Paint Programs - Your Preferences

[TARPSBird]

I've been using Jasc (now Corel) PaintShop Pro 7 ever since I got into painting and detailing planes in 2004. It's a good program but... it won't open Adobe PhotoShop .psd files which seem to be the standard file format for most airplanes' paint kits nowadays. Also, it won't open PSP's own .pspimage files. What paint programs do the rest of you use? Reason I'm asking (in case others are interested) is that Corel PaintShop Pro X7 is on sale (from Corel) this week at 50% off and I may go for it depending on your comments here. Thanks in advance.

[Rallymodeller]

Photoshop CS5 for me. Legal, even. I've been using PS since the 90s and am just too attached to it.

[fsxar177]

Jasc Paint Shop Pro 9 here...

And in regards to those unforgiving Photoshop .psd's, just open them up in GIMP, and re-save as .psd. Then the'll work fine in PSP.

- Joseph

[Bjoern]

Screw commercial tools, GIMP all the way!

[Sundog]

I've been using PS and Illustrator for years. So those are my choice. I think it's really just a matter of whatever you started using and became used to using. One of my friends is a graphic artist and he loves Corel's software. I use GIMP (pixel) at work along with Inkspot (vector) but having used PS and AI for so long I have to do everything two or three times in those shareware programs before I get it right. Go with whatever works for you.

[YoYo]

I use very old Corel 9 for all my skins....

[gaucho_59]

I can assure you that you won't be sorry to use PSP X7...
It is as sophisticated as Photoshop - WHICH I ALSO OWN BUT SELDOM USE - but a lot more user friendly....

Some people don't like the "floating" menus that come and go... but I think one can get used to that...
Now it has a lot of scripts available - sort of like the old time macros in the days of DOS - ready made... that save a whale of a lot of time...
You can also MAKE your own scripts... also plenty of resources you can download from Corel...

My son, who is an alumnus of the Ft. Lauderdale Art Institute swears by Photoshop (because he spent four years of college with it, but
myself, I find that PSP is far more intuitive... and, if you read the manual, just as versatile as PS...
Someone mentioned that whatever you get used to is probably the best for you.... I think though, that you can teach an old dog new tricks...
especially when the new tricks mean more productivity and better results...

In the end though, one's skill and creative abilities are the major factor... just look at what Yo Yo can do with that Stone Age Corel 9!!!!
Like the old motto of the University of Salamanca in Middle Ages Spain: Lo que Natura non da... Salamanca non presta...


Cheers,
Gaucho

[ryanbatc]

Photoshop CS2

[gman5250]

Photoshop CS6.

I learned in Corel and used it from '93 till '99. I went to Photoshop/Illustrator in 2000. I upgraded to CS6 about a year ago. I didn't really appreciate the depth of the program until I switched to the Intuos Pro pad. CS6 is designed around the pressure sensitive brushes...a real game changer if you haven't used a tablet in your design work.

I can't speak to Corel or the others with regard to Wacom tablets, but I'll say that the setup I'm using now has made the design work very dynamic.

[Jafo]

PSP6. Started eons ago with PSP3 [can't remember if I used earlier ones].
When I eventually master 6 I'll move on to ones with more 'unnecessary bling'....

Biggest issue is memory limitations....and having to manage the number of layers...
Case in point...currently 95% ram used.... thanks to a minimized FSX while working within 7 instances of PSP6 each with multi-layered 4096 res images....

Oh, and the ram is 32 gig of Corsair Dominator 2666 DDR4.

Every now and then I drag out the equally ancient PS Elements 2 ....usually helps to get recalcitrant PSD files to open.

I prefer the interface of PSP [before it tried to imitate PS] - and unlike PS - PSP opens both formats, not just its own....

[Dangerousdave26]

Screw commercial tools, GIMP all the way!

+1

No need for a commercial product it does it all.

[b52bob]

Photoshop elements about covers it at a good price.

[Duckie]

Started way back with PSP4, 7, 9 and now PSP X6. You can't go wrong for the price, Amazon had X7 on sale today for $29. And, for me, it's so much easier to use than Photo Shop (I have that too but rarely use it).

[tommieboy]

Photoshop CS4...the most expensive piece of software I ever bought for my personal use. I was single at the time and had money to burn.......
Those days are over....

Tommy

[hairyspin]

Photoshop CS4... had money to burn.......
Those days are over....

...which is why I'm unlikely to upgrade from my ancient PS. It does the job, so stick with what you know: they're all hugely capable. Unless you're still on MS Paint!

[TeiscoDelRay]

Paint Shop Pro 7 for many, many years now. I did just buy the X7 version with the Amazon sale because when I tried the demo I found that the magic wand tool did a much better job of selecting the part I wanted than it did in my older PSP 7.

I also thought about going all the way and buying photoshop but after I found out you cannot buy it anymore, only rent it, I declined.

[jankees]

I use PS CS6.

[Christoph_T]

Doing the painting work with Gimp.
For best compability (if necessary) I export the the paint-layer to CS2 and finally save it as DDS.
Works great for me!

[DagR]

Used to be a Corel Draw/Photo Paint user but have ventured into the wonders of Photoshop CS6. Both are great.


Best regards
Dag

[dhazelgrove]

I'm told that paint.net can do everything you might need.

Dave

[ce_zeta]

another GIMP
plus DXTBmp.

[Bjoern]

Inkspot (vector)

You mean Inkscape, right?

My go-to tool for everything that might require vectors. A bit clumsy to use, but gets the job done.

[Wingmate]

I use both GIMP and Photoshop/Illustrator CC for my paints.

[Boomer]

Photoshop CS4 for me.

I started out using PSP but plunked down the cash for PS thinking it would be better. At 1st I hated it but having skin in the game I stuck with it & now I wouldn't give up Photoshop for anything.

They all do the trick, some do certain aspects better/easier than others. it largely comes down to personal preference.

[Jafo]

...which is why I'm unlikely to upgrade from my ancient PS. It does the job, so stick with what you know: they're all hugely capable. Unless you're still on MS Paint!

https://youtu.be/ElrldD02if0

It's ALL about the user...not what's used...