• Best Computer For Professional Photographers
• Best Desktop Computer For Photography

Best Photo Editing Software of 2019 - Programs for Less Than $100We thoroughly tested each program by manipulating the same set of photos to see how each program handled the edits. The programs all scored differently based on how intuitive the software's interface is. We also evaluated the photo organizing system to see how well the system helped us find and arrange our photos. Our testing helped us identify as the best photo editing software in our review. Its user-friendly interface and advanced editing tools are good for both beginners and seasoned graphic designers alike. The photo organizing system helps you arrange your photos in a variety of ways so you will be able to find the images you need quickly.

You cannot post directly to online photo galleries using this software.This software offers some automatic editing tools, which is helpful for beginners, but it also provides hands-on editing tools that allow you to tweak your images exactly the way you want.The Smart Photo Fix tool allows you to compare the original image alongside an edited preview as you make alterations, which can help you make the changes you want.The interface is clean and organized so you can easily find the tools and menus you need. You can organize your photos by rating, keywords, people and places to help you find your photos faster. It also keeps track of your images' EXIF data so you can look up the exact settings your camera used to capture your photos. It also works with a wide variety of file types, including RAW, PSD and PDF files so you can edit just about any project using this software. One thing that helps this program stand out from the others is its extensive help features and resources. The learning center tool allows you to get information quickly about any of the tools in the program. PaintShop Pro also has hundreds of tutorial videos on its YouTube page so you'll be able to find help on any subject.Best Value.

There aren't any printing project resources.This software offers all of the advanced photo editing tools that an experienced photographer or graphic designer might want, including content aware tools, EXIF data, HDR tools and more.While each of the programs on this review can make edits, this software creates the most professional-grade edits. Surprisingly, this program is relatively cheap and only requires a one-time payment instead of a subscription like many of the top programs on the market.As a more advanced feature, this program's Assistant Manager allows you to make presets to each of the editing tools so that when you select a specific tool it automatically adjusts brush settings, adjustment tools, masks and layers to match your predesignated specifications.

This program lacks a built-in photo organizing system. While it isn't necessary to have one, it can make the editing process easier when you can quickly locate your photos.There are dozens of tutorials on the Affinity Revolution YouTube channel and even more throughout the web so you can learn various effects from experienced users.

It is compatible with all the basic files along with PSD, RAW and PDF files. This program is available on both Windows and Mac so it is more likely to suit your needs. A full version of the software recently became available for the iPad.Best for Beginners.

It only supports six file types.This software is split into six different sections to help you find the tools you need without overwhelming you with too many options at once, which is especially helpful when you're a beginner.A user guide is available within the application to help explain the various tools, and there are dozens of video tutorials online to help you learn and achieve more effects. You can add text and a number of text effects to your photos using this program. This software's watermark feature allows you to easily create and place an identifying mark on your photos so you can feel better about sharing them online. In addition to editing your photos, this software also allows you to create slideshows complete with music, transitions and accompanying text.The Library section helps you to find and arrange your photos by rating, tags and name.

To save you time, this program allows you to use batch editing to complete the same edits to a group of photos. It also features a content-aware removal tool which allows you to seamlessly remove items from your images and fills the empty space in a way that matches the rest of the photo.Best For Learning Adobe. The Photo Organizer is in a separate application.Photoshop Elements is the gateway software for Adobe CC. The program's interface is divided into Quick, Guided and Expert mode, designed to help beginning users grow and come to an intermediate editing level.You can toggle between the modes to learn how to use the software until you are comfortable enough to stay in the Expert mode. Adobe offers the best editing tools on the market and this is made evident by its impressive content-aware fill tool, which allows you to remove unwanted objects, like trash or electrical poles, from your images and fill in the space believably with just a couple button clicks.This is one of the only Adobe programs that doesn't require a subscription.

You'll just need to make a one-time payment, albeit it a pricey one, of roughly $100. This will give you access to 90 creative filters, plenty of tutorials, HDR tools, blemish removing tools and many more useful features. Like many of Adobe's programs, this one expects you to work with other Adobe software to fulfill your editing goals. The photo organizer is a separate program that opens in a different window.

While this is nice in getting you ready for how other Adobe software works, it can also be a little annoying popping between the two programs.Best Built-In Photo Organizer. This editing software doesn't use layers.ACDSee Photo Studio offers over 60 filters so you can quickly add stylization to your photos. It also features plenty of drawing and painting tools as well as background removal tools.However, the reason it didn't score as highly as other programs is because this software doesn’t work in layers, which is standard for most photo editing software. This means you cannot view and select your separate elements as easily as you can with other programs.

