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...

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.

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...

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

Improved interface, object and layer handling, plus integrated 3D painting add greatly to power, usability and value

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.

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.

With its enhanced interface, support for transparency and new collaboration features, it’s the best release in years.

Photoshop moves beyond photo editing to conquer completely new territory.

Moving in the right direction, but it isn’t easy teaching an old dog new tricks.

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

Improved interface and drawing capabilities, new photo matching and hand-drawn effects – and it’s still free

QuarkXPress defines and dominates high-end publishing in much the same way as Adobe Photoshop does photo editing.

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

An improved working environment and ground-breaking colour handling make Illustrator fresher than ever.

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

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

For a new release, Snapfire already looks old-fashioned and unexciting, but at least the basic version is free.

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?

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