Photo editing software

[mjac]

Sorry if this is off topic but I'll try to keep it FTA related.
I see from time to time photo postings of dishes, lnbs, receivers, etc that have been edited to point out a specific detail, orientation or other features.
I am photo editing challenged and would like to acquire something simple that I might use. Something simple with lines, arrows and a way to insert text.
Any suggestions. Freeware is good.

Thanks

 

[Pismire]

MSpaint?

 

[LoTech]

Yes, Windows Paint is actually pretty powerful. You can crop, insert text, draw arrows, circles, ellipses, rectangles, etc...

If you want something more substantial you can download and try gimp (gimp.org).

 

[mjac]

Thanks guys!
I had it and never knew it. I told ya I was "challenged"
I'll play with it a bit.

 

[FTABman0]

mjac, A little better program other than MS Paint is Paint.NET!

Free!
Paint.NET doesn't cost a dime.

I use it all the time and it has better features than the MS version!

You have to have all your .Net Framework drivers and software up to date to run it, and the best part of it it is FREE!

About Paint.NET

Paint.NET is free image and photo editing software for computers that run Windows. It features an intuitive and innovative user interface with support for layers, unlimited undo, special effects, and a wide variety of useful and powerful tools. An active and growing online community provides friendly help, tutorials, and plugins.

It started development as an undergraduate college senior design project mentored by Microsoft, and is currently being maintained by some of the alumni that originally worked on it. Originally intended as a free replacement for the Microsoft Paint software that comes with Windows, it has grown into a powerful yet simple image and photo editor tool.

It has been compared to other digital photo editing software packages such as Adobe® Photoshop®, Corel® Paint Shop Pro®, Microsoft Photo Editor, and The GIMP.

Get it here: Paint.NET Windows Version

Get the .Net Framework Here: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1

Brief Description Of Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1
Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 is a full cumulative update that contains many new features building incrementally upon .NET Framework 2.0, 3.0, 3.5, and includes cumulative servicing updates to the .NET Framework 2.0 and .NET Framework 3.0 subcomponents.

It also has free updates, it will remind you that they are availible!!


TIP: Must have the .Net Framework installed first to install the Paint.NET Program!

System Requirements
Minimum System

Windows XP (SP2 or newer),
or Windows Vista,
or Windows 7,
or Windows Server (2003 SP1 or newer)
.NET Framework 3.5 SP1 (free download from Microsoft)
256 MB of RAM (Recommended: 512 MB or more)
1024 x 768 screen resolution
200+ MB hard drive space
64-bit mode requires a 64-bit CPU and a 64-bit edition of Windows
Please note that Paint.NET uses your hard drive to store temporary files related to undo/redo history. Because of this, actual disk space requirements will depend on the type of actions you perform on an image, and on the size of the image.

Features

Screenshots Of The Program


Hope this helps you mjac! I love the program!



K E V I N

 

[Anole]

short list:

Very much FTA-related:
I was made a lot of switch drawings with MS Paint, and really hated it. (yes, it got the job done)
So, I took a tour of possible substitutes.
I make no warranty that any of the following will do what you want, but here's my list:

[B]Paintbrush and Drawing programs[/B]:

GIMP: (free)
http://www.gimp.org/
manual: http://docs.gimp.org/en/
ver 2.6 looks to be a high end paintbrush program!

ImageForge: (free)
http://www.cursorarts.com/ca_imffw.html
ver 3.60 
- 1° increments
- no object transparency

Paint Shop Pro: ($69)
http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satellite/us/en/Product/1184951547051#versionTabview=tab0&tabview=tab0
- looks like a photograph editor program, red-eye... :(

ArcSoft.PhotoStudio: ($80)
ArcSoft.PhotoStudio.v5.5.0.61.rar  
http://www.arcsoft.com/en/products/photostudio/
- good for all sorts of photographs, red-eye, etc.

I use a tiny little (and very old version) of Lview, but just to resize pictures.
It was free in its day, and probably has [ame="http://download.cnet.com/LView-Pro/3000-2192_4-10001532.html"]a price and many more features[/ame] now.
I will resize a picture and crop it in Lview, then load it into Paint to put on captions.
You must tell Paint to save in high res for things you are keeping and in JPEG for things you are posting, so that's another drawback.

The Paint.Net above may very well be far superior to any of these.
I dont recall if I found it when I searched, and discounted it, or just didn't see it.
Not all programs do everything you might need.
So, when I used two programs, that was inconvenient.
Hopefully, one of the above will do it all!

edit: wow, the new version of Lview does look like one-stop-shopping!
However, it costs money, so I'd consider the free alternatives above , first.

