I've used Adobe Photoshop since 2004 as a professional photographer.  However since Adobe has stared to only offer it's Creative Cloud versions, I've decided to look into other brands.  (I explain more below.)  I've used Adobe Photoshop Elements, GIMP, Corel PaintShop Pro X5 and X6.  Of these alternatives Corel Paintshop X6 easily comes out on top.

The interface with Paintshop Pro X6 is beautiful.  The menu system has been mildly revamped since X5, making it easier to navigate and faster.

The engine in X6 has also seen some improvements.  Compared to my X5 versions (on the same computer), X6 runs at about 10-25% faster (my estimate) for every process.  So when I apply effects to my images, I see them applied with less lag time.  This is great because I get my work done faster.  10-25% doesn't seem like much, but over a 5 hour day of straight work, I am saving around 20-30 minutes.

This year's new X6 version has some pretty cool new add-ons.  My two favorites are:

1) Perfectly Clear auto-correction.  This is a $200 plug-in for Adobe Photoshop, but included at no extra cost with X6!. Perfectly clear is simply amazing! Finally there is an auto-correction that I will actually use.  I feel that Perfectly Clear even out-performs Adobes many automated macros (auto-levels, auto-color, auto-contrast, etc).  Perfectly Clear automatically applies a combination of lighting, color adjustments, and image sharpening. Then you can refine its effects, with tint correction, exposure, contrast, vibrancy, fidelity, sharpening, noise, and skin tone sliders.  Plus there are presets for portrait, landscape, noise removal, and more.  If you were to use only Perfectly Clear and no manual editing, Corel X6 would still be an incredible deal. You can learn more here: athentech.com

2) Corel's FaceFilter is my other favorite add-on (included in the X6 software).  FaceFilter shows you each part of the face in your photo and lets you apply changes to each part: each eye one by one, the nose, mouth, and jawline. Then it gives you different skin filters: male, female, healthy, smooth, and more.  Some let you even add makeup. Finally you can reshape the contours of the face or even the person's body.  Anti-aging has never been so easy!  The best part is that these filters actually work very well.  The changes are realistic and not out of proportion.

Aside from these two great new plug-ins, Corel Paintshop X6 has a bunch of other automatic effect filters called Instant Effects. These are located in the side menu system and are easy to find and fast to apply.

To say that I'm impressed with Corel is an understatement.  Last year's X5 version was good, but this new X6 version is great!  I can finally see myself permanently moving away from Adobe's Suite.  And Corel's sub-$100 price tag sweetens the deal even more!  If you are new to image editing or wanting to move away from Adobe CC, Corel is the brand you need to check out.

Why I don't like Adobe Creative Cloud... or any Cloud products for that matter.

1) SECURITY!!!!  Last month Adobe was hacked and the private information of over 150 million users was stolen!  Enough said!

2) Adobe has officially announced that it will "continue to sell CS versions (non-cloud) but will not update them" any more.  What non-sense!  The $700 I spent for Adobe Photoshop CS6 last year will soon be worthless as the software will not receive any more updates.  What if my next Windows 8 update affects CS6?  Will Adobe tell me "sorry, you're out of luck"?  I feel like Adobe doesn't care about it's customers after this move!

3) Having my software on cloud slows down my productivity.  Every time I open the program it has to log online, check for updates to my software versions, and compare file versions between my PC and the cloud server.  I do not like waiting an extra 15-30 seconds for this check and I especially do not like having to update my software before I can use my program.  I will update it on my own time when I am not time-crunched for work.

4) Cloud software runs slower because my computer must constantly access the online cloud server while I use the software.

5) It uses up my internet bandwidth.  If I was paying per GB I'd be really upset.  I'm not so this isn't a big deal, but some ISP contracts will set limits to GB downloads each month.  When this limit is reached, then download speeds drop significantly.  With cloud interaction taking up more bandwidth, there is risk of all my streaming data slowing down towards the end of each moth.  Expect performance drops in Netflix, Prime, and Hulu.

6) Monthly fees are far more than I would pay to own my DVD copy of their software.  I usually by a version and use it for 2-3 years before updating.  Paying each month will increase my expenses 2-3x.

7) Being tied into a cloud software contract forces me to agree with and pay any additional fees they charge me and any increase in monthly usage.  I like to make my own decisions about my finances and do not like to be tied into contracts that can change at a drop of a dime.

8) The cost for third-party plug-ins / add-ons to Adobe is outrageous!  Some cost over $200 to add a single functionality.  Corel includes many of these same add-ons with their software.  So for the price of a single third-party add-on for Adobe, I could pay for all of Corel and have money left over.

There are more reasons to list, but I think you see my picture....

Final word about Corel Paintshop Pro X6....  Ultimately I feel that this is currently the best software available for image editing.  Sure Adobe Photoshop is the market leader, however with it's recent changes I see Corel Paintshop Pro as narrowing the gap.  Corel gives me everything that I already use in my line of work and many new automated features (macros/plugins) that I will get a lot of use.

