PSP 2018 vs. PSP 2019

[JoeB]

I have read the (still) short thread about What Do You Like About PSP 2019. So far, the few posts suggest better stability, and somebody likes being able to change text size and somebody likes being able to import settings from previous versions. And somebody liked the PicToPainting plugin, but I suspect that can be obtained separately and used by those with previous versions of PSP - although I stand to be corrected.

What I haven't seen in that thread - or in this main PSP forum - is much discussion about what makes PSP 2019 a better graphic editor when actually working with the program than PSP 2018. I'm not a big fan of relying on Corel's "What's New" stuff, but more interested in what's new that actually works better for actual users of the previous program when now using the new (2019) program.

So I'd be really interested if those who have had the program for awhile (and I know many have taken advantage of the pre-release version) would post some info about how/if PSP 2019 improves their workflow once installed (including after you might or might not have imported previous settings) compared to PSP 2018.

Hope some of you will chime in.

[hartpaul]

Hi Joe, I still do testing with PSP 2019 but when I really want to work I still go back to X8, X7, or X2.
X2 - because as my first post in that thread - the default highlighted choice accepts the Enter key . I use Levels a lot whan doing processing of a lot of files. Sometimes I need the Level setup I have chosen and don't need to readjudt the sliders so I can just hit Levels > Enter and then the X to close > Enter and that file is done and dusted (2 clicks and 2 Enter). When working with hundreds of images that helps speed up the processing a lot . Otherwise it is click the Levels button then click the OK button then Click the X and then Enter (three clicks and an Enter, but is the navigating of the mouse around the screen that takes the time). Also the Save uses the last set Save AS compression.

X7 because it still uses the one dialog for Screenshots - really hate the updated version introduced in X9 which makes you go over 4 dialog pages - that is not simpler and still exists in PSP2019/

X9 - because it is the most updated in all the PSP versions without the stupid catastrophe of the Crop tool. If that is not corrected in an update for PSP2019 then I will probably not purchase 2020.

2019 is for me marginally faster than earlier versions.
I have updated to Win 10 v1803 on a 1 TB SSD and times for reopening the last three versions are:
X9 - 6 sec
2018 - 7 sec
2019 - 5 sec.

[JoeB]

@hartpaul, I completely understand why you might want to use different versions of PSP depending on how well a particular version performs for your specific tasks.

I am just starting to test out 2019, hence my question and post. With close to 60 views so far yours is the only reply, and it doesn't indicate that you've found anything yet in 2019 that stands out at all, let alone a "wow" feature. If any of the other post viewers are early users of 2019, then the fact that none of them have replied would likely mean that they, also, haven't found anything special about 2019. I don't consider a plugin (e.g, PicToPainting) to be a feature of the actual program, and so far that's the only thing that seems to have been found quite nice to a couple of posters in the other thread.

On the other hand, we also haven't been seeing reports of actual bugs - and particularly crashes for which 2018 got quite a few complaints and which I have recently been experiencing with what I would consider relatively light work with perhaps quite a few layers and several images open. So maybe stability might be the only real useful new "feature" of 2019. But only time will tell.

And I agree, a real downfall of 2019 is that Corel ignored all of the complaints and requests about the crappy crop tool. I tend to use the Selection tool now for most of my cropping.

Will be waiting to see if anyone has found any actual "almost wow" - at least - features in 2019. Otherwise, if it proves to eliminate the crashes I have recently experienced then that might be its only redeeming quality.

[hartpaul]

Just had another look at the advertising for 2019 at Corel
https://www.paintshoppro.com/en/product ... 7#overview
and the emphasis seems to be on the extras PhotoMirage™ Express, Painter® Essentials™ 6, Perfectly Clear 3.5, and Corel® AfterShot™ 3,
There is mention of " over 50 performance improvements based on direct feedback from users"but they don't seem to be listed anywhere and they still seem to think that "In response to user feedback, we’ve radically transformed the Crop tool " is an improvement.
When I process an image that has a tilted horizon, I use the straighten tool that also has the option of auto crop or to leave extra space to allow for the rotation. If cropped there is no extra space left around the image.

Now if you use the crop tool to rotate how do you rotate the image to make sure it is aligned with a true horizon? Do you have to just guess how much to rotate, or have a grid across the image to help in alignment ? and then if you have rotated and cropped you no longer need that extra area to allow for further rotation so because it does not disappear it makes that tool feel like it is not finished.

One of new features is 360 degree camera support - how many people have or use this on a regular basis to make this a necessary new feature ?
I do like the allowance for larger text (mainly to support 4K monitors) but helps a bit if screen vision is a problem.

Another feature / improvement/? - "easy access to Instant Effects, One-Step Photo Fix, and Depth of Field" To me just makes the crop tool bar more cluttered. Those three items can be just as easily made available using a separate customised toolbar.
5 times faster cropping? how is that measured, Cropping time does not seem to be a problem for me and a search of the forum for crop tool brings up more mention of the catastrophe it has become rather than complaints that cropping is terribly slow.
Overall no real wow moments from the program - more so from the extras.

[JoeB]

Just had another look at the advertising for 2019 at Corel
https://www.paintshoppro.com/en/product ... 7#overview
and the emphasis seems to be on the extras PhotoMirage™ Express, Painter® Essentials™ 6, Perfectly Clear 3.5, and Corel® AfterShot™ 3,

Well, I don't shoot RAW so don't need Aftershot. I already have the full Painter as well as Perfectly Clear Complete 3.5, so don't need the crippled SE version. And while I've seen PhotoMirage in action and it's kind of cute, I don't see it having much of a place in my workflow.

