Learning Paint Shop Pro

fjclaus · Post by **fjclaus** » Wed Sep 16, 2009 3:31 am

As a professional Photographer, I was given a copy of Paint Shop Pro from a friend as a birthday present. I've loved what I've been able to learn so far, but the number of video or other tutorials for Paint Shop Pro are very limited. Seems like what I want to learn can be done with PSP x2, but the only tutorials out there are for PhotoShop CS4. If I read or watched a photoshop tutorial, would the procedures to do it in PSP x2 be similar just the tools are in a different area?

Ken Veal · Post by **Ken Veal** » Wed Sep 16, 2009 9:41 am

Have a look at
http://www.officialpspp.com/ and

www.michelespaintshop.com
There is a Tutorial Section here , you can search for topics and I think thereis a site called Lynda.com or simular that may help............Ken

fjclaus · Post by **fjclaus** » Wed Sep 16, 2009 2:32 pm

Thanks Ken,

I'll definately check them out in detail. I noticed the Official Paint Shop Pro magazine is no longer in print. Is that site still updated? Any plans from Corel to publish their own magazine? This really is a much better program than PhotoShop.

Ken Veal · Post by **Ken Veal** » Wed Sep 16, 2009 3:45 pm

Not sure about the answer your questions,I have version X - I presume you have the official guide for your version the one I have is published by
Osborne.com.I also have the Coral User Guide

fjclaus · Post by **fjclaus** » Wed Sep 16, 2009 5:35 pm

Well, the one I have is "Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 for Photographer" by Ken McMahon. It's publised by Focal Press. I don't have the users guide but I was thinking about getting the one "Picture Yourself Learning Paint Shop Pro"

I have downloaded the trial version of PhotoShop CS4, and I personally don't like it. The only thing PS has that PSP doesn't do is the filter effects. As a Professional Photographer I can do that on camera. I would be nice if PSP had that option but what they do have that PS doesn't makes me want this program more than PS. Plus it's much easier to use. Just keep looking for tutorials, and more instruction books.

Thanks for the tips on the website and the books. I will look for the Users guide for X2.

Post by **LeviFiction** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 2:33 am

You know I liked the information in "Paint Shop Pro for Photographers" but there were some spots that annoyed me. Some of the screen shots are not updated. Some of his information isn't entirely accurate. And other parts are directly from the one for version XI. I know that if the information is the same there is no need to change it but when he uses phrases like "maybe they'll fix this in version XII" I wonder how much time was actually spent on the update. But it's still a good informative book. The depth of field section annoyed me a little but that's because I learned a different, better way, from another professional photographer.

As for using Photoshop tutorials, I use those myself a lot of the time. There are naturally some fundamental differences, terms, locations, and functions, between Paint Shop Pro and Photoshop but many tutorials designed for Photoshop are done in such a way that many other graphics programs can use them. It's actually how I learned most of what I know about Paint Shop Pro. I know a few others have some experience with the same thing.

Though some of the differences often seem like they don't have an equivalent even though they do. One good example is when they tell you to adjust the fill opacity. In Paint Shop Pro you have to go into layer styles and adjust the layer opacity in that dialog box. Not something you'd readily think of.

I've been creating very bad video tutorials that simply go over the tools and their options and not actually getting into methods or uses of the tools. I do this because the ones that are out there show methods without giving a good introduction to the tools themselves. When I get time I'm going to go over the Clone Brush.

The help files, though small in print, are still very good explanations of many of the things that are available. One great book that I really enjoyed reading was "Photo Restoration and Retouching with Paint Shop Pro" by Robert Correll. He gives a lot of helpful hints for fixing various photo problems and the tools he uses as well as his "play with it" method. When I contacted him he even sent me the pictures he uses in the book to help me learn faster and follow along in the book.

My favorite Photoshop tutorial author is Deke McClelland. He explains things in a very easy to follow manner. Though honestly I've only ever watched him on Lynda.com. Which by the way does have Paint Shop Pro X Essentials. Most of the information is still valid.

Many older Paint Shop Pro tutorials are still valid.

Sorry I don't have any links, my computer crashed and I lost all of my previous links.

It's back to the search engine for me.

fjclaus · Post by **fjclaus** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 2:40 am

It's funny you mention Robert Correll. I have been having email conversations with Robert for a couple weeks now, and I have his book on order at Barnes and Noble. He has a great book and Photo restoration is the one thing I would really love to learn. That's the main tutorial videos that are not available on PSP, at least not on YouTube. Where are your videos posted? I'd love to view them.

Post by **LeviFiction** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 3:26 am

On YouTube.

Paint Shop Pro Basics is what I call them, and again I think there are better things out there.

Episode 1 is right here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuDtD2pW ... re=related

But I haven't gotten very far and it's possible some of my own information is incorrect or incomplete. Just a fair warning.

fjclaus · Post by **fjclaus** » Fri Sep 18, 2009 3:16 am

Thanks for the link. I've watched it and subscribed to your channel for future videos. It was very helpful for me as I didn't know much about what the Undo/Redo option.

Thanks again. Maybe you should post this in the Tutorials section as well.

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Fri Sep 18, 2009 4:25 am

fjclaus wrote:Thanks for the link. I've watched it and subscribed to your channel for future videos. It was very helpful for me as I didn't know much about what the Undo/Redo option.

Thanks again. Maybe you should post this in the Tutorials section as well.

LeviFiction
Welcome to the Tutorials Group!

Post by **LeviFiction** » Fri Sep 18, 2009 6:31 am

EDIT: Removed dumb joke. Serious comment to follow.

Very well, hope it helps somebody.

SnedekerDesignz · Post by **SnedekerDesignz** » Fri Sep 18, 2009 6:20 pm

You can check out my site: semiprotuts.com I got some tutorials, some for photo enchancing also

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