Graphics software

[RBCE2003]

Hello gang,

At the advise of many people (some here) I purchased Paint Shop Pro (V7.0) to play around (at the semi-hobby level) with graphics, logos and such. I have had it for a little while now, and just started to get aquianted with it. I had many hours of experience with CorelDraw, but since it was on an antiquated computer, and I do not have the original disks anymore... I chose to go with what is new... ala my decision to go for PSP.

SO... now I am playing around, and having a difficult time working with this new (to me) format... did I make the right choice going with PSP?

Any thoughts?

TIA,
RB

[Fred]

Hi RB -

I wish I could help you there. It took me a year to install PSP7 after I purchased it on eBay. I find it hard to comprehend. I never fooled around with any graphics programs so that makes it that more difficult. I know DJ has extensive use of it and Flash Ho. I understand there are some great tutorial sites for PSP. I don't have the URLs. I'm sure someone here will be able to supply those.

[fuhgedaboutit]

Hi RB,

I've never used CorelDraw. PSP7 is the only one I've ever used. I use it for a lot of different things. I usually keep it open in case there's something I see I want to work :roll: with. I am still learning tho. If you've seen any of the stuff I've posted, I made them all in PSP. I remember I was pretty frustrated at first. Still get that way too. But I really have a lot of fun with it.
http://www.ronstoons.com/

http://pub145.ezboard.com/f300simstfrm24.showMessage?topicID=19.topic
( I think Richard (Flash) gave me this one?) He'll be along soon.

I made my avatar with it. (and PSP's Animation 3)


A YEAR Fred? :shock: j/k
________
Zx14 Vs Hayabusa (http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Which_bike_is_quicker_kawasaki_zx_-14_or_suzuki_hayabusa)

[Fred]

Yeah, A YEAR! I bought a closet organizer in 1994 from Home Depot - in keeping with tradition, it is still in the box.
:shocked: :rotfl2:

[Cartman]

Hi RB,

I've never used PSP. My experience with graphics programs came with fooling around with my digital photography. I use Corel's PhotoPaint (Digital Camera Edition) and Adobe's Photoshop Elements. Both are great for graphics, too. They are similar programs to PSP, but primarily for use with photographic work.

You're going to find that the more you play, the more things you'll learn. I started out just playing with the effects and textures, combining them, layering, etc. Don't know if I've actually "learned" anything, but I've come up with some neat things.

I've never done the tutorials nor read the manuals on either. I like to just go in and play with it hands on ... always seems to make more sense to me. Only refer to the manual, if I have a specific question or problem.

I know that folks who use PSP really swear by it.

I'm kinda thinking though, that most of these programs require a "bit" of artistic ability to make them work really well. I'm sure that if I could paint or draw well, it would not take me half as long to create graphics. :roll:

[DJ]

Hi there! I now use PSP a LOT, and I love it, since I discovered what layers are and how to use them. Prior to that, I did nothing but hiss and scream at "losing everything" everytime I realized I dind't like something I did. This describes my situation:

Prior to PSP, I had basically no experience whatsoever using a graphics program, aside from a mandatory Mac class in high school and a two day class in Quark (class was for print use, not web). Initially, I was like "What the $%$??????????" but then I found some tuts online and also some free online "classes" that I decided to take. During the "classes" I thought "Never in a million years will I need to make a "rug" on the computer" or a snowglobe, or almost every other thing you had to make during the classes, but I tried to stick through most of them anyway. What have I learned since? Well... I still haven't had to make a rug. Haven't had time to make another snowglobe, but I learned ALL SORTS of things to enable me to do what I want to do now. The only problem is that God didn't grace me with artistic intuition! LOL! I can sing or talk about pretty much anything you want to, but honestly, I can barely draw a stick person!

My two cents is to stick it out, and enroll in some of the free classes. I think that LVS Online Richard talks about has some too. I'm gonna look aroundon my puter and see if I can find any of my old tut links and stuff. I may have lost them when my mainboard died though. If I can find them, I'll post them.

And there you have it: The world according to me! LOL :P

[Flash ho]

Hi Rb,
I started using PSP about 5 years ago. I still use it as it does things others do not do, like alter/reduce colours quickly, tubes, brushes etc. Photo Shop was the state of the art graphics program which has recently been replaced by Fireworks. Fireworks is the ultimate photo/graphics editor in my opinion. Getting back to PSP, it is very good and has a small learniung curve compared to Photo Shop or FW. There are great tutorial sites out there ( google psp tutorials). It does just about everything ps or fw does. I won't suggest it for print applications, but is perfect for web building. As you play with it, do tutorials and use it, you will keep discovering new tricks, new tools and new ways of using it. As most "tools" are similar from program to program, learning one will make learning another much easier. As with any of these tools, they are usually only limited by your imagination. As you are just getting your feet wet, psp is the way to go. Even if you really get into it and start using other programs, you will still need psp for certain things, so you will not be wasting your time or money.
It is a great value. This sounds trite, but dedicate a weekend to it, actually read the manual ( it is a good one), do tutes, play, experiment and ask any questions here, I'll try to help. $59 never bought me so much fun! Well, actually, that is stretching it, ...........

