Adobe Photoshop, or simply "Photoshop" is an extensive editing tool used to design or edit graphics for websites or personal use and since its release, has become popular with many online artists on DeviantArt, MySpace, and even Yahoo!'s award-winning picture hosting website Flickr. Its support to various formats used on digital designs and allows for media editing and animation, even authoring. And as their motto says, it allows you to get any idea out of your head and on to the screen.
Because it is such a useful and popular tool, its retail prices have been marked relatively high, though websites offer 30, 60, and 90-day trials under a "Free To Try" method. Its retail price has led to a number of competing graphics tools being made available at lower prices for the amateur market of "image manipulation", though has remained popularly with the online community of artists.
Its capability so far is unmatched, said (though not proven) to be par with Jasc Software's line of Paint Shop Pro and other picture editing freeware. However, every new version of Photoshop has delivered significant, noteworthy improvements. It remains the best, most sophisticated image-editing software available keeping the same "feel" for the program, but always updating and giving its users an easier, more comfortable and certainly fun experience. If digital imaging is an important part of your creative life, you'll want Adobe's Photoshop.
As a down side to Adobe's Photoshop, its numerous of installments make it hard to keep up with the updates -- some free, while others are relatively pricey. On top of that, the picture editing takes a while to get familiar with, due to the various options. You could spend hours "playing" with Photoshop, before actually getting comfortable with the software and may need "simplification". Nevertheless, you'll appreciate the workspace, numerous of options, and ultimately, having your idea image before your very eyes. Websites that host Photoshop have given it promising reviews, and if you've yet to try it, it is certainly worth the experience.
