Paintshop Pro vs Affinity Photo: Which Software is Better

RAW conversion and file pre-processing. By clicking on the "Settings" tab, you’ll see the interface reminiscent of that typically available in an advanced RAW file converter. In most cases, people use Adobe Lightroom or the camera’s integrated editor for quick conversion, but PSP can also perfectly cope with such tasks.

There is a special module, which is quite functional and fast, and you can instantly switch from view mode and back whenever needed. The list of supported cameras is really large; you will see there all the latest models.

Excellent set of editing tools. Most photo editing features are located on the “Edit” tab. I’ve already mentioned in the PaintShop Pro vs Photoshop review that the interface of this module resembles that of Photoshop, which is convenient if you are familiar with Ps. The left panel contains the main tools (crop, brush, eyedropper, fill, and others). There are also functions for quick horizon straightening and perspective correction. When a tool is selected, its parameters are displayed in the upper part of the window.

AI HDR Studio plugin. This is a special plugin that adds HDR-style effects to single-exposure images, so there is no need to combine bracketed exposure and tonemap. However, the feature is available in the full workspace. AI HDR Studio plugin includes several different styles that can be applied in a single click. The intensity of effects is adjusted with a slider.

Sea-to-Sky workspace. It was designed to meet the needs of aerial and underwater photography enthusiasts. There are four categories of effects designed specifically for underwater and drone photos. You can apply effects in one click to improve images, without performing time-consuming adjustments. These effects are ideal for beginners who lack the skills and knowledge to achieve the same result on their own.

Color Changer Tool. The Color Changer tool works very accurately and almost without errors. For example, altering the color of the sunset in Corel PaintShop Pro is a breeze. Of course, you can try doing the same changes in other programs, but the process will be less intuitive. I’ve provided more details in the Capture One Pro vs PaintShop Pro comparison. With the help of Color Changer, you can even retouch pictures, but that requires a thorough understanding of the intricacies of the procedure.

Allows creating an interactive travel map. In the editor by Corel, you can create an interactive travel map, which is rarely available in other programs. On the map, you can indicate places you have visited and where you’ve taken photos. Thanks to this feature, the program received additional points in the CorelDRAW vs PaintShop Pro stand-off. Moreover, with the help of Facebook and Dropbox, you can upload images and share them with your followers on social networks.

Straightforward work with RAW files. Every photographer should definitely know how to shoot in RAW. Besides, it is necessary to understand how to edit such files. You can open the selected RAW file in the program and the “Development” mode will appear automatically. From here, you can adjust exposure, restore highlights and shadows, and even create split toning effects.

You can take advantage of the curve adjustments for fine-tuning, a clever noise reduction component, and a lens correction module to get rid of distortion. As you can see, the program has a fairly large pack of tools, which makes it a serious player in the Affinity Photo vs Pixelmator competition.

Professional skin retouching. While comparing Affinity Photo vs Photoshop, I found out that the former can stay on par with its rival when it comes to skin retouching. You need to switch to “Photo” mode and click Filters > Frequency Separation. Next, you can set the intensity of Gaussian blur in real time, press “Apply” and the program will split your image into two layers, one with color and one with details. From here, you can remove blemishes, add your own dodges, darken, and polish colors.

Layer support. Similar to other photo editing software for PC and Mac, Affinity Photo allows you to work with layers. You can create mask layers, rearrange layers, and choose between vector or raster layers.

Lighting Effects Tool. This is a real finding for people interested in creative photo tweaks. I have tested numerous programs, compared Affinity Photo vs GIMP, conducted meticulous research, and can confidently say that there is no other software that can offer something of this kind.

Photographers, who frequently use different types of shooting gear, like this tool immensely, as it allows mimicking different studio lighting conditions. Moreover, you can adjust any light effect in accordance with your vision, add a new one, and combine lights. It is possible to edit the fixture type (spot, point and directional) and a dozen other parameters.

Simple work with different shapes. Drawing various geometric shapes in this photo editing app is a real pleasure. In addition to the rectangle, you receive 20 different shapes, each of which can be customized to your taste after it is drawn. Even Illustrator lacks such functionality.

When the drawing part is over, you can select the Node Tool and drag the red dots along the semi-transparent line, editing the geometry of the shape the way you want. You can do the same in the dialog box, specifying the number of teeth, the corner radius, etc.

Alternatively, you can indicate a number or pull the slider to the left and right. Of course, you can apply a layer effect to any shape and turn it into curves. However, in this case, it is impossible to perform "smart" editing or change a shape like a regular vector object by dragging the anchor points.