Paint Shop Pro
Paint
Shop Pro (PSP) has been the choice of many digital editors for well
over 10
years - my first experience with the program was a free download when
it was known as Jasc Paint Shop Pro about 10 years ago
Corel is the current publisher and their latest version is PSP Photo X2.
In terms of 'bang for
your buck' PSP
may be the best value on the market and it works perfectly with a Wacom
Bamboo or Intuos 3.
The
full version is under $100.00 and it approaches Photoshop full version
in power. From what I can determine it is a much more
powerful
and versatile program than Elements - OK - enough comparisons to
Photoshop - maybe.
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When this site was started it was my
intention to do as many Paint Shop Pro tutorials as possible but the
version of PSP that I had was such a resource hog it was not worth the
time. A simple brush stroke seemed to take forever.
Sadly, Paint Shop Pro is only available for Windows - what the heck are
they thinking???
The
new version seems to be working faster (but not as fast as Photoshop at
least on my slow machine)
so let's take a look at how to achieve fabulous results with PSP.
The
Workspace
To
me this is a fabulous looking screen and completely different from what
I am used to seeing. Everything is white writing on a
gray-black
background which is very impressive.
The screen may look intimidating to a new user but it really is quite
easy to use once you get the hang of it.
On the left of the workspace is the Learning
Center and includes tabs to:
- Get Photos
- Adjust
- Retouch and Restore
- Collage
- Text and Graphics
- Effects
- Print and Share
Clicking on one of the tabs will take you to another
screen with a new list of options.

Now this is really neat - when you select any tool from the Tool Bar
then the Learning Center displays instructions on how best to use that
tool and a few tips as well.
This is the Saturation
Brush tool panel and it tells you what you need to know to
use this tool effectively.
What a fabulous idea!
Here's what I found about this panel. I was experimenting
with different tools and was annoyed that I couldn't locate the
keyboard shortcut to change brush size.
I looked at the tips and what do ya know - there it was - "Press Alt and drag to resize
brush."
What a quick and easy way to change brush size!
The right side of the screen is where the majority of the
palettes live. You can have them visible or not and select the
ones you want in the Palette drop down menu.

My favorite, of course, is the palette that sets the Brush Dynamics for
your Bamboo or Intuos tablet and it is called Brush Variance (the
same name PSP has used in previous versions).
There are nine different options for the brushes, each of them the
options has twelve different settings available and the jitter of each
option can be adjusted as well.
No one I have ever spoken to really seems to understand what jitter
means. I'm sure it must be important to somebody, somewhere
and sometime.
This is an impressive group of palettes when you have a tablet (Bamboo
or Intuos) installed.
The palettes are ...
| Layers |
Histogram |
History |
| Learning
Center |
Materials |
Mixer |
| Organizer |
Overview |
Photo
Tray |
| Tool
Options |
Brush
Variance |
Script
Output |
So far PSP Photo X2 looks pretty darn good. As I mentioned
earlier it is probably the best value in the digital editing category
and well worth your consideration.
The only complaint I would have is that PSP seems to be somewhat of a
resource hog if your system does not meet the minimum system
requirements - like my machine. The program does and
impressive job! And oh -
did I mention that it only works on Windows?
Essential
Skills
Basic
Layers
There are a few
essential skills for successful work with Paint Shop Pro and
one of them is working
with layers.
Raster
layers allow for non-destructive editing of your image in a variety
of different ways. Once you master them you will
wonder
why
the heck you weren't using them all along.
Click the thumbnail to learn more about how to use Raster Layers.
Mask Layers
Mask
Layers are one of those things that may seem intimidating at first but
they really are quite simple.
What they do is mask off part of an underlying layer and this means you
can show or hide part of an adjustment you have made.
Once
mastered they will become an important part of your Paint Shop Pro
digital editing routine. Click the thumbnail to get started.
Blend Modes
Now
that you have an understanding of Layers, let's move on to Layer Blend
Modes. The blend modes in Paint Shop Pro determine how one
layer
interacts with the layer below it - and they interact in neat and
useful ways.
The blend modes are the same in Photoshop,
Photoshop Elements and Paint Shop Pro so the tutorial is done with
Photoshop and the steps will work perfectly with Paint Shop Pro.
Click the thumbnail to learn more about how to use the layer blend
modes with your digital imaging.
NOTE:
There are three Blend
Mode Videos created just for my Paint Shop Pro friends.
You will find them here ... Paint Shop Blend Modes
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Scrapbooking
Are you into scrapbooking and use Paint Shop Pro to edit your photos?

