Ulead PhotoImpact 10 makes image editing simple

Being a big advocate of the KISS (keep it simple stupid) method of computing, I was delighted to see the folks at Ulead are continuing the tradition.

Ulead has been in the image processing and manipulation business since the early '90s but has always been overshadowed by companies that had become synonymous with digital photography --- Adobe Photoshop and Jasc PaintShop.

Well, my friends, it looks like those days are coming to an end. Now you can't purchase digital cameras, scanners and other devices without being exposed to basic versions of the company's programs.

But what has impressed me the most is how easy their products are to use.

PhotoImpact 10 ($89.95), what they refer to as their flagship product, has got to be one of the most goof-proof image manipulation programs available today. It walks you through every step you need to go through to accomplish feats such as reducing redeye, adding special effects or even enhancing the quality of your photos. Plus, it has spawned offspring --- CD & DVD PictureShow 3 Deluxe ($49.95) and Disney DVD PictureShow 2 ($49.99).

While PhotoImpact gives you the power to edit and enhance your images, PictureShow allows you to organize your digital images into photo albums, burn them onto CDs and then play them back using the DVD player hooked up to your TV set.

But PhotoImpact is the key to making all of this happen. Among its key features are:

• Commands are easier to understand and there's a "Basic Mode" that simplifies every function you need to produce quality images.
• A Digital Camera Wizard can be accessed directly from the PhotoImpact image editor.
• You can select complex images obscured in low contrast backgrounds using the new lasso tool and the Object Extraction Wizard.
• New touch-up tools allow you to remove undesirable image details from your photos.
• Painting, drawing and cloning tools can be used to enhance your digital photos.
• A new High Dynamic Range Engine allows you to enhance your photos by extending the range of light and painting out unwanted elements.
• Split View lets you see how your images are changing as you enhance them.
• New painting and artistic effects, including halftone, etching, engraving and contour drawing.
• A full set of Web tools to create everything from buttons to slideshows and animation.
• GIF Animator 5 for creating Web animations and Cool 360, for creating wide angle and 360-degree panoramas.

This, my friends, brings the power of high-end digital editing programs to the novice.

For more information on PhotoImpact 10 and other Ulead products, go to the company's Web site at www.ulead.com.

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