PSP X3 is a Lemon!

[TXShooter]

I couldn't afford the X6 version and the various plugins that I wanted at the same time, so I settled on X3 as an upgrade (full program) from my old JASC version, and I'm seriously regretting it. The font size feature is a mess between 'pixel' and 'point', which seems to be confusing the software upon selection... what should be a large size font is actually tiny on one new file, and in the next new file it is super large. Also, I've noticed what appears to be an extra space on the right side of each line, yet no actual space exists and this throws off the centering of the text line. I can't adjust the Leading nearly as well as I used to... as soon as I enter a negative (minus) in the 'edit box' of the Leading parameter, the text that I typed is deleted.

When I attempt to draw a point-to-point bezier curve on it's own vector layer, PSP instead puts it on the previous vector layer and somehow links it to the previous object drawn (a preset shape in this case). So when I want to increase the line width on the new curve, the previously drawn shape changes with it. I don't want to convert that vector to a raster just yet because there are some things that I want to look at before applying effects.

There have been a few other 'hiccups' since I purchased it about a month ago, but I had thought it to be 'operator error'... now I'm not so sure. I'm still having to use my older version to do the basics, and then open up the file with X3 to apply some of my plugin features. Other than that, this X3 version just seems to be good for a few features that my older version does not have.

Does the X6 version fix these things? I feel ripped off!

[Joelle]

X3 was never beta tested and it shows.
I don't know if you can still get the updates for this, although they won't fix any vector issues.
Since Corel has taken over ownership of PSP, the vector side has been badly neglected.
They added Photo to the title, which they have, after a lot of complaints, removed again, but it hasn't meant vectors have been improved.
I rarely use PSP for vectors nowadays, but Xara Photo & Graphic Designer 9 instead, it's excellent, very fast and very easy to use.

X6 works well enough for photo editing, only a few niggles

Joëlle

[TXShooter]

X6 works well enough for photo editing, only a few niggles

Yeah, just a few. Bright and shiny ones too.

In reading some reviews about Xara, I've come to the suspicion that most graphics software (programs) out there aren't worth their weight in helium, but rather it's the plugins that make them gold. Does that sound about right to you?

[Joelle]

I don't think there is any software on the market that doesn't have niggles.
I don't use Photoshop, so can't say if it is perfect/faultless, but I doubt it.

As far as Xara goes, I think it is brilliant and am a very happy user. But as it's a vector program, it can't do what a bitmap editor does, although basic photo editing works well.

PSP is also good, but it all depends on how much time a user is prepared to put into it.
A lot of users are not familiar with what is in it and prefer to use plugins to finding out what's under the hood.
But yes, X3 wasn't the best version.

Joëlle