Buying Photoshop

[Fordos Moon]

Any recommendations of which version and where to buy please?

Is it worth paying an extra £25 for "elements and premier elements" I've just seen when searching on Amazon?

I have a laptop with Windows 7 on it.

[cfpendock]

Photoshop is expensive. Probably you want a later version, but be aware that you can download Photoshop 2 license free from the Adobe website.

Chris

[Psychobilly]

"The official explanation from Adobe is that, in December 2012, it shut down the servers that handled product activation requests for CS2. Following complaints from existing customers who needed to reinstall their paid-for copies of CS2 but were unable to activate them, Adobe then released the downloads and serial numbers. In a subsequent posting on its forum, it clarified the issue, and stated categorically that the software was only for those who already owned CS2 licences and certainly wasn't to be regarded as freeware."

[studdedsole]

Have you considered GIMP as a free alternative, plenty of forum visitors use it and can help with queries.

http://www.gimp.org/

[Freddie]

Elements does not have all the functions that full PS has so be careful that elements will do the processing you want. It does not have channels as an example.

[Fordos Moon]

Thanks fellas, thinking I should persevere with GIMP for a bit?

[billybob]

Why not download a free trial to test, I think premiere elements is for video editing

[Fordos Moon]

Thanks BB will do!

[studdedsole]

Get on over to the Adobe website, it appears that you can download and install CS2 for free with a free serial number, although as Peter (Psychobilly) says it wasn't the original intention of Adobe to allow this but a number of forum users have tried and suceeded - never look a gift horse in the mouth.

http://www.adobe.com/downloads/cs2_downloads/index.html

[Catweazel]

I find that GIMP does most post processing stuff quite well. I use Elements 9 as well though

[Fordos Moon]

Is there a GIMP guide to processing images? I find it useful but not really aware if anything other than the enhance options?

[ollypenrice]

To answer your original question I think pretty well any of the CS versions will be fine. Totally legit copies of CS3 come up at reasonable prices. Ps tends to draw flak because it is expensive but the older discounted versions are offered at a fair price. I use CS3 which works fine on WIndows 7. It's a wonderful programme even though the marketing policy around it is avaricious in the extreme.

Olly

[milosz]

If you want to process images with 16 bits per pixel neither GIMP nor PS Elements works for you. They offer only 8bpp. GIMP3 will fix it (http://gimp.open-source-solution.org/manual/gimp-config-use-gegl.html) but it will take some time before that happens. If you find PS under 200 euro, go for it. Otherwise why not consider pixinsight?

milosz

[Freddie]

You can get a student version of PS if you have kids.

[Fordos Moon]

Thanks guys in getting PS from a contact ;-) When I put images in GIMP it makes them so blocky due to 8 bit I guess, surely I do something after GIMP to smooth things again?!

[Fordos Moon]

Thanks for the kids heads up unfortunately when they've been stolen by your ex wife it don't count ;-)

[studdedsole]

Thanks guys in getting PS from a contact ;-) When I put images in GIMP it makes them so blocky due to 8 bit I guess, surely I do something after GIMP to smooth things again?!

Why don't you try the free CS2 download?

[Fordos Moon]

I will cheers mate!

[studdedsole]

I will cheers mate!

I downloaded it and installed it on to one of the kids pc's and it works just fine.

[Fordos Moon]

Having a look now, thanks!

[Fordos Moon]

Distracted by Helen on Soccer AM

[JG777]

One thing to realise about buying Elements is that although the camera raw plug in may have the same revision number as the full CS product the version that installs into Elements is a cut down version missing quite a few features of the full version, often reffered to as crippleware! Also unless something has changed in later versions of Elements 16 bit editing is not included.

Gimp IIRC can be used with a plug in raw editor, not sure how good they are though.