Check out this PhotoImpact vs PaintShop Pro review if you are looking for a powerful program to improve your photos. Below you will learn about all the advantages and disadvantages of these two options and decide which one is the best for you.
PhotoImpact was designed as a more simplified version of the famous PaintShop Pro. This photo editing software is popular among both professionals and novice users. It is easy to master and contains enough tools for quick and effective modifications with photos. Plus, you can create slideshows, videos, graphics for web resources, and the like.
The Corel company created PaintShop Pro as powerful editing and graphic design software. It includes an incredible set of tools and features that are suitable for photographers with different levels of expertise. If you are looking for simple and straightforward Photoshop alternatives, then this software is a great option. Moreover, you can use this program to edit both vector and raster pictures.
PhotoImpact has an intuitive interface. It consists of two editing modules - ExpressFix and Full Edit. You can use the ExpressFix module when you need to perform exposure adjustment, skin tone correction, color grading and other manipulations automatically. The second module is suitable for more experienced users and includes manual adjustments, various retouching tools, and other editing features.
PaintShop Pro also has a pretty simple and straightforward UI. When you start the program, you see some blocks and functions on the screen. You can choose the options that interest you right now, e.g., various add-ons, product info, recent files, etc.
There are three modules suitable for different editing tasks. These are Photography, Essentials, and Complete Workspaces. The possibility to use full-screen view during your work with photos makes the software stand out in the PhotoImpact vs PaintShop Pro competition. Also, you can immediately track all the changes and compare the result with the original picture, as both images are displayed simultaneously on the screen.
As I mentioned earlier, PhotoImpact has a dedicated mode for automatic editing (ExpressFix). This module also contains other functions such as cropping, cutting, and rotation. This means that you can easily change your images’ sizes depending on your needs.
PaintShop Pro has more options for picture resizing. Image cropping is available in several ways: by percentage, pixel, and print size. Moreover, the program has a variety of presets created for printing or online publishing needs. When you receive a cropped image, you can save it as a separate file.
PhotoImpact keeps the original photo intact thanks to its layer-based picture editing. Just like in Photoshop, you can clone details, add effects, mask imperfections, etc. An excellent set of brushes can become a decisive point for those selection PhotoImpact or PaintShop Pro.
To highlight details, you can use the SmartCurves tool. If you are a smartphone photographer, there is another feature that will come in handy for you. It will help you remove noise and grain, which is often a problem in pictures taken with mobile devices. Users who have to edit tons of images appreciate the batch processing option. Thanks to this feature, the process becomes faster.
PaintShop Pro comes with a huge range of basic and professional-grade tools. You can retouch pictures, restore old photographs, and more. This is great software if you need to fix the aspect ratio of a photo.
If you took images neglecting the rule of thirds and the golden ratio, you can easily fix the defect using composition guides. Lens and Perspective Correction help adjust the angle of view in the image and align the horizon line.
You can also manually adjust many image parameters including white balance, saturation, contrast, colors, etc. Plus, PaintShop Pro contains an impressive collection of brushes for a variety of creative experiments.
If we compare PhotoImpact versus PaintShop Pro in terms of graphic design capabilities, the first option has simple and straightforward tools. They are easy to use so even non-professionals can master them. You can take advantage of the template bundle and use it to create banner ads, CD labels, and more.
You can customize templates to suit your style and needs. Create unique designs by drawing your elements, adding text and pictures to these ready-made templates. This software also includes various tools for developing web graphics. For example, there are wizards for creating buttons and web backgrounds.
PaintShop Pro has a rich collection of templates for creating fantastic graphics. You can quickly find a suitable template as they are divided into categories depending on the area of use. You can create brochures, collages, business cards, and other types of graphic design.
The program has a bundle of stock images for your projects. Moreover, you can upload your photos if you don't find a fitting option. You don't need to use other texts on pictures apps to add unique fonts as PaintShop Pro includes powerful text tools. It is possible to customize style, size, leading, alignment, and typographic features.
Since PhotoImpact is a basic editing program, it doesn't have any AI options.
Unlike its rival, PaintShop Pro has lots of AI features. They make editing easier so even if you don’t know advanced techniques, you can achieve amazing results. To speed up noise removal, the program has the AI Denoise function.
You can quickly improve the quality of low-resolution images thanks to the AI Upsampling tool. AI Style Transfer tool allows you to give your photos an artistic twist and make them look like the works of famous painters.
If you do not have time to edit your photos in PhotoImpact or PaintShop Pro, or their features are not enough for your needs, you can turn to professional services like FixThePhoto. Specialists will improve your photos in the shortest possible time.
In PhotoImpact, you can edit 32 file formats including JPG, RAW, PNG, TIFF, PSD, and animated GIFs. You can choose an image format for printing, downloading, sharing on social media, etc. Linking the file to an email is also possible.
PaintShop Pro supports a great variety of popular image formats. The software has its own PSP format (it is similar to PSD in Photoshop) and also allows importing vector SVG files (it is also used in Adobe Illustrator.
If you plan to print your images, you can take advantage of ready-made layout presets and soft proof printing. What's more, color management settings have a stunning range of printer profiles for better results. The downside of this program is the inability to share your pictures directly on social networks due to the constant change in their APIs.
Each program has not only a standard package of tools but also some unique functions. Keep them in mind while choosing PhotoImpact or PaintShop Pro.
PhotoImpact offers:
PaintShop Pro offers:
You can buy PhotoImpact from Corel's online store. You can purchase either the full version or updates if you already own an older edition. The update costs $79, while you have to pay $109 for the full version of the program.
Currently, you can buy the full version of PaintShop Pro with a 40% discount. The price is only $47.99 now. To check if the program is right for you, you can use a 30-day free trial version. If you need to update your version of the software, you have to pay $64.
PhotoImpact is the perfect choice for amateurs or aspiring photographers, bloggers, or other users who aren't looking for sophisticated editing tools. The program includes automated options for quick corrections as well as basic features. However, this software is too basic for professional and complex graphic design and simple retouching tasks.
PaintShop Pro is suitable for professional use. This software also contains a wide range of graphic design and painting tools. This means you don't need to install extra drawing apps and graphic design software to create unique visuals.
