What do you like in PSP 2018?

[lata]

Hi Guys

This topic was supposed to be for things we like in the latest version of PSP.
Recent posts will be transferred to the open forum where you can continue your debates.

Thanks hartpaul for realising the problem and starting the new your new post
Teething problems in PSP 2018

Please give a little time for us to tidy this topic

Regards Trevor
Admin.

[JCBrown]

Trevor,

Thanks for jumping in. I am looking for the positive things that people like in order to make a decision to purchase or not. The adverts have not inspired me.

So people, what are the new features that you really like that make this a worthwhile upgrade?

Sometimes, it takes just one small thing to make it worthwhile.

Thanks,

[JoeB]

Trevor,

Thanks for jumping in. I am looking for the positive things that people like in order to make a decision to purchase or not. The adverts have not inspired me.

So people, what are the new features that you really like that make this a worthwhile upgrade?

Sometimes, it takes just one small thing to make it worthwhile.

Thanks,

To be honest, I don't see anything new that would be a Must Have or WOW feature as opposed to, say, X9. At best there might be some improvement in speed (launch and tool response) that might make it worth it for people who hate waiting a few seconds more. Some might find the bundled Anthetech Pefectly Clear v.3SE has more flexibility than v.2SE that came with X9. So far that hasn't been especially useful to me because I mainly use Perfectly Clear 2 as my One Step Photo Fix with the default Details preset, which it does better than One Step in PSP IMHO.

You should download the trial, check out the new things for yourself and see if any of them impress you enough. The Help file lists all of the new features.

I have often thought that, because almost all new versions of PSP basically have only incremental upgrades to features without any WOW features, and given that Corel engineers have a full year to work on it, they could use some of that time to add the few things we've asked for for years, like custom boundscript icons. After all, it shouldn't take a whole year to do just the incremental updates that we usually see. JMHO, of course.

[photodrawken]

So far that hasn't been especially useful to me because I mainly use Perfectly Clear 2 as my One Step Photo Fix with the default Details preset, which it does better than One Step in PSP IMHO.

Out of curiosity, what are the adjustments made by Perfectly Clear's One Step? For that matter, what are the adjustments made by PSP's One Step?

[Gasman]

Hi guys
New to the forum. I`m just a hobbyist and use x9 and had a quick look today at 2018 and apart from the choice of a different coloured UI I`m wondering if there are other features to tempt me to upgrade?. Maybe more things will appear the more I use it but I`d be interested in others who have x8 or x9 and comparing with 2018. I did notice a slight difference in speed with 2018 also.
cheers
Steve

[JoeB]

Hi guys
New to the forum. I`m just a hobbyist and use x9 and had a quick look today at 2018 and apart from the choice of a different coloured UI I`m wondering if there are other features to tempt me to upgrade?. Maybe more things will appear the more I use it but I`d be interested in others who have x8 or x9 and comparing with 2018. I did notice a slight difference in speed with 2018 also.cheers
Steve

Welcome to the forum. But did you see my post (2 posts above yours) and read other posts in this thread? You haven't said what version you are considering upgrading from. But Corel's site has a pdf file that does a complete comparison of what's new in 2018 compared to X7, X8 and X9 so that's where you should start. Then you can see if any of those What's New features are ones that would be useful to you.

[tomkinsrichard]

X9 to 2018, that's not worth $80.00.

[JoeB]

So far that hasn't been especially useful to me because I mainly use Perfectly Clear 2 as my One Step Photo Fix with the default Details preset, which it does better than One Step in PSP IMHO.

Out of curiosity, what are the adjustments made by Perfectly Clear's One Step? For that matter, what are the adjustments made by PSP's One Step?

The original One Step Photo Fix was written by Kris Zaklika for Jasc Software in 2002-2003. In order, it did Automatic Color Balance, Automatic Contrast Enhancement, Clarify, Automatic Saturation Enhancement, Edge Preserving Smooth, and Sharpen. Whether those are the same steps today I can't say.

Perfectly Clear doesn't have what is called a One Step Photo Fix. What I meant was that I use it as a one step solution to the PSP One Step, and I use it that way by using the Details preset and with its default settings. Perfectly Clear presets have adjustable sliders and radio buttons with different names from PSP's One Step. They are things like Opacity, then several Tone controls (Exposure (slider plus auto low, med and high buttons), Depth (slider plus High Contrast and Hi Def buttons) and Bias settings); Color Controls (Vibrancy, Fidelity and Tint Control options); Clarity (Sharpening and Noise options), and a bunch of other settings for Portrait and Eyes.

