Graphics Image Editing Reviews

Review: Alien Skin Bokeh

This plug-in simulates shallow depth of field far better than Photoshop can on its own. But will you use it often enough to justify the price?

Snap Art 2 Makes Photoshop Art Easier, More Realistic

When version 1 of Snap Art debuted in 2006, it was impressive enough. In version 2, Alien Skin has created a superior artistic tool with an improved interface and algorithms.

Review: Tiffen Dfx Suite Version 2

More than 1,000 photo filters combined with a well-implemented interface make this an excellent option for photographers of landscapes, events, portraits, and weddings.

Review: Wacom Intuos4

The Intuos4 feels great, looks gorgeous, and is extremely well-made. Photographers, designers, illustrators, and visual effects artists can all benefit from the innovations in this new line of tablets.

Review: Flash CS4 Professional

Fundamental changes to this already-mature application open up new worlds of possibilities.

Review: Adobe Photoshop CS4

Some improvements and additions will make you smile; others will make your jaw drop in awe.

Camera Raw 5

Take a closer look at the raw processor plug-in.

Review: Silver Efex Pro

If you’re serious about working in black and white, you need to be serious about the tools you use to convert your color photographs to grayscale. Silver Efex gives you the power you need with the ease of use you want.

Review: Capture NX 2

Version 2 brings important upgrades to this innovative image editor, including major interface revisions, workflow improvements, and important new editing tools.

Review: Nik Software's Viveza

This plug-in is ideal for anyone who regularly creates complex masks.

Reviews: Alien Skin Exposure 2.0 and Imagenomic Real Grain

Whether you want to digitally reproduce the look of different film stocks or convert color shots to grayscale, one of these plug-ins may be just what you need.

Review: Adobe Photoshop CS3

There are high-school seniors who have never lived in a world without Photoshop. Does this venerable application still have room for improvement?

Review: Corel Painter X

With amazing brushes that are more realistic than ever, new composition tools for painters and photographers, and a little man inside the software who paints for you (!), this Painter upgrade is worth the money.

Review: HVC Color Composer

This Photoshop plug-in adds an intuitive color selection tool that will save time and money -- once you grasp its complexity.

Review: Alien Skin Blow Up

Do Photoshop's upsampling tools give you the jaggies? When you need to enlarge images, Blow Up may be the helping hand you've been looking for.

Review: CorelDraw X3 Graphics Suite

With new and improved tools in CorelDraw, Photo-Paint, and PowerTrace, this is one sweet suite.

Review: Apple's Aperture 1.0

Apple's first-ever pro photography tool generated a lot of buzz when it was first announced. Ben Long spent weeks putting the shipping version of Aperture through all sorts of tests. In this thorough review, he reveals whether the reality lives up to the buzz.

Review: Wacom Cintiq 21UX Interactive Pen Display

It's a display you can draw on. It's a tablet you can surf the Web with. And it comes with a sophisticated pen and lots of bundled software. But is it right for you?

Review: Adobe Photoshop CS2

The market leader continues to innovate while polishing features that have been around for a while. Ben Long takes you through the newly released program.

Strata 3D CX: Familiar Application in Changing Times

This easy-to-use 3D application sticks to its roots and renders great-looking pictures. Native Photoshop file support makes it even more accessible for graphic designers, but power users will find Strata 3D CX's modeler lackluster.