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  • Photoshop?

    So I'm thinking about getting Photoshop, but there are so many versions.

    Anybody here who uses it regularly: Is there a basic one that would make sense to start with?
    When you start at zero, everything's progress.

  • #2
    Photoshop is going top be incredibly complicated no matter what version you get, I had two whole semester-long classes just to learn how to use most of the features. The version we had to get for class was Photoshop CC (Creative Cloud), though our textbook was written for CS6, the previous version, so there were a few differences. I personally think CS6 would have been better to use, since many of the features mentioned in the textbook were eliminated with the CC release and we ended up having to do research on our own to figure out how to add the extensions and such that gave us those features back.
    The fact that jellyfish have survived for 650 million years despite not having brains gives hope to many people.

    You would have to be incredibly dense for the world to revolve around you.

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    • #3
      Try Gimp. It has many of the same features as PS, but it's completely free.

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      • #4
        Unfortunately, at least last time I looked at it, the devs had decided to go after the professional photo manipulator audience. So Gimp is getting as complex as Photoshop, and equally unfriendly for less-serious users.

        There was a big discussion about why when you opened up a JPG file, you could not save it as a JPG file. You had to go through a somewhat-lengthy "Export to" dialog to do it... The justification offered was that the professional's work-flow was to import to a higher-quality format (GiMP native whatever) and save that, exporting a finished product out at the lower JPG quality. And that it didn't really matter that the Rest Of Us just wanted to open a JPG, hack at it for a bit, then save it as a JPG.
        “There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old’s life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged.
        One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world.
        The other, of course, involves orcs." -- John Rogers

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        • #5
          If you really want basic, photoshop elements is simple enough my husband who is not super computer savvy is great with it. It really depends on what you want to do. It's basic, and does some nice work and is simpler to learn.

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          • #6
            I've been using Photoshop in professional and amateur ways for 2 decades now. Due to the price, it's really not a starter tool; I've never used Elements so I'm not sure how cut down it is.

            As for alternatives, I can recommend Pixelmator for Macs, or FireAlpaca for Macs or Windows. If you're just starting out both of those will offer you more than you can get untrained from Photoshop, and cost significantly less - FireAlpaca's free, and very feature-rich.
            This was one of those times where my mouth says "have a nice day" but my brain says "go step on a Lego". - RegisterAce
            I can't make something magically appear to fulfill all your hopes and dreams. Believe me, if I could I'd be the first person I'd help. - Trixie

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            • #7
              Thanks. Sounds a bit more complicated than I was hoping for. I wasn't intending to use it professionally. I tend to feel that anything that takes hours to learn is just more time I'm not spending writing. Might try one of the free things, but maybe not.
              When you start at zero, everything's progress.

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              • #8
                Assuming you're on Windows, there are other free alternatives. ArtWeaver is good, simple, and free (although they also have a paid version), and AlternativeTo.net has a list of other alternatives.

                Personally, I have Photoshop 5 from 1998. Just sayin'.
                Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, you speak with the Fraud department. -- CrazedClerkthe2nd
                OW! Rolled my eyes too hard, saw my brain. -- Seanette
                she seems to top me in crazy, and I'm enough crazy for my family. -- Cooper
                Yes, I am evil. What's your point? -- Jester

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                • #9
                  Quoth Deserted View Post
                  Assuming you're on Windows, there are other free alternatives. ArtWeaver is good, simple, and free (although they also have a paid version), and AlternativeTo.net has a list of other alternatives.

                  Personally, I have Photoshop 5 from 1998. Just sayin'.
                  Thanks, I'll take a look!
                  When you start at zero, everything's progress.

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                  • #10
                    There's also Paint.NET, which is kinda like MS Paint on steroids.
                    Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, you speak with the Fraud department. -- CrazedClerkthe2nd
                    OW! Rolled my eyes too hard, saw my brain. -- Seanette
                    she seems to top me in crazy, and I'm enough crazy for my family. -- Cooper
                    Yes, I am evil. What's your point? -- Jester

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                    • #11
                      Quoth dendawg View Post
                      Try Gimp. It has many of the same features as PS, but it's completely free.
                      I wouldn't say GIMP. I'd say GimpShop.

                      https://www.gimpshop.com/

                      I think it's a little more user friendly.
                      Skilled programmers aren't cheap. Cheap programmers aren't skilled.

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                      • #12
                        Quoth mjr View Post
                        I wouldn't say GIMP. I'd say GimpShop.

                        https://www.gimpshop.com/

                        I think it's a little more user friendly.
                        I just downloaded it, and my Norton anti-virus program said it was unsafe and deleted it.
                        "I don't have to be petty. The Universe does that for me."

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                        • #13
                          Quoth Ironclad Alibi View Post
                          I just downloaded it, and my Norton anti-virus program said it was unsafe and deleted it.
                          That's very strange, Ironclad.

                          GimpShop is generally known to be safe. I've been using it for several years with no issues. My anti-virus has never picked up any problems with it.
                          Skilled programmers aren't cheap. Cheap programmers aren't skilled.

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                          • #14
                            where

                            /Where did you download from?

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                            • #15
                              Quoth earl colby pottinger View Post
                              /Where did you download from?
                              I downloaded it from the link above.

                              I downloaded it again. It was Norton Insight that cancelled it, not Norton Anti-Virus.
                              So I overruled Norton Insight and might give it a try.
                              "I don't have to be petty. The Universe does that for me."

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