Best Photo-Editing Software

The best photo-editing software for most users

When it comes to the best professional photo-editing software, experts agree that Adobe Photoshop (*Est. $665) is the de facto industry standard -- albeit a very expensive one. A free open-source program, GIMP, is nearly its equal in power. However, the almost unlimited power of both these programs means they have a steep learning curve that can be quite daunting. While both programs are appropriate for graphics professionals, reviews say most users will be better served with different software.

Instead, professional reviewers recommend Adobe Photoshop Elements (*Est. $80) as the best photo-editing software for most people using PCs or Macs. Experts say the guided editing program within Adobe Elements 8, which is the most recent version at the time of this update, makes it easier to learn to use than most photo-editing software. As you progress, however, Elements can also teach you to use many of the advanced editing tools also found in Adobe's pro-level software, Photoshop.

If you want to email photos or post them on the Internet, the "save for web" feature in Photoshop Elements is especially useful -- letting you preview the resizing and compression along with the new file size and estimated downloading time. The newest version also comes with membership at Adobe's Photoshop.com, making it easier to share photos online. Adobe Elements also provides fairly sophisticated tools for image management and backup, so you can find stored photos quickly.

Upgrading from an earlier version saves you about $20, but if you already own a recent version, such as Adobe Elements 7, experts say that there's not much need to upgrade. For example, Matthew Murray at PCMag.com writes that Elements 8 "looks and feels pretty much like last year's version." Among worthwhile new bells and whistles, Murray says that the recompose tool, which lets you selectively resize only certain parts of an image to recompose a photo, is "the most exciting new addition -- if not the only exciting new addition."

All of the terrific and well-liked features of earlier versions of Photoshop Elements remain. Those include the smart brush, which helps you change specific areas within an image. Reviewers are also keen on the photo-merging features that let you take the best parts of two or more photos to make one composite. This is useful, for example, when every group shot you took includes a different person who doesn't show up well.

We should note, however, that user reviews are not especially strong, though even many of its critics say that the editor itself is indeed top notch. Complaints are varied, though unhappiness with the organizer part of the program gets frequent mention. Others say Elements is hard to learn or can be slow. These kinds of comments are not unusual in user reviews of advanced photo-editing software, and scanning through user reviews of comparable products, we did not spot any that scored notably higher with owners. That underscores the importance of trying photo-editing software before buying, and a 30-day free trial is available directly from Adobe or via any of the many software download sites on the net, including Download.com.

Corel PaintShop Photo Pro (*Est. $100) is Adobe Elements' most notable competitor. Like Elements, PaintShop Photo Pro supports RAW photo files as well as most other image-file types, comes with lots of templates for fun photo projects and has improved its image organizing. First developed by Jasc, then bought by Corel, PaintShop Photo Pro has developed a reputation as the poor man's Photoshop because of its extensive tools.

Corel has just released the latest version, Corel PaintShop Photo Pro X3, and initial reviews are trickling out. PCMag.com gives it a good (though not glowing review). According to the site's Michael Muchmore, PaintShop Photo Pro X3 straddles the gap between Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Photoshop Elements in terms of both power and ease of use. However, even though PaintShop Photo Pro has more powerful editing tools in general than Elements, the Adobe program does have some advantages. For one, Muchmore says Elements as well as Photoshop are much more stable, adding, "I managed to crash PaintShop a couple of times on a heavily taxed yet powerful machine." Elements also offers some pluses for those working in the RAW format. While Muchmore clearly appreciates the increased power available via PaintShop Photo Pro, it's not enough to unseat Elements as PCMag.com's "favorite consumer-level app."

Mac users might also want to consider Apple iPhoto, a photo-organizing and editing program that comes bundled with Apple iLife (*Est. $80) or is included free with a new Mac computer. Reviews of the current version, Apple iPhoto '09, are positive, though experts say the program is not without some shortcomings.

The best review is at Macworld, where Rick LePage says, "While iPhoto largely shines, it still has a few weak points." He has some mild complaints about some of the software's editing tools, such as an Effects pane that he calls "underpowered." He also says Apple should have gone further in streamlining some of the organization features, such as Faces, which now includes face recognition to automatically sort photos by who is in them, and Places, which automatically sorts photos by where they were taken (as long as a GPS-equipped camera was used). He also notes some operational glitches. Still, LePage gives iPhoto '09 a general thumbs up, saying it is "a solid step forward."

Ulead PhotoImpact X3 (*Est. $50) gets some recommendations. About.com's guide to graphics software, Sue Chastain, calls Ulead PhotoImpact a best buy, finding it both easy to use and capable. It accepts plug-ins, which means you can add additional features. The biggest negative is that it lacks adjustment layers -- an editing feature that can save a lot of time. Adjustment layers let you try different fixes and image tweaks without making them permanent until you're satisfied. Additionally, the program doesn't make it as easy as Photoshop Elements to tag photos with keywords and find stored photos later.