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.

My main reaction to the first 1998 edition of Photoshop for the Web was surprise. After all, Photoshop 5 was a print-based photo editor with no dedicated Web features and little to offer apart from the ability to save to JPEG and GIF...

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...

Photoshop moves beyond photo editing to conquer completely new territory.

Four powerful and long-serving Photoshop plug-ins at a cut-down price.

Best-of-breed photo management, editing and sharing with great usability and value.

With advanced packages such as the latest Photoshop (to be reviewed next month) Adobe is the leading software developer when it comes to traditional graphic design...

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.

A new interface, smart albums, guided editing and photo merging keep Photoshop Elements ahead of the pack

Best-of-breed photo management, editing and sharing with great usability and value.

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

After the launch of the latest Acrobat a few months ago, everything went quiet on the Adobe front. It's now clear what the company was working on, with the simultaneous launch of each of its main creative design packages -- Photoshop/ImageReady, Illustrator, InDesign and GoLive. (Please see individual reviews of all of these packages on this month's cover CD.)

Powerful new versions of InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator, and now Acrobat 8 Professional too.

Photoshop Album

With Web Standard/Premium, Design Premium AND Macromedia’s products now absorbed into CS3, choosing the right suite is EASY.

Some reasonable hands-on editing power, but image management and sharing are disappointing.

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

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

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