Xenofex 2 is an updated range of Photoshop-compatible plug-ins from Alien Skin, the developer of Eye Candy 4000, one of the most popular filter collections and a personal favourite of ours. This was mainly down to its interface, which is thankfully shared by the new Xenofex collection.

FreeHand has had a long, distinguished career since its launch 15 years ago, but time has caught up with it. While Macromedia concentrated development on its Web-oriented MX applications, FreeHand was put on the back burner and fell seriously behind its main rivals CorelDRAW (see issue 60, p54) and Adobe Illustrator (see issue 51, p88). So, is this latest release evidence of further decline, or has FreeHand finally risen to the challenge?

Adobe Photoshop is so dominant when it comes to print and Web-based bitmap-editing that, in many ways, it has come to define the whole field...

A simplified interface, strong photo-to-art Focus and the low price make painter essentials a great buy.

One way to get your Website's logos and page titles to literally stand out is by making them 3D. Xara3D is designed to make the whole process a cinch.

Microsoft prepares to march into Adobe territory with its forthcoming suite of graphics and web development software.

An excellent release that reworks Photoshop’s core colour-correction capabilities, making them even more powerful

Non-destructive image processing and creative filters feature in this comprehensive upgrade to the market leader.

With its improved interface, colour handling, image adjustments and brush-based artistic creativity, DrawPlus moves onto a new level.

When you think of photo editing, the chances are you think of Adobe Photoshop. However, the majority of non-professional users don't need Photoshop's high-end power and can't justify its cost. That's where Paint Shop Pro (PSP) comes in. Its low price is definitely its initial attraction, but that has never stopped it aiming high. At times, as with version 6's introduction of vector layers, it has even left Photoshop trailing behind. However, version 7's minor fiddling was a serious letdown and as time passed, it began to look as if PSP had run out of steam. Version 8, though, shows this isn't the case.You begin to realise how fundamental the overhaul has been as soon as you load the application.

New effects enable richer design results, while a host of other improvements boost productivity.

Throughout its long and chequered career – first under MetaCreations, then Procreate and now Corel – Painter has always stood out as the artistic and creative computer application bar none. The reason is simple: Painter's unique range of natural media brushes.

Our massive guide to Adobe's huge overhaul of the Creative Suite, including reviews of Photoshop CS4, Illustrator, InDesign and Dreamweaver.

A new focus on animation, better video support and deeper integration, but not the core authoring package it once was.

Improved media handling, Flash video support and greater interactivity see Captivate extend into new areas of training.

New realism for bristled brushes and automatic painting that approaches manual quality give Painter X an edge.

A period of transition as Adobe deals with its Macromedia inheritance and the changing nature of the web.

Still heavy going, but a raft of improvements means it’s the most comprehensive drawing package on the market.

Photoshop moves beyond photo editing to conquer completely new territory.

Advanced long document functionality and screen-based publishing via Flash contribute to another Quark-bashing.