Here's a list of other suggestions from the Cnet site:

[FONT=Fixedsys][SIZE=2]..   [B]Most popular Image Editing Software downloads[/B][/SIZE][/FONT]

[LIST=1]
[*][FONT=Fixedsys][SIZE=2] 161,524 downloads                [URL="http://download.cnet.com/IrfanView/3000-2192_4-10021962.html"]IrfanView[/URL][/SIZE][/FONT]
[*][FONT=Fixedsys][SIZE=2]134,137 downloads                [URL="http://download.cnet.com/PhotoScape/3000-2192_4-10703122.html"]PhotoScape[/URL][/SIZE][/FONT]
[*][FONT=Fixedsys][SIZE=2]  37,525 downloads                [URL="http://download.cnet.com/Paint-NET/3000-2192_4-10338146.html"]Paint.NET[/URL][/SIZE][/FONT]
[*][FONT=Fixedsys][SIZE=2] 31,290 downloads                [URL="http://download.cnet.com/Adobe-Photoshop-CS4-Extended/3000-2192_4-10011172.html"]Adobe Photoshop CS4 Extended[/URL][/SIZE][/FONT]
[*][FONT=Fixedsys][SIZE=2] 12,115 downloads                [URL="http://download.cnet.com/Adobe-Photoshop-Elements/3000-2192_4-10057110.html"]Adobe Photoshop Elements[/URL][/SIZE][/FONT]
[*][FONT=Fixedsys][SIZE=2][URL="http://download.cnet.com/image-editing-software/3150-2192_4-0-1-4.html"]See all Image Editing Software download[/URL][/SIZE][/FONT]
[/LIST]
[FONT=Fixedsys][SIZE=2]   ..[/SIZE][/FONT]

 

[FTABman0]

I love Gimp in Mandriva Linux formally Mandrake. Used that and still do sometime when I am in Linux!

Yea, Paint.Net Anole is the bomb, as you can see by the screenshots it has that Paintshop Pro look to it.

I can say it is easier to use than Paintshop or Photoshop and is really a fast learn. The requirements are not that harsh, older machines can use the program with little trouble!

Give it a go, it is a lot better than MS Paint, about the same basic concept though for it was written to replace the older MS paint programs that came with OEM newer Windows.

For your diagrams Anole, you will not be disappointed in the ease of the program!

I see some I have never heard of in your list of alternatives at the bottom of your post, I will do some research on them!

K E V I N

 

[Tron]

I use Irfanview (freeware) for most of my photo viewing and manipulation, although its paint and draw features are rudimentary compared to other software mentioned here.

 

[Anole]

any news?

I wonder if anyone followed through with any of these programs?

Thought maybe Linuxman might have had some comments.
He used one of 'em to trim up a Birdview logo, earlier this year.

I thought the best of the bunch, might be that Paint.Net
But, when I went to download the latest Net support, Micro$oft wanted to probe my computer and "authenticate" me.
Most unseemly. Go #@:rant:&* yourself, Microsquish!

Plus, I got sidetracked. So, anyone with a comment on any of the candidates?

 

[delta_charlie]

Hi all, I have used Irfanview for years. The drawing features are limited with this program; however, it has outstanding batch processing capacity. If you need to work on a lot of pictures this is the one!

It is also very easy to use for basic photo editing.

Hope this helps, DC

 

[Phottoman]

Serif also has some great things going for it, and it also is FREE.

Google Serif Page Plus, and Serif Photo Plus. There are, I seem to recall, a total of four different programs that you can download free from their site.

I have been using Photo Plus for years including stuff I have attached to several of my postings on Satguys.

Photto

 

[Fizbi]

I wonder if anyone followed through with any of these programs?....Plus, I got sidetracked. So, anyone with a comment on any of the candidates?

Anole,

I have tried most on your list. Each has it cons or pros.

I prefer to use Paint Shop Pro. I have been using version 6 for many years for professional cartoon and illustration work. I recently upgraded to Paint Shop Pro X2. You can see some of my work by visiting my website listed in my profile.

Version 6 is very fast and I use it to do quick layouts or changes. X2 is slower as it has more features for editing text and layers. Working with layers allows for infinite changes without wasting too much time.

I believe PSP is more bang for the buck. The free stuff lacks tools or support I need for the three document scanners I rely on to scan artwork up to AU3 size.
Many editing programs lack good support for pressure pens and digitizer tablets that I use at home and on the road. These are key issues for me, so I stick with programs that I can depend on. PSP supports the tools I like to use.

I would pit PSP against the more expensive Adobe Illustrator application that cost ten times more.

For editing dish, electronics, layout photos for FTA, PSP is more than capable.
All the photos you have ever seen in SatelliteGuys, can be easily edited or manipulated using PSP.

PSP X2 has a free 30 trial download that is not degraded. I would suggest downloading it for free for 30 days and give it a spin. You may like it.

Hope that helps.

 

[B.J.]

I have tried most on your list. Each has it cons or pros.

I prefer to use Paint Shop Pro. I have been using version 6 for many years for professional cartoon and illustration work.

I use Paint Shop Pro also. I'm still using the version 6 because it does everything I need. My wife uses Photoshop, which is more capable, but you really have to study the Photoshop process to have any chance of doing anything that PSP can't do. PSP isn't free, but I started out many years ago with a cheap version, and upgraded to it.