This software also requires that you take a few extra and somewhat unnecessary steps before you can finalize your editing changes to your file, which is why it didn't score as highly in the ease of use category.If you don't mind the lack of layers and the extra steps it takes to edit your photos, this program is a great choice. It has a phenomenal photo organizer that allows you to separate, rate and organize your images in a variety of ways so you can find them in the way that makes the most sense to you. You'll find plenty of online support including an active user forum, tutorials and live chat so you can find answers to questions quickly.Why Trust UsFor the past nine years, we have reviewed photo editing software to find the best programs available. We spent over 85 hours in the last 12 months using these editing programs to manipulate photos. Our testers are skilled editors with backgrounds in photography and graphic design. We used the same set of photos so we could compare each program's editing capabilities against each other.We contacted John Yoo, Head of Sales at CyberLink, to see what he finds most important for any photo editing software.

He told us, 'The basic functions – crop, adjust exposure, contrast, white balance, noise reduction – all of these features are not only important but the software needs to be able to adjust these accurately and easily.' We completely agree.Programs that completed edits in a quick, intuitive fashion while truly enhancing the photos received higher scores in our review. Programs lacking main features or offering them in a clunky fashion scored lower. Since tutorials and forums are such an important part of learning the photo editing process, programs with better instructive and help features scored higher.We also evaluated each programs' help features and organizing abilities to determine which offered the best options overall. We paid attention to each program's ease of use to see which were best for beginners to learn on. Since file compatibility is such an important part of the editing process, we scored programs higher if they accommodated the main photo file types: JPG, TIFF, PNG, GIF, PSD, PDF and RAW.How We TestedWe used the same 12 photos in each of the programs we tested to see how well each one performed basic and advanced edits.

We began by using the most basic editing tools like cropping, red eye removal and filters before moving on to more advanced editing tools like using mask layers to adjust hue, tone and brightness, or creating HDR images. We compared the final images from each program to see which software performed editing tasks the best.Some programs provided the same level of editing finesse but forced you to go through several unnecessary steps before completing a task. For this reason, we scored clean, simple and well-organized interfaces higher.

This year's best photo editing software, PaintShop Pro 2018, beautifully creates basic and advanced image enhancements through an easy-to-use interface.If the program you want requires a subscription, make sure you understand the payment schedule. For instance, find out if the $20 payment is due quarterly or monthly.

Buying GuidesReviewsIf you are a beginner wanting to become a more advanced editor, make sure you purchase a program that allows you to work in layers.How Much Does Photo Editing Software Cost?Beginner to Intermediate-level photo editing software costs between $40 and $100, though some programs are subscription based and require a monthly or annual payment that typically totals to about $50 per year. More professional-level photo editing software like Adobe Photoshop CC will cost you roughly $21 a month or more. Before deciding on a program, make sure it has the features and editing tools that you will likely use the most.Things to Consider With Photo Editing SoftwareFile TypesMost professional photographers prefer to work with RAW images since it gives them more control over brightness, color and overall image quality. PSD is another popular file type since it saves the individual layers of your photos so you can edit them at any time. If you plan on becoming a serious photo editor, it is best to learn to work with these files.If you take a lot of photos and plan on editing them on a regular basis, it can really help you save time if you get a program that offers batch processing. For example, if you wanted all of your photos to be a little brighter, you can use batch processing to quickly brighten all of the photos you select instead of taking the time to do it individually.

This feature is commonly found in the photo organizing section of photo editing software.Simple Tips for Good Photography & Editing. One of the most crucial parts of editing is taking a good picture to begin with.

You’ll save hours of work if you learn to set up your camera and lighting correctly from the start. To capture better details, get as close as you can to your subject while still keeping it in focus. Try not to work in direct sunlight, as the harsh cast shadows can be very distracting.

This is why many photographers prefer to shoot on cloudy days or during the golden hours – just after sunrise and just before sunset when the light isn’t as harsh. If you must work in direct sunlight, try to counterbalance the sun's harshness with diffuser or reflector panels, the camera flash, light boxes, and shade. Learn how to use shutter speeds. To capture crisp details in fast-moving subjects, such as wildlife, you need a shutter speed of over 1/500th of a second. Engaging landscape photography often has a foreground, middle ground and background. Try to incorporate all three when taking a shot.

When taking portraits, try to help your subjects loosen up. You’re more likely to capture genuine expressions and body language this way. Practice, practice, practice. If you want to get better, get out there and learn. Experiment with aperture sizes and learn which lenses and settings you like best. If you make too many edits, your image may look less organic, amateurish or downright bad. Be conservative with your edits – as the saying goes, “less is more.”.

Keep a copy of the original image in case you don’t like your edits. Before finalizing a photo, focus on something else for 10 minutes and then come back to it. Your fresh eyes will be able to tell if the image looks good or if it needs tweaking. Learn from the pros.

Many photographers offer tips on YouTube or their websites. Ask questions and learn as much as you can. Pace yourself. Photography equipment and editing software are expensive, so you’ll likely have to acquire everything bit by bit.More Photo Editing Guides:.

