Which image editing programs to all of the fine people here swear by? Which ones to you swear at? What are the advantages and the disadvantages of them? Currently, I'm using Adobe Photoshop 5 and Imageready. I'm curious how it stacks up against the others out there.

I'm using Paint Shop Pro. I don't really know how it stacks up against Photoshop, but it has power far beyond my limited skills and the price was right.

Sometimes to add different effects I'll use MS Image Composter (er.. Composer) or MS PhotoDraw. But again, the price was right.

I actually have PhotoShop, but I've been using PSP for so long that it's hard to change my ways.

I use Paint Shop Pro, too. Back in my poorer days, I had a registered version of PSP and a pirated copy of Photoshop. I figured the pirated version was sort of a test drive and that I would buy Photoshop once I had money since it kicked PSP's ass, but Paint Shop Pro has made great strides since then. I just can't justify spending $600 on Photoshop when I already have PSP and it does just about anything I'm apt to try to do with a graphics program.

Plus, Jasc just bought some customer loyalty from me. We had lost our PSP registration info and CD somewhere in San Francisco. My wife recently sent Jasc an email explaining our situation and asking what could be done. Much to my surprise, they found our registration file and quickly responded with an offer to let us download a new registered copy for free. No upgrade fee (normally $39), no download fee.

MGI Photosuite.

I hope I get off my lazy but and get a real program soon.

I use PSP7.
wasnt there alredy a post like this?

photodeluxe BE 2.1E(?) not sure if it is an e on the end but fuck it

At home I use a pirated copy of Photoshop 5 which I've had probably since it was the latest version. At work (where I occasionally do some recreational editing) I've got a copy of Photoshop Elements. It's basically Photoshop for people who, like me, will never use the real Photoshop to its fullest potential. It costs about the same as PSP, if I recall correctly.

I used to use and swear by Paint Shop Pro. But I've tried the evaluation of PSP7, and I'm disappointed in the direction it seems to be heading. If they sold 6 anymore I might consider buying that. Last I checked, they still sold version 3 for the benefit of anyone who still used Windows 3.x, but I think that's going a little too far back.

I have the GIMP at home too, and I've found that the Windows port is more stable than I expected (but still not as stable as we could hope for). However, not being able to work with GIFs is a real limitation. I never make GIFs if I can help it, but unfortunately, there are times when I can't help it.

When I can afford it, I'll probably buy a copy of PSE or PSP to use at home. Alternately, if anyone can point me to a tool that lets you draw empty geometric shapes as easily as MS Paintbrush does, I'll try that. In fact, if Paintbrush had a better zoom feature, I'd probably use it a lot more often. All the blending and second-guessing crap that modern software does is great, as long as there's an easy way to turn it off.

I have an old hacked version of PSP - I love the thumbnail view thing. But for editing I use Photoshop 5 at home and Photoshop 6 at work - which leads to command confusion since they changed things.

I hear you, evil_d. I didn't always have access to photoshop, and indeed I think I had PSP a while back... not that I used it a lot. But yeah, I don't know what's so hard about making a decent gemoetric shape tool that photoshop can't have a nice one.

JrnymnNate... I swear I keep reading "MGI Prostitute" when I scroll by your message.

Photoshop 6

PSP 7

Of course , since ive never actually put an entry into a contest yet , this doesnt count.

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When I can afford it, I'll probably buy a copy of PSE or PSP to use at home. Alternately, if anyone can point me to a tool that lets you draw empty geometric shapes as easily as MS Paintbrush does, I'll try that.

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I use a combination of Photoshop 5.0 (for compositing, some shadows, resizing, and recolouring) and Corel PhotoPaint 7 (for easy compositing, lighting effects and some shadows, but mainly for times when I have to draw or paint my own details).

Photoshop does layers much better, and its composites are much neater, but PhotoPaint handles floating objects better, and does a better job of transforming them. Also, as hinted before, Photoshop is crap for actually drawing, so if I have to do any of that, I use PhotoPaint. On an average photo edit, I jump back and forth between them.