a complete set of tools that make it the best alternative to photoshop
PaintShop Pro 2018 delivers everything you expect

[Mike]

Thanks for the review Tarek. I have learned quite a bit of the program by reading your review.

[baziroll]

wow very long review.perfect program thanks for giveaway too

[tregs_beales]

Excellent detailed review of a great Corel product tarekma. Thanks as always. This is the best review I come across.

[Alex]

Thanks tarekma7

[comphelp]

Thanks for this detailed review! 

[Starship]

Thanks for the review!  

[grr]

Very nice and detailed review Tarek.