However, it's not so much the available settings that apparently make the difference. Apparently, it's supposed to be the algorithm that Perfectly Clear uses to first analyze the image before applying its effects where and as it deems needed and appropriate. I don't know how accurate their description of how this works really is, but I do feel - based on my experience - that I get much better and more consistent results (in most cases) just applying the Details preset without making adjustments to the available sliders. However, that doesn't mean I'm finished because I often still have further processes I might want to apply and which I often find easier to apply with PSP's tools than playing with the sliders in Perfectly Clear.

[photodrawken]

Thanks for explaining that, Joe.

One more quick question: As far as you're concerned, what's more important -- the sharpening or the colour boost?

[JoeB]

Thanks for explaining that, Joe.

One more quick question: As far as you're concerned, what's more important -- the sharpening or the colour boost?

I don't know which of the two programs (PSP or Perfectly Clear) you're asking about. However, I have the original script for PSP's One Step Photo Fix and I removed the Sharpen function altogether from the script as well as auto saturation enhancement because, at least in its earlier form, the saturation enhancement was too strong.

But to answer your question more specifically, I use PSP's Unsharp Mask for sharpening so never use an auto sharpen function when running automatic scripts or processes that include sharpen. I prefer to have more control over the sharpening depending on the image. I rely more on filters like Clarify, Contrast, etc., or other filters that effectively enhance color contrast, so I'd easily say that color boosting in one form or another is much more important than actual sharpening. Sharpening can be minimized - and sometimes not needed at all - if color adjustments and contrast across them is applied properly in advance.

[photodrawken]

I don't know which of the two programs (PSP or Perfectly Clear) you're asking about.

I was asking about one step photo enhancement in general.

(...) so I'd easily say that color boosting in one form or another is much more important than actual sharpening.

Thanks again.

[JoeB]

I don't know which of the two programs (PSP or Perfectly Clear) you're asking about.

I was asking about one step photo enhancement in general.

(...) so I'd easily say that color boosting in one form or another is much more important than actual sharpening.

Thanks again.

No problem, and JMHO of course. And just to clarify slightly, when I say that color boost in its various manifestations is more important than sharpen I'm specifically referring not only to the fact that I feel it does a better job of providing the viewer with the perception of good contrast and color (thus making an image look sharper AND brighter), but also because sharpening algorithms actually create artifacts at color/contrast edges, and this is really image degradation to a certain extent. That's not to say it shouldn't be used and I use it (Unsharp Mask) regularly, because for average uses people viewing the image likely won't recognize the artifacts. But I just want to minimize how much of sharpening I need to use.

[photodrawken]

(Sorry about hijacking this thread, but since there's not a lot of activity in it, I'll risk continuing this interesting discussion a little bit further.)

(...)But I just want to minimize how much of sharpening I need to use.

That's a good general rule, but it does depend on the type of original image.

Here's why I'm asking these questions: PL also has a single-click Automatic Correction. It uses UnSharp Masking to perform the sharpening.

I've got this theory: For purposes of discussing any program's auto image correction, I think it's reasonable to divide images into two categories:

• Images from fixed focus cameras, such as cell phones.
• Images from cameras that do "real" focusing.

I think that USM is very appropriate for images from "real" cameras because their sharpness for the focused object is quite good, and having USM apply sharpening only to the higher contrast edges makes sense. Images from cell phones, however, are "uniformly unsharp" across the entire image and benefit from a sharpening algorithm that sharpens all edges -- low contrast edges as well as high contrast edges.

Just a theory of mine....

BTW, I'll always strongly disagree with your views about colour enhancement (and contrast enhancement, too). For me, it's absolutely critical to maintain the emotional feeling of the original subject. If the picture was taken on an overcast day, those quiet subtle colours must be preserved. Just my opinion, of course.

[jukka]

Much improvements? and changes but

1: Does it have lockable toolbars? have been waiting for that for 5 years now

2: HDR merge & blend and other tools:
Can you drag files into it from explorer? the "multi-file photo select window" really sucks a** !

https://pasteboard.co/GFSZoH2.png

[Gasman]

You haven't said what version you are considering upgrading from

Sorry Joe I'm using x9 at the moment!
Steve