A Cheap Alternative To Photoshop

Reviewing ‘Serif PhotoPlus X6′

As soon as you purchase the Serif PhotoPlus X6, you will realize two things. First of all, at just $89.99 this is a steal for those who think Photoshop is too expensive. Secondly, while looking for the serial number you will find that it’s not on the disc, but on your invoice! So, don’t dump that piece of paper in the trash just yet.

Setting up Serif PhotoPlus X6

Compatible with Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8, this photo editing software is a breeze to set up. The installation process will begin with you being asked which images you’d like PhotoPlus to manage by default. The sample images do not get added automatically, so you can choose not to have them onboard. Installation is quick and you don’t even have to install a browser toolbar, like other software asks you to.
User Interface
The first time you start the program; you will get help at every corner. This comes in handy for those who haven’t used the previous versions of PhotoPlus. The center of the interface has a section where you can find tutorial videos and links to browse through.
The Toolbar is across the top and the left-hand side of the window. On the right hand side you have an info/control panel.
Using the Organizer in X6 can be a little cumbersome. For example, the file name doesn’t appear when you enlarge an image to full view. Another downer is when you’re tweaking an image in the editor and then decide to go back to the Organizer, that image doesn’t open up automatically. This can be a little frustrating at times.

Importing photos to Serif PhotoPlus X6

The PhotoPlus Organizer needs to run if you want to import photos into the program. If you’ve used Photoshop, then you will know how the program takes you to the recently imported images immediately after the task is complete. That option is not present with Serif PhotoPlus X6 and users have to navigate to the folders themselves.

Photo Adjustments
The good thing about making adjustments is that you will be reminded to make a copy of the image in .spp format. This way no damage to the original image can take place. The basic adjustment tools are available on the right hand side panel- Levels, Colors, Brightness, Curves, etc. Image layers, like the kind in Photoshop, are at the bottom of this panel.
The PhotoFix dialog box has a number of adjustments that are not available in the main app like noise reduction and chromatic aberration reduction. The Edit Mask feature is a good addition that allows you to make collective adjustments to similar areas in a photo.
Photo enhancing is pretty decent with the X6 especially when you can choose stroke lengths. The Cutout Studio tool is also handy when you want to remove a subject from the background.
Overall, Serif PhotoPlus X6 is inexpensive but not adequately built. Photoshop experts will find a number of faults in every nook and cranny. However, mastering the program will help you harness the full potential of X6.
This is a guest post by Sofia Fern. She is a guest writer who writes more about digital cable and high speed internet. To get more information about cox cable , visit the site.
Now I can say that Serif PhotoPlus X6 is the right choice for designing.