There is mention of " over 50 performance improvements based on direct feedback from users"but they don't seem to be listed anywhere and they still seem to think that "In response to user feedback, we’ve radically transformed the Crop tool " is an improvement.

Which is one reason I don't put any reliance in Corel's "What's New" page and info! The biggest improvement asked for by users was to at least make the classic Crop Tool an option, and Corel completely ignored that. So they really don't have any credibility when they say they acted "in response to user feedback."

Overall no real wow moments from the program - more so from the extras.

Just about what I expected. And the "extras" only matter to those who haven't already acquired the full versions of whichever of those products they actually want, and are either satisfied with the crippled SE versions of those products or willing to get PSP 2019 to try the crippled version before deciding whether or not to get the full version. And most - if not all - of those "extras" can be downloaded as trials from their respective developers anyway without purchasing PSP 2019 to try them out.

So the only thing - for me at least - that would make it useful is if it handles the type of workflow I've been doing recently with several images open (in the 3K to 4K pixel range and quite a few layers on one or two of the images) without crashing. And the crashing only started for me with PSP2018 64bit a couple of weeks ago. Given that I do quite a bit of that kind of work, I will have to test it out for that type of stability, because I think I have seen at least a couple of reports of better stability. Time will tell.

EDIT: Just thought that I'd add that I'm getting the same opening times for PSP 2018 and PSP 2019 that you reported, at least after the first opening. They are 7 seconds for PSP 2018 and 5 seconds for PSP 2019 starting from when I click the shortcut. Better, but definitely not a WOW feature. I'm more interested in how fast they open large images as well as how fast they apply effects, render changes, render saves, etc. Opening the program is the least time consuming - by a factor of at least 100 and likely 1000 -part of my workflow with PSP. By huge factors the time spent working with images and rendering the edits is what matters - to me, and I'm sure is to others if they think about it.

[iNate]

I'm still on X9 but I only use it for straightening JPEGs. It's unusable if you have to deal with Photoshop Document (PSD) Files, so I use Affinity Photo for all of my serious work. The RAW Lab hasn't been updated in forever, and the "new cameras" include a ton of smartphones which record to Adobe DNG files - PaintShop Pro X9 supports that just fine (though AfterShot Pro doesn't - laughably).

They haven't added a single thing since X9 that I find useful, which cannot be gotten for way cheaper in much more professional applications available cross-platform; which have significantly better PSD file support.

I'm still confused as to the target market for PSP, these days.

Is it aimed at Enthusiasts and Professionals, or are we expected to use Corel PHOTO-PAINT, instead (only available for $400+ or a Subscription with CorelDraw, which is way more expensive than Adobe's Photography Plan).

I already have Affinity on macOS, and am only waiting for 2.0 to see what to do... But, I'm starting to feel like I'm not really in Corel's target market.

[Joelle]

Replying to JoeB..

I have stuck with PSPX9.
Haven't seen any must-have features in the newer versions.
The only niggle I have with X9 is that when 2 or more images are open in the workspace (I don't use Tabbed Documents, never have) and I highlight one image, then scroll with the mouse wheel to zoom in, the other images seem to join in! Very irritating.
It must be something to do where the mouse pointer is hovering, but that shouldn't make any difference as the other images are not highlighted.
If that got fixed I might consider a later version, but not for the 'improvements' (huh, what improvements?) that are being offered.

Corel seems to just add fluff and rarely work on something that's useful, like sampling on an open image when using Adjust Curves, instead of having to mess inside the Adjust Curves itself. It used to be like that but hasn't been for many versions.
No amount of complaining during beta testing has helped. I've stopped testing as Corel don't listen anyway.

Jasc you are missed ..!!

Joëlle

[Jean-Luc]

It must be something to do where the mouse pointer is hovering, but that shouldn't make any difference as the other images are not highlighted.
Joëlle

Joëlle,
you may try to modify the way Windows reacts with the mouse.
Mouse behaviour may be modified here (sorry for my French Windows) :

[Joelle]

Thanks Jean-Luc.

It's weird, as this never happened before X9! Same Windows 7 computer though.
I now use W10 (new computer) and it also happened.
Have used this setting:

It's improved, but still does it if the mouse is over the inactive window.. as I said, it's weird.

Joëlle

[Jean-Luc]

[Joelle]

I did that, it sort of works

Joëlle

[ehume]

I am in a bit of a quandary. I like PSPx9. It does everything I want. It has a problem in that I cannot get Perfectly Clear v3 to work properly, even though it works in PSP 2018. What it does do is rotate the Crop Tool, not the image.

PSP 2018 seems to add nothing but the ability to make larger icons, which is a big deal for me. What I do not like is the rotating image. If Corel likes it, it should be an option, not a choice forced on us. Oh, and PC3 works fine.

PSP 2019 adds nothing but the ability to enlarge text. This is nice but not a must-have for me. I find I am sticking with PSP 2018 with its enlarged icons. The rotating image is tremendously off-putting.

If PSP 2020 went to a user choice between rotating Crop Tool and rotating image, I would consider getting it. I'll likely pass on PSP 2019, and with a rotating image, probably pass on PSP 2020.

[Tanquen]

Did they fix the crop/select zoom? I got 2018 2 months ago and don't use it as the zoom is messed up.

[Linda Lou]

Do you still get ads in 2019?

[cosmicDread]

Tanquen,

They have a free trial version that you can download. That's what I did, because I wanted to know if the zoom follows the mouse pointer or goes to the center of the image. With the crop tool, zoom goes to the center of the image. I guess I'll have to wait to buy a later version once this gets fixed. At least, I still have PSP X9, which zooms to the mouse pointer.