Did you know you can create amazing scrapbook pages with Paint Shop
Pro?
You can make outstanding scrapbook pages with PSP!
Click on the thumbnail to visit the Paint Shop Scrapbooking page ...
Tutorials
Brush Variance
The Brush Variance
Palette is how you
change your brushes to react to pressure when you are using a Wacom
tablet.
The pressure sensitivity and resolution of the Wacom tablet with Paint
Shop Pro Photo X2 will help you create amazing results.
Click the Brush Variance thumbnail to learn how to use this palette.
PSP
Clone Tool
The Clone Tool is
versatile and will produce excellent results if you know how to use it
correctly.
Click the image to learn more about the PSP Clone Tool and the
two other removal tools - the Scratch
Remover and the Object
Remover.
Makeover
Paint
Shop Pro has a group of very powerful and easy to use
Makeover Tools. They are all located in one place so
it
makes it really easy to apply them to an image.
After the makeover is applied you can continue with Skin Smoothing and
some final tuning to create a fabulous portrait.
Click the thumbnail to go to the Makeover page.
Do
You have A Paint Shop Pro Tutorial
You Would Like To Share With - Well - Everyone?
I
really appreciate all the great comments received about
these tutorials but know there are many,
many Paint Shop
users out there who know a heck of a lot more than me - and we would
love to hear from you!
If you have a tutorial or technique that
you know other Paint Shop Pro enthusiasts will love then why not share
it with them?
Submit Your Tutorial or Technique
Here.
PSP
Lineart
This
is a neat technique that's a lot of fun. It's also versatile
as
you can make changes to the settings and create a completely different
look.
Amaze your friends and family by creating a line art image from a
photograph!
Click the thumbnail to learn how to use this technique.
PSP
Airbrushing
This
is a technique adapted from a Photoshop tutorial. Airbrushing
differs from the Makeover Tools technique because it tends to provide a
more natural outcome.
Click the thumbnail to learn about this technique.
Creating
a Reflection
This
tutorial will lead you through the steps required to create a
reflection under a simple object. It's a fun
technique and
you can create some outstanding results.
Click on the thumbnail to visit the Paint Shop Pro
reflection page.
Eliminating Shine
One
of the biggest challenges for photographers is the annoying
shine
that magically appears on noses and foreheads and chins.
It is relatively easy to eliminate shine using the tools in Paint Shop
Pro Photo X2.
Click on the thumbnail to find out how easy it is to get rid
of those shiny spots.
Hikey
Conversion
Creating one of those
really neat hikey images with Paint Shop Pro is not particularly
difficult once you know the steps.
The
neat thing about this type of conversion is that there is no wrong end
result. You keep working at it until you are satisfied and
then
you will amaze your friends and family.
Click the thumbnail to find out how to create your own hikey image with
Paint Shop Pro.
Soft Light
Layer Dodge and Burn
Most PSP users know
about the normal dodge and burn tools and probably fancy themselves as
quite adept with them.
This tutorial will demonstrate a different and very effective method to
dodge and burn using a soft light layer.
A
soft light layer can be used in a wide variety of situations to make
local adjustments. This means you can lighten or darken a
small
area of an image without affecting the overall image.
Click the thumbnail to discover how to use a soft light layer to dodge
and burn.
Black and White
Conversion
1.
Greyscale, Black and White Film and Channel Mixer
Converting
a colour image to black and white images, also known as greyscale
images, can be achieved in a variety of different ways with Paint Shop
Pro.
Some methods are quite simple and produce OK results while
other, more involved techniques can produce dramatic, outstanding black
and white images.
Click on the little greyscale image to learn more about color to black
and white conversions.
2. Dual
Hue and Saturation Adjustment Layers
The
dual Hue/Saturation/Lightness Adjustment Layer technique is adapted
from a Photoshop technique written by Russel Brown.
One
of the adjustment layer simulates the black and white film and the
other simulates the full range of filters normally used with black and
white film. There are an enormous number of modifications
one
can make to a color image to create stunning black and white images.
The
first half of the video demonstrates how to use the two adjustment
layers and the last half uses the new image to make additional
modifications with a Mask Layer.
Correcting
Color
We have all had one of those images with a weird color cast that seems
to defy all of the built in functions that are desigend to
eliminate it, right?
At this point it is necessary to have a manual technique that will work
quickly, effectively and easily to fix the color.
This manual technique makes use of the Average dialogue as well as a
Levels and Curves adjustment to set the color right.
Click the thumbnail to learn this really neat and effective method of
color correction.
Blend Range
The Blend Range in Paint Shop Pro is a
powerful yet mis-understood and under used adjustment.
It allows you to make subtle adjustems between layers and works will in
conjunction with the Paint Shop Pro Blend Modes.
Click on the thumbnail to learn how to use this adjustment.
Autochrome Conversion
This
tutorial comes to us courtesy of Terry in England. He seems
to be
a student of photography and enjoys creating really nice old time
images.
At first I was simply curious about this conversion but
after converting a number of images I must admit that the end
product is really pleasing.
Grab youself a nice image, click on the thumbnail and learn something
about the early roots of photography.
The good thing is that Terry seems to have some other interesting
tutorials so get this one down before the next one is created!
Creating Scripts
Paint Shop Pro comes with over 50 built in scripts that will perform an interesting variety of tasks.
Writing a script may seem to be a difficult taks but in reality they are easy and straignt forward to create.
Click on the thumbnail to learn more about writing your own script.
Photo
Restoration
PSP Photo
Restoration
Restoring priceless
old family photographs can be a real challenge.
Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 makes the job much easier with a couple of
really unique tools.
Click on the thumbnail to learn how to use these tools to restore your
old photographs.
PSP Curves
Using curves and
channel mixer adjustment layers can make a dramatic improvement in your
old, discolored images.
Click
the thumbnail to follow along with the text or watch the video to learn
how to use these powerful techniques with your images.
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