- Quick specs
- Price: Free to try (30-day trial); $99.99 to buy
- Operating system: Windows Vista, Windows XP
- Date added: October 29, 2008
- Total Downloads: 13,757,952
- Downloads last week: 11,109
- See full specifications
- CNET editors' rating: stars
- Average user rating: stars out of 377 votes
See all user reviews
CNET editors' review
Reviewed by: CNET Staff
Despite a slightly annoying installation process, version X2 (read: 12) of Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo continues to offer the same high performance and full feature set of earlier editions. The digital image-editing program will fit the needs of many photographers and designers.
A well-designed and intuitive interface offers easy access to all of your digital images, and the individual components--such as tool selectors, palettes, and layer windows--can be dragged and dropped anywhere on the screen. Excellent one-click photo adjustments such as Smart Photo Fix or One Step Noise Removal will be godsends for photographers with busy schedules.
One of the most noticeable updates in X2 is the new graphite workspace theme, which gives the app a slick, 21st century look. A tabbed interface makes switching between photos a breeze, and the library organizer is available as either a palette tool or another tab in the image browser.
The organizer is one of the strongest features of Paint Shop Pro Photo, and a new Express Lab feature makes batch editing even easier. We did notice a CPU slowdown when using the organizer with large libraries, but otherwise the application was quite stable, even when editing very large BMP files. A new Learning Center provides contextual help for specific features, but we found searching the regular help topics to be more informative.
The installation is the most disappointing part of the trial. It requires registering for a free Corel account, which in turn requires a valid e-mail address. Adobe uses the same practice, but it's an annoying trend. You should also note that within the "Advanced" installation setting, Paint Shop Pro Photo is automatically set to become the default application for all your major image-file formats.
Once you get Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 installed and working on your machine, you'll find a very powerful photo editor and organizer that is quite easy to learn and use. A full 30-day trial gives you plenty of time to determine whether or not you'd like the full version.
Publisher's description
From Corel :Fix brightness, color and photo imperfections like red eye in a few clicks, or use precision photo-editing controls to create photos you'll be proud to share. The Ultimate edition features valuable extras like media recovery software, a creative content pack, Corel Painter Photo Essentials 4 and a 2GB USB flash drive over $200 in value. Version X2 Ultimate may include unspecified updates, enhancements, or bug fixes.
What's new in this version:
Version X2 Ultimate may include unspecified updates, enhancements, or bug fixes.
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User reviews
- Average user rating: 3.8 stars out of 377 votes
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
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Showing 5 of 24 user reviewsSee all 24 user reviews
This software version | All versions -
Version: Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 Ultimate
"I wish I hadn't wasted my money"
Pros: Easy to use
Cons: Installation is a huge pain
Stopped working after a few weeks
Crashed my computer every time I tried to reinstallSummary: I bought the full version of this, and I found the installation process to be a nightmare. It took (literally) 8 tries before it actually installed. Each time, it would get stuck at a certain point, and it would shut down. Finally, I was able to ins... read more >>
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Version: Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 Ultimate
Pros: Great features and very fast
Cons: It is often difficult to select the right item
Summary: A bit like Corel Photopaint without all the other cumbersome and expensive software. Better than Adobe Photoshop in some respects
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Version: Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 Ultimate
"Pretty good fairly easy to use"
Pros: compact and useable program
Cons: lacks some facilities that are very useable and in other programs but i guess it cant be all things to all men
Summary: Could do with some more developement with some more easy to use features like those in Picasa making quick fixes possible
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Version: Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 Ultimate
Pros: Easy to use. Has a built in learning center.
Cons: Can be slow. Protexislicensing.
Summary: I love PSP. Use it often.
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Version: Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 Ultimate
"Fantastic tool with superior GUI"
Pros: The GUI is the star of PSP. The most flexible, customizable, down-right rational user interface of any graphics tool. Believe me, the Corel people know how to do custom toolbars, sidebars, tabs, everything you need to work efficiently.
Cons: I wish the browser tab would hide the palettes and toolbars that don't apply to browser mode.
- See all 24 user reviews Write review
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