PSP Auditions for Larger Gigs
By Richard Koman
Long before Photoshop for Windows existed, an outfit called Jasc Software was producing a nifty little Windows app called Paint Shop Pro (PSP). In the past, PSP was strictly amateurville. No self-respecting Web producer would use anything but Adobe's Photoshop to produce Web graphics. That meant using a Mac because Photoshop didn't exist on Windows for many years, and even when it was released, the Windows version was decidedly substandard for some time.
PSP consistently added new features during those years. With the release of version 6.0which also includes a Web animation program, Animation Shop 2.0Jasc Software takes a serious shot at Photoshop, offering many features available in Photoshop 5 for a fraction of the price. (While PSP 7 has not yet been announced, you can reasonably expect it before 2001.)
PSP has increased its market share dramatically. Crowds of amateurs, office workers, and hobbyists have downloaded, used, and paid for PSP. But is PSP ready for the big time? Can serious Web designers and producers depend on it for the highest quality Web images?
Paint Shop Pro 6
Jasc Software
www.jasc.com
$99 ESD; $109 boxed |
At First Glance
PSP is amazingly feature rich. It is virtually indispensable for taking screen shots on Windows. It offers excellent batch-processing features, interactive thumbnail views of folders, and the ability to use Photoshop filters.
