Corel PaintShop Pro

Software Overview

Corel PaintShop Pro (PSP), previously PaintShop Photo Pro, is a program used for editing images and digital photos. It includes a drawing canvas with advanced editing features for intelligent cropping, layer-based editing, batch image processing, HD video generation, and Web publishing. PaintShop Pro also includes digital photo management features and can backup images to CDs or DVDs.

PaintShop Pro allows you to import images and RAW digital photos or create images from scratch. The application supports a wide variety of RAW digital camera image formats such as SRF and native files from other graphics editing applications such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. Several built-in effects allow you to quickly modify the color, tone, brightness, and contrast of digital photos. Once images are imported and edited, they can be maintained using the Manage view, which stores metadata, such as custom tags, a user rating, and other information for each image. The Manage view allows you to view image thumbnails and sort and filter images using search keywords or other parameters, such as the creation date and file format.

The application features an Essentials Workspace and a Complete Workspace for editing your projects. The Essentials Workspace is ideal for when you want to make quick and simpler edits. It comes with larger icons and a less cluttered layout that makes it especially useful for beginners. The Complete Workspace is ideal for the advanced and professional users. This workspace appears more similar to the Photoshop layout with a large selection of tools and other editing features.

Advanced PaintShop Pro features include the HDR (High Dynamic Range) Module, Magic Fill, Simple Carver, and Object Extractor tools. The HDR Module allows you to create surrealistic images by adjusting color or exposure, or by removing distractions. The Magic Fill feature enables you to erase unwanted portions of your image, such as car in a landscape image, and seamlessly fill in the erased portion to match the surrounding area. The Simple Carver and Object Extractor tools allow you to isolate and extract portions of images as well as expand or contract graphics without distortion. Extracted objects may be combined with other images or backgrounds using the layer-based editing features.

Whether you are a casual or professional user, Corel PaintShop Pro allows you to choose a workspace to reflect your level of expertise, making it easier for you to edit your images. And while it is still not as popular as Adobe Photoshop, PaintShop Pro provides features that rival Photoshop. Also, it is available for a one-time purchase, unlike the cloud subscription required to use Photoshop, making it an attractive alternative for casual and professional users.

▶ Primary file extension

▶ Other file extensions used by Corel PaintShop Pro 2018

Updated: August 21, 2017