Corel PaintShop Pro X7 is the newest version of an extensive photo editing suite that can prove very useful to photo enthusiasts.
Corel PaintShop Pro X7 has a rather simple interface for such a complex set of tools.There are three sections which tabbed at the top of the main window: Edit, Manage and Adjust. Editing toolset is quite self-explanatory: cropping, resizing, splitting, etc. The Manage page lets users tag and change information about the imported images. Tagging is especially useful if you deal with a great number of images on regular basis, although the process is manual and may take some time. Tagging includes adding date, number and names of people on a photograph, for example. The Adjust window lets you change basic qualities of images such as as contrast, color balance or clarity, as well as add basic filters and effects. This page also includes simple tools for dealing with minor image defects such as the noise effect.
A number of additional features, some of them new, can also be useful. Magic Fill lets you select the item you need and fill it for dealing with resizing and defects similar to the traditional Patch tool, but a lot more simple, seeing as how you don't need to be highly precise and accurate to do a simple thing. This way, adjusting or editing the actual contents of the image is now a lot easier. There's also the Text Cutout tool that places selected text over an image and cuts it out so that the backing image serves as a pattern on the text.
The functionality of Corel PaintShop Pro X7 also includes XMP support for raw files, a New Image dialogue box, Drag & Drop layers and Smart Edge technology for brushes. Overall, it's an editing suite with a great reputation and without the flaws of its predecessors. It's simple but effective and can easily be recommended to people who want to do a lot of interesting stuff with their photographs.
Pros
- Extensive set of tools
- Stability and speed
- Easy to use
Cons
- Minor interface flaws