[DJ]

Okay... Below are some links I have, that were sent to me from someone else. I can't say for any of these tuts or if this links are even still active, because if I've done any of these, it's been atleast a couple of years since I did. Have at them if you will though. I only saved a few specific tuts on my puter that I know of. I don't know for sure what these are, and teh comments written to the side of them are not made by me.

www.free-bird.nl/

www.netez.com/ez/emsgrafx/tuts/index.htm

http://kelchris3.tripod.com/KelliesJunkorama?id17.html (+)

http://members.home.net/ginashome/woodpl/Woodplaque.html (+)

www.geocities.com/misz_99/mzfence.html

http://members.nbci.com/_XMCM/deziner_2/Easter/jchick.html

www.geocities.com/Heartland/1910/tutorials/candle/index.html (+)

www.geocities.com/alicper/bunnyflagtut.html

http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/KraftyKards/KKTutorial3.htm (+)

http://arizonakate.honestead.com/tut11PaddyBear.html (+)

http://wdvl.internet.com/Graphics/Tools/PSP/Slice/conclusion.html (+)

www.jmgraphicdesigns.com/tuts/monitor/monitor.htm

http://members.tripod.com/the_taskbar/angle_harp.htm (It is angle not angel)

www.geocities.com/guru_graphics/globetutintro.html

http://fantasyinspirations.8m.com/egg-tut.html (Several by dif. tut’s here)

www.pantherfish.com/planet/tut3.html

http://hammer.prohosting.com/~disdat/tutorials/ (+)

www.brovik.com/magic-sidebar7.html

http://loriweb.pair.com/tube-place.html

www.designingdames.com

www.geocities.com/pspimaginarium/glassbackgrounds7.html

www.pspPower.com (I think this is correct addy & some good links in the tutorials)

http://distantdesigns.virtualave.net/jaggies.html

www.artbygeegee.com/shapes1.htm

www.tearosecreations.com

www.mamat.com (I think this is correct addy – not sure)

www.stateofentropy.com (I think this is correct addy – not sure)

http://htmlhelp.rootsweb.com/imagehelp/psp7/shapes/index.html

www.pspinteractivezone.com (I think this is correct addy – not sure)

I have downloaded some from this next site headed ‘written for psp 6’ and next line author has said, ‘psp7 users please note, this will work in ver 7’ and may be OK for advanced lessons. http://eaglefeather.geohost.net/wickerbsk.html?1307201032

. http://www.geocities.com/pspimaginarium/cropping7.html

2. http://www.geocities.com/pspimaginarium/borders7.html

3. http://www.geocities.com/pspimaginarium/translucentframe7.html

4. http://www.geocities.com/pspimaginarium/removingcolor7.html

5. http://www.geocities.com/pspimaginarium/backgroundtiles7.html

Bonus Lesson 1. http://www.geocities.com/pspimaginarium/patternedtext7.html

6. http://www.geocities.com/pspimaginarium/embossedtiles7.html

7. http://www.geocities.com/pspimaginarium/fading7.html

8. http://www.geocities.com/pspimaginarium/blendmodes7.html

9. http://www.geocities.com/pspimaginarium/embossimages7.html

10. http://www.geocities.com/pspimaginarium/stainedglass7.html

Bonus Lesson 2. http://www.geocities.com/pspimaginarium/callingcards7.html

11. http://www.geocities.com/pspimaginarium/masks7.html

12. http://www.geocities.com/pspimaginarium/makingmasks7.html

13. Part 1 http://www.geocities.com/pspimaginarium/tubes.html

Part 2 http://www.geocities.com/pspimaginarium/tubestwo.html

Part 3 http://www.geocities.com/pspimaginarium/tubesthree.html

14. http://www.geocities.com/pspimaginarium/transparentimages7.html

15. http://www.geocities.com/pspimaginarium/glassbubbles7.html

Bonus Lesson 3. http://www.geocities.com/pspimaginarium/translucentframe7.html

16. http://www.geocities.com/pspimaginarium/pleatedborder7.html } Looks like there are 2 lessons in 1

16. http://www.geocities.com/pspimaginarium/buttonizedborder7.htmll } Pleated and buttonized borders

17. http://www.geocities.com/pspimaginarium/buttons7.html

18. http://www.geocities.com/pspimaginarium/graduatedframe7.html

19. http://www.geocities.com/pspimaginarium/savingframes.html

20. http://www.geocities.com/pspimaginarium/weavedframes7.html

Bonus lesson 4. http://www.geocities.com/pspimaginarium/glassbackgrounds7.html

21. http://www.geocities.com/pspimaginarium/collages7.html

22. www.geocities.com/pspimaginarium/cloning7.html

23. www.geocities.com/pspimaginarium/brushes7.html

24. http://www.geocities.com/pspimaginarium/cutout7.html

25. http://www.geocities.com/pspimaginarium/kaleidoscope7.html

Bonus Lesson 5. http://www.geocities.com/pspimaginarium/charcoal7.html

26. http://www.geocities.com/pspimaginarium/rainbow7.html

27. http://www.geocities.com/pspimaginarium/columns7.html

28. http://www.geocities.com/pspimaginarium/watermarks7.html

29. http://www.geocities.com/pspimaginarium/twinklelights7.html

30. http://www.geocities.com/pspimaginarium/simplyanimated7.html

Bonus Lesson 6. http://www.geocities.com/pspimaginarium/pointilism7.html

[Flash ho]

Geez DJ, you could only find 77 links?? :)

Ok, so take a weekend to play with psp and another weekend to read DJ's post!! :)

[DJ]

:wink:

LOLOLOLOL! ROFLMAO!

All of those links were in two emails that I thought perhaps I still had somewhere! LOL

[Mr T.C.]

I use Ulead PhotoImpact. Personally I think it easier to start with than PSP but I guess its whatever you get used to. This sort of software is complex. Try to use it daily and just do whatever you can. My friend runs a graphic design company using Adobe every day and his guys are forever finding new aspects in the software. You could spend a lifetime learning these things inside out. Just do what you can, and in time...

[RBCE2003]

Geez, I would pursue PSP if DJ had given a few more links... :D !

Thanks DJ, Flash and everyone who helped... I will get a chance to look at this closer in a few days.

RB

[jan]

Here's one I got off another forum:

http://www.psplinks.com/content/Text_Effects.html