Here are some examples of what the built-in filters of the new Paint Shop Pro (PSP) version 6 can do. I just received the update, and have spent a few hours playing around with it. Thank you, JASC, for not changing the keyboard shortcuts this time! 2001 UPDATE: Yes, I know this is not the latest version. I'm still using version 6 because JASC actually refused to sell me version 7! Because I live outside the US they would not ship to me. I had been using the program and faithfully updating since version 4. But not any more. What kind of crazy company doesn't want money? You guessed it; JASC!

As you can see, there are many new filters in this version; some of which are similar to commonly used add-on filters (potentially saving you money and decreasing the amount of RAM the program eats up). In addition to the new filters, vector graphic capabilities have been added which allow text on a path as well as other creative possibilities. A .JPG and .GIF optimizer has also been added, making an external optimizer such as ULead's SmartSaver, also a great program, no longer necessary. PSP 6 also comes with Animation Shop version 2, which is the best GIF animator I've seen (and also saves in .AVI format). All in all, I think anyone still willing to pay the $500+ price of Adobe's Photoshop is ignorant of the existence of PSP, owns a Macintosh (so can't use PSP), or feels the lighting effects and overused lens flare filters are together worth that price. I'll be so bold as to claim that I can now do anything in PSP that anyone else does in Photoshop. It may take longer, or it may take less time, but I can do it.

Although I prefer PSP over Photoshop, PSP is not perfect. There are still features that I wish it had. First, I wish that it had some sort of record or macro feature, since many times I apply the same series of changes to more than one image. In this regard, Photoshop is better, since it already has this feature (known as Actions). I also wish PSP had a way to move a selection marquee using the keyboard, without moving its contents. The only way to do this currently is to choose the mover tool, right click, and drag the selection. You can move a selection marquee using the keyboard with the SHIFT and arrow keys, but it moves the contents as well. The CONTROL key would be a perfect modifier to be used in conjunction with the arrows to move just the selection (yes, that's a hint JASC). Finally, I wish you could use the SHIFT/CONTROL key to add/remove a selection loaded from disk or the alpha channel to/from the current selection, just as can be done while using the Selection, Freehand, or Magic Wand tools.

I saved these images in 128 color .GIF format, so they wouldn't be too bandwidth-intensive. And you are right, I did use the built-in PSP optimizer for this! Some of these filter effects (like Blinds, Sculpture, and Texture) can also be done fairly easily in PSP 5 by using layers. For more information on Paint Shop Pro, visit JASC's website at www.jasc.com.