I have Photoshop 7.0 and Adobe ImageReady 7.0, and I want to buy a book about digital scrapbooking that uses Paint Shop Pro for its examples and instructions.
I’m just wondering if the applications are similar enough that I shouldn’t have too many problems, or if I should invest in Paint Shop Pro?
Having used both applications for a few years (but more PSP than Photoshop), they can generally accomplish the same tasks. However, sometimes the tools, dialogs, effects, etc. are handled a bit differently, and that’s probably the hardest part of using a mismatched book. You ought to eventually be able to produce the same finished output with some experimenting, but you might have to spend time figuring out equivalent commands in the two programs (how much depends on how good you are at figuring things out).
If you’re already familiar with Photoshop, you can download the shareware version of Paint Shop Pro (www.corel.com) and use the book with that. Once you understand what the book wants you to do in PSP, you might be able to use your Photoshop knowledge and translate that over.
Otherwise, if you’re not familiar with either app, well… I’d say the differences are enough to warrant either a different book or trying/buying Paint Shop Pro. But I’d be surprised if there weren’t scrapbooking books designed for Photoshop, seeing that it’s by far the standard.
I used Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro 7. I only use Photoshop for stripping layers from multi layer images, it does it much better than PSP. I find PSP to be much easier to use. I use both mainly for painting cars for my NASCAR 2003 game along with some Fark and Worth 1000 entries. PSP also supports Photoshop picture tubes and plug in filters which I find extremely handy.
The biggest problem you might find using the PSP book is the terminology used. If you are good with Photoshop, the book should be no problem
Sorry for the delayed reply, and I appreciate both answers to my less-than-stellar OP.
Basically, I was hoping that both applications would be capable of the same functions, and that the tools, menus, etc would be similar enough that I could translate PSP instructions to PhotoShop’s “language”.
I am pretty much a rookie in PhotoShop (I can make it do what I want it to, eventually, but I know I am only capable of using about 2% of its entire capabilities), so perhaps I would be better off trying out the shareware version of PSP first, as Reply suggested.
Unfortunately this book is the best one I can find for digital scrapbooking, and although I know it doesn’t have to be a complex art, I DO need a good book to at least get me started.
S.
Another possibility is to start with the consumer version of Photoshop. It was called “Photoshop Elements” last version, I don’t know if the name has changed with CS3 or not.
It’s cheaper and easier to use (than full Photoshop, not PSP), and your skills will translate directly to the full version when the time comes to move up.
As to which (Photoshop vs. PSP) is better for simple work (that 90% or so of projects in which you don’t need the full power of Photoshop), it’s going to be a matter of personal preference. I’ve used both, and they’re both quite capable programs.
If you can stand the antediluvian API and bizarre installation requirements you could also consider “the GIMP” - an open-source free program. It’s much more limited in it’s “pro” capabilities (especially non-RGB color spaces), but again, handles that bottom 90%. Many people love it, many find its interface too hard to use (and some are offended by the name – I can’t believe they haven’t changed that.)