This package has it all... and is EASY to use!
Written: Jul 15 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Low cost, MANY features, easy to use
Cons: None I can think of!
The Bottom Line: This is a great tool for photo processing. Easy to use, with a ton of features!
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| ladyconsumer's Full Review: Roxio PhotoSuite 7 Platinum Full Version for PC |
I use Roxio Photosuite Platinum 7 for all of my photo editing needs. It is a really nice package – very complete in terms of features. I really can’t think of anything it’s missing. It is VERY easy to use… for the most part, the system guides you step-by-step through all of the features.
I paid only $10 for this version, because I upgraded from an older package called MGI Photosuite. Brand new, this product runs around $30.
When you first start the software, you see a main menu with the following items:
Import photos
This option allows you to import photos, video files, and audio files from your device (digital camera, scanner, CD, DVD, microphone) and save the file on your computer. Any devices currently attached to your computer appear in a listing and it’s a fairly simple matter to choose one of the devices and tell the system to get the files.
Edit and fix photos
This option allows you to grab any photograph already on your computer, and make changes to it. It uses a typical windows browser screen that allows you to easily find your files. You can view your files either as a listing, or as thumbnails (small images). Click on just one file, or use Ctrl-Click to choose multiple files, then click “open” and the photos are displayed in a new window where all of the edit features are in a submenu.
The edit features are:
*overall quality Use this option to modify the exposure, brightness, and contrast. You can also have the system perform an “auto fix” (called photodoctor). This is a computerized analysis of the photograph, followed by an automatic adjustment. I use this option on every photograph I edit. It does a better job tweaking the settings than I could ever do manually.
*facial flaws Red eyes, blemishes, and wrinkles can be fixed/smoothed using this option. The blemishes and wrinkles are “fixed” using a “smoothing tool”. You use your cursor to tell the system where the blemish/wrinkle is, and the system analyzes the colors in the surrounding areas, and uses those colors to “paint over” (thus “smooth”) the wrinkle. Red eyes are fixed by basically painting over the red.
*damaged photos This option allows you to fix dusty or scratched photos. The method is a “smoothing tool” very similar to the one that erases blemishes and wrinkles.
*transform This option allows you to crop, rotate, and resize your photo. The cropping tool allows you to crop to a variety of shapes (stars, hearts, etc), not just the standard rectangle. The resizing tool allows you to specify sizes in inches, centimeters, or pixels.
*add photos This option allows you to merge additional photos with the one that’s currently open. You can choose your own photo to add, or pick from a huge gallery of images that come with the package. Kids, especially, will find it fun to add cartoon “props” to their photos – mustaches, hats, silly jewelry, etc.
*effects These are special effects you can use to change the overall look of your photo. Add shadows, make the image transparent, etc.
*text Use this option to add text boxes (i.e., captions) to your photos. You can adjust the font, the colors, and the placement of the text box.
*paint and draw A variety of “brushes” are available for you that allow you to “paint” directly on your photo.
*cutout and masks Use this option for free-form cutouts – for instance if you want to trace around the outline of a person, to remove the background.
New Canvas Think of a “canvas” as a blank poster board onto which you can paste photographs, drawings, text, etc. I use this option when I want to make a “collage”. I start with a blank canvas, and put many small images onto it. Later I save the entire collage as a single graphics image. It’s a convenient way to display or share multiple pictures.
Projects Some “projects” that you can create in this package include calendars, cards, gift tags, albums, etc. Choose a project, and the system will take you step by step through the entire process.
Borders This is one of my favorite features. You can add a border or a frame to your photos. There are about 100 different styles to choose from – all different colors, textures, and widths.
Photo Stitch Use this option to combine several photos together into one, forming a panoramic photo. To look nice, the photos must overlap a small amount. Using a tripod will help ensure that your photos all “match up” correctly.
Multi Photo Enhance This option provides a way for a limited number of features to be used on multiple photos simultaneously. Some of things you can do are: fix, enhance, transform, rename, and apply special effects.
Create slideshow This is a powerful tool that allows you to make a slideshow presentation using photos, audio files, text, and visual enhancements, such as transitions between slides.
Create greeting card There are about 120 templates for making greeting cards that include photographs. The system will guide you through all the steps to customize the cards.
Print You can print one photo on each page, multiple photos on each page, or a contact sheet (showing many photo thumbnails on each page). The contact sheet option is a good way to obtain a listing of the items in your folders or collections, or if you want to sort or compare numerous photos quickly without wasting a lot of paper.
Email photos This option helps you e-mail photos individually, either as an attachment or in the body of an HTML-formatted e-mail message (if your e-mail client supports this option), or you can send your photos packaged in a slideshow. It will also help you bundle other files such as videos, audio files, and slideshows into an email.
Create new VCD This is a DVD-builder. It’s easy to turn your video and photos into DVD movies with professional-looking transitions and animated menus that will play on your DVD player.
Online Photo Services This option walks you through the process of using an online photo service to post your photo files to an Internet site from which other people can view the files.
In summary, for a few bucks, you get a package that enables you to do pretty much anything you’d ever want to do with your photographs!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
ladyconsumer
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Member: Mona
Location: Sunny South Florida
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