Corel PaintShop Pro X7 is the newest version of an extensive photo editing suite that can prove very useful to photo enthusiasts. It features various new elements and improved performance, showing that the developers did their homework and fixed the few actual flaws one could find in the suite.
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.
v17.1 [Jan 9, 2015]
New! Magic Fill
Seamlessly erase an unwanted part of your photo and replace it with background that matches the surrounding area—even if it is textured or varied—with Magic Fill. This content-aware feature works with your favorite selection tools.
Faster brushes
New! Faster brushes
Enhance photos quickly with popular brushes, including Paint Brush, Airbrush and retouching brushes , that are 30% faster. Moving between workspaces is also faster in this release.
Text and Shape Cutting
New! Text and Shape Cutting
Instantly create a photo object by using text or a shape to clip an underlying photo or image. The result is an instant photo object (new file) with a transparent background that you can paste or drag to any image as a layer.
Color Materials palette
New! Color Materials palette
Find the color, texture or pattern you want more quickly with the redesigned Materials palette and Color Picker. Easily sample colors with a Dropper tools and create your own custom palettes to keep track of your favorite combinations.
Image dialog
New! Image dialog
Starting a new project is easier than ever with the new Image dialog (Start Screen). Choose from common sizes for photo, print, web graphics, multimedia or other projects in a new graphics rich interface.
Redesigned dialogs
Enhanced! Redesigned dialogs
Enjoy easier editing with a redesign of eight popular effects, including Selective Focus, Vignette, Retro Lab, Graduated Filter, Depth of Field, Red Eye Removal and more.
Quick Preview For Instant Effects
New! Quick Preview For Instant Effects
A new preview window makes it faster see the results of your Instant Effects. Simply click and immediately see the results before applying to your image.
Smart Edge
New! Smart Edge
Choose this option with brushes to help keep your brushstrokes “inside the lines”. This content-aware feature is ideal for keeping your changes confined to a specific area of your photo.
XMP-support
New! XMP support
With XMP support for RAW images, PaintShop Pro X7 can now read and import data saved in XMP files, which are created by many RAW image-editing programs.
Auto Selection
Enhanced! Layer workflow
PaintShop Pro X7 makes using layers easier than ever. Now you can drag a layer from one image to another and drop it into the Layers palette.
Design, edit, and print your own CD, DVD, and Blu-ray disc and case labels
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