If you are looking for a solid performing photo and graphics software, this is the one you want!  I hope that Corel makes huge gains in their popularity.  They are deserving it after many years of great software!
I've used Adobe Photoshop since 2004 as a professional photographer. However since Adobe has stared to only offer it's Creative Cloud versions, I've decided to look into other brands. (I explain more below. )  I've used Adobe Photoshop Elements, GIMP, Corel PaintShop Pro X5 and X6. Of these alternatives Corel Paintshop X6 easily comes out on top. The interface with Paintshop Pro X6 is beautiful. The menu system has been mildly revamped since X5, making it easier to navigate and faster. The engine in X6 has also seen some improvements. Compared to my X5 versions (on the same computer), X6 runs at about 10-25% faster (my estimate) for every process. So when I apply effects to my images, I see them applied with less lag time. This is great because I get my work done faster. 10-25% doesn't seem like much, but over a 5 hour day of straight work, I am saving around 20-30 minutes. This year's new X6 version has some pretty cool new add-ons. My two favorites are:

1) Perfectly Clear auto-correction. This is a $200 plug-in for Adobe Photoshop, but included at no extra cost with X6!. Perfectly clear is simply amazing! Finally there is an auto-correction that I will actually use. I feel that Perfectly Clear even out-performs Adobes many automated macros (auto-levels, auto-color, auto-contrast, etc). Perfectly Clear automatically applies a combination of lighting, color adjustments, and image sharpening. Then you can refine its effects, with tint correction, exposure, contrast, vibrancy, fidelity, sharpening, noise, and skin tone sliders. Plus there are presets for portrait, landscape, noise removal, and more. If you were to use only Perfectly Clear and no manual editing, Corel X6 would still be an incredible deal. You can learn more here: athentech. com

2) Corel's FaceFilter is my other favorite add-on (included in the X6 software). FaceFilter shows you each part of the face in your photo and lets you apply changes to each part: each eye one by one, the nose, mouth, and jawline. Then it gives you different skin filters: male, female, healthy, smooth, and more. Some let you even add makeup. Finally you can reshape the contours of the face or even the person's body. Anti-aging has never been so easy! The best part is that these filters actually work very well. The changes are realistic and not out of proportion. Aside from these two great new plug-ins, Corel Paintshop X6 has a bunch of other automatic effect filters called Instant Effects. These are located in the side menu system and are easy to find and fast to apply. To say that I'm impressed with Corel is an understatement. Last year's X5 version was good, but this new X6 version is great! I can finally see myself permanently moving away from Adobe's Suite. And Corel's sub-$100 price tag sweetens the deal even more! If you are new to image editing or wanting to move away from Adobe CC, Corel is the brand you need to check out. Why I don't like Adobe Creative Cloud... or any Cloud products for that matter. 1) SECURITY!!!! Last month Adobe was hacked and the private information of over 150 million users was stolen! Enough said! 2) Adobe has officially announced that it will "continue to sell CS versions (non-cloud) but will not update them" any more. What non-sense! The $700 I spent for Adobe Photoshop CS6 last year will soon be worthless as the software will not receive any more updates. What if my next Windows 8 update affects CS6? Will Adobe tell me "sorry, you're out of luck"? I feel like Adobe doesn't care about it's customers after this move! 3) Having my software on cloud slows down my productivity. Every time I open the program it has to log online, check for updates to my software versions, and compare file versions between my PC and the cloud server. I do not like waiting an extra 15-30 seconds for this check and I especially do not like having to update my software before I can use my program. I will update it on my own time when I am not time-crunched for work. 4) Cloud software runs slower because my computer must constantly access the online cloud server while I use the software. 5) It uses up my internet bandwidth. If I was paying per GB I'd be really upset. I'm not so this isn't a big deal, but some ISP contracts will set limits to GB downloads each month. When this limit is reached, then download speeds drop significantly. With cloud interaction taking up more bandwidth, there is risk of all my streaming data slowing down towards the end of each moth. Expect performance drops in Netflix, Prime, and Hulu. 6) Monthly fees are far more than I would pay to own my DVD copy of their software. I usually by a version and use it for 2-3 years before updating. Paying each month will increase my expenses 2-3x. 7) Being tied into a cloud software contract forces me to agree with and pay any additional fees they charge me and any increase in monthly usage. I like to make my own decisions about my finances and do not like to be tied into contracts that can change at a drop of a dime. 8) The cost for third-party plug-ins / add-ons to Adobe is outrageous! Some cost over $200 to add a single functionality. Corel includes many of these same add-ons with their software. So for the price of a single third-party add-on for Adobe, I could pay for all of Corel and have money left over. There are more reasons to list, but I think you see my picture.... Final word about Corel Paintshop Pro X6.... Ultimately I feel that this is currently the best software available for image editing. Sure Adobe Photoshop is the market leader, however with it's recent changes I see Corel Paintshop Pro as narrowing the gap. Corel gives me everything that I already use in my line of work and many new automated features (macros/plugins) that I will get a lot of use. If you are looking for a solid performing photo and graphics software, this is the one you want! I hope that Corel makes huge gains in their popularity. They are deserving it after many years of great software!