The single best piece of software any designer can have (Adobe Photoshop 7.0)

Member Name: Jae20

Product:	Adobe Photoshop 7.0
Date:	08/08/06 (930 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Industry standard, endless uses....you really can do anything with PS

Disadvantages: VERY expensive, I don't think anyone will ever know how to use each of it's features

I was first introduced to Photoshop a few years ago at College on a Graphic design course, and OK, I thought it was good, but not great. The reason being that there really is SO much more to this piece of software than meets the eye, I could sit here for days explaining all the great things I have achieved with PS but that would bore you all to death and totally miss the point of writing an informative review.

For starters, I must stress that this is not something you can just pick up and start creating top quality graphics the first time you use it. There are however, an array of excellent websites which guide you through some of Photoshops basic and advanced features, which will set you on the path to achieving something great with the use of this software.

Of course, the price you will have to pay for the privilege of owning Photoshop is by no means a bargain, however, fortunately for everyone considering PS for the first time, you can download the free 30 trial of the FULL version of the software from Adobe's site to help you evaluate whether the large outlay will be worth it. I really can't recommend doing this enough, take a look at the array of tutorials on the internet which guide you through the processes of doing everything from photo manipulation to creating full website layouts using Photoshop, and in no time at all, mainly, come the end of your 30 day trial, you will have a good understanding of how the programme works.

As to the actual features and uses of Photoshop, well a few of my favorites follow;

Layers: Layers really are the basis on which you create your masterpieces, rather than working on a single layer canvas, you build up work one layer on top of the other, without this feature, PS would be a long way off how good it currently is.

The Pen tool: Possibly one of the most useful, yet, underestimated by many, tools in the whole programme, allowing you to create perfect curves, and cut out the most detailed of shapes.

Photo manip capabilities: Allows you to manipulate your photos in a variety of ways, bring out detail you can't actually see, adjust levels, and retouch....the list really goes on.

Actions: In my experience, a lot of people are not aware of this feature, but it's priceless when it comes to repetitive tasks. Allows you to "record" the processes you apply to an image and then play the action on another image to repeat each of your steps.

So, to summarize, this really is not only one of the most powerful image editing software packages on the market, but one of the best pieces of software available full stop.

Summary: Extremely powerful image editing software

Variety of features:
Reliability:
User friendly:
Installation:
Update possibilites: