PhotoLine is full of picture-editing features. Thus, besides having those features that are usually found in other applications of the same type, such as painting, copying, filtering, using gradient and color fills, it also allows other more complex operations. The tool supports importing a long list of file formats, including some that are not usually supported by other similar applications. It conveniently preserves the picture’s layout, objects, and layers. This means that it can be used to convert between any of the image formats supported. And not only that, you can use the action recorder to process batches of pictures without much effort.
Fortunately, the tool allows using an unlimited number of layers, which are indispensable to professional picture editing. Another widely demanded feature is the possibility of erasing a photo’s background, for this purpose, the editor comes with a lasso tool, a magic wand, and flexible mask handling. As to filters, there are plentiful to apply, such as sharpen, masking, soften, glowing, morphing, distortion, and shadow, among many others. Moreover, those features can be expanded by installing plug-ins.
If you need to create images for the web, you’ll be glad to know that the tool allows managing transparent and animated GIFs. Moreover, you can optimize GIF and JPEG images with interlacing and progressive formats.
In general, PhotoLine is a great image editing program. It is at least as good as other much more expensive software available. It is, therefore, a very convenient tool that I highly recommend. However, if you are not very skilled at editing images, you should probably look for another application because this one could be somewhat difficult to use, something that is logically derived from its sophistication.
v16.5 [Feb 17, 2011]
The list of improvements, extensions, additions and - of course - corrections has become quite long. In order to keep this text short we are concentrating here on the highlights and most important details.
A lot of effort has been put in enhancing the user interface. Many things should work now more inituitively. Additionally the speed and quality of many functions have been improved.
Convert With Color Profile
This function is used to convert the color space of images or colors. A common example is the conversion of RGB images to CMYK. A new feature of this function is the ability to convert groups, pages or the whole document in a single step.
PhotoLine is now supporting the touchpad on Mac OS X:
The zoom gesture allows to modify the zoom in documents and controls.
The rotate gesture can rotate documents in 90° steps. Aside from that some tools use it in a custom way.
The swipe gestures can be used as shortcuts. The swipe shortcuts can be used in combination with Shift, Ctrl, Alt and Cmd, too.
Full Screen Mode, Mac OS X
On Mac OS X (10.6 or better) document can now be viewed and edited in full screen mode. This function is accessible in the menu with View/Full Screen Mode.
Layer Tool, Distort Perspectively
If you were clicking and dragging a layer handle while holding the Ctrl key (Windows) or the Command key (Mac OS X), you could distort a layer perspectively. This is an old feature. Pressing Shift while dragging allowed you to distort the corresponding corner simultaneously. This is old, too. Now you can additionally press Alt Shift in order to move the dragged corner along a line.
Crop Tool
You can now use the crop tool to rotate an image, correct its perspective and crop it in a single step.
QR-Code
The Barcode function could already create QR Codes, but now it is supporting directly the creation of QR Codes containing SMS and vCard information.
Adjustment Layer Palette
Commonly used adjustment layers can now be saved as presets.
Web Export With Clipboard Support
The Web Export can now put the result on the clipboard. This way you no longer need to save an intermediate file.
You can also directly attach a sRGB color profile in order to create a well-defined web file.
Furthermore the preview pictures are calculated in the background. So the operation of the dialog is smoother.
Filter Dialogs
The best way to work with the filter dialogs is to hide the embedded preview. This way the document window is the preview.
Now you can use the shortcuts for Zoom In, Zoom Out, Full View, View 100% and Mark Extreme Values while working with a filter. Protect Underlying Transparency
Optionally layers no longer modify the transparency created by the previous layers.
Tools Brighter and Darker
The tools Brighter and Darker can now work in the ranges shadows, midtones and lights.
Select Colors
The dialog shows now a list of all selected color ranges. These allows editing or removing a single range afterwards.
Rotate Layer
Layers can now be rotated from -180° to 180°. The rotation will always be clockwise.
Minor Enhancements
Several dialogs have been simplified and the handling is now more consistent.
Better processing of raw files.
ICC profiles are now forwarded to plug-ins.
The plug-in support is now much better.
The calculation of color palettes (Reduce Colors) has been enhanced.
Extended context menu: in combination with the keys Shift and Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac OS X) you get different context menus offering different options.
Calendars can now import special days from a CSV file.
Better PDF import and export: PhotoLine can be used as a simple PDF editor.
Design, edit, and print your own CD, DVD, and Blu-ray disc and case labels