How We Chose the Best Photo Editing Software Programs Highly rated programsIf you’re hunting for the best photo editing software, you’re likely familiar with Adobe Photoshop, and its outsized reputation is deserved: Parent company Adobe Systems has been a software pioneer since the early '80s, and it’s been continuously improving Photoshop since its first release in 1989.The company now offers multiple options, from a single-purchase Adobe Elements 2018 to a Lightroom subscription to a monthly Photography Plan, which combines Lightroom and Photoshop. If you’ve never used Photoshop before, it’s tricky to figure out which version is best: What’s the difference between Lightroom and Photoshop? Between Photoshop and Adobe Elements? We set out to compare each option.We also brought in three non-Adobe photo editing programs: Corel AfterShot Pro3, DxO Photo Lab Elite, and Serif Affinity Photo. These three programs were the closest competitors we could find, and all claim to offer similarly powerful tools. After downloading each program and setting up our test photos (featuring Test Corgi: Wally), we booted up each program to see how quickly we could start editing and organizing our photos.

Adobe Photography Plan (includes Photoshop and Lightroom). Adobe Photoshop Elements 2018. Corel AfterShot Pro3. DxO PhotoLab. Serif Affinity PhotoEasy navigationAll our programs let you make hundreds of photo adjustments, but this abundance of options can make even the best photo editing software difficult to navigate. With this in mind, we looked for programs that made it easy to find the right tools on the first try.Each contender met the same baseline standards, allowing us to collapse editing modules we didn’t need so that histograms and color charts didn’t take up unnecessary screen (and brain) space.

Best Computer For Professional Photographers

We also appreciated that all have guided search features. If you search an action keyword, like “layer,” each program directs you to where you can find the function on your own: Over time, you’ll learn where the layer button is, no search function needed. Guided search directs you to the correct tool — no hunting through dozens of “Layer” or “Filter” options to find the right one. Customizable interfaceFrom here, we dug into how much we could customize each interface. We wanted to be able to rearrange lists of tools to our liking, as well as move individual modules around the screen, letting us keep track of whichever toolset was necessary for any given project: If we were background painting, we would want brush, color wheel, and texture modules open and close-at-hand. If we wanted to work on minute lighting changes, we could close up our coloring modules and arrange the Brightness and Contrast, Shadows and Highlights, and Exposure modules to our liking.

Most of our programs allowed us to customize our workspace. Here, we're using Serif’s “Color” and “Brushes” modules, while other tools stay nested in the menu. Learning toolsThe best photo editing software should also have resources that guide users through unfamiliar functions. Even if you’re a Photoshop whiz, Adobe constantly adds new tools and expands old ones, and beginners are often interested in branching out and expanding their mastery. We looked for tools like videos, tutorials, and online forums that would help make that transition easier for beginners and experts alike. Photoshop Elements offers 47 guided walkthroughs to adjust and edit your photos, many of which can be single clicks to auto-adjust your photos without any technical knowledge or skill.

Technical performanceWe couldn’t test and compare the performance of every single tool offered by every single program (we’d be looking at hundreds of different functions). In order to compare technical performance, we focused on a tool that all beginners are likely to use at some point: the healing brush, which allows you to. In this tool, you select a “good” portion of the photo to copy, and then select the “flawed” section that you want to cover over. In our case, we gauged the efficacy of the healing brush by removing snowy footprints from a backyard photo of our favorite corgi, Wally. Our base image started with trampled snow.

Serif Affinity's healing brush made short work of the footprints. OrganizationWe also gave extra points to programs with organizational capabilities: arranging, sorting, and organizing our photos.

This usually entailed folder management, a ranking system for photos (so you can pick out which hummingbird picture is the best one), and informational tagging via keywords, geographic location, and face recognition. Of our test picks, only Serif Affinty lacked some kind of photo organizer.

Why we chose it Access to Lightroom CC and Photoshop CCThe Adobe Photography Plan combines two Adobe applications — Lightroom CC and Photoshop CC — into one bundle. Lightroom CC is Adobe’s dedicated photography software.

If you’re working with large quantities of photos, you’ll want to take advantage of Lightroom’s organizational system: With it, you can rank photos out of five stars, tag photos, and edit information to keep track of where you took a photo. Subscribing to Lightroom CC (either on its own or as part of the Photography Plan) also gives iPhone and iPad users access to a mobile version of the software.Photoshop CC, meanwhile, won’t do much to help you stay organized — but it has more advanced tools than Lightroom, like layers, masks, and customizable toolbars. Customizable image editing toolsPhotoshop has over sixty basic tools and customizations to choose from, in addition to its more advanced color, lighting, filter, and 3D tools (among others). These basic tools themselves are customizable, so you can do more than just correct red eyes; you can also specify how large, dark, or light you want pupils to appear. More advanced tools — everything from saturation and contrast to lens correction, liquefy, and RAW photo processing — are similarly customizable. Actions are also processed rapidly, allowing you to quickly assess whether your experiments are working.

Easy to learnDespite the number of tools (and how easy it is to fall into the rabbit warren of adjustments and filters), we found Adobe surprisingly easy to use. You should expect a learning curve, since Photoshop is intended to be an extremely hands-on program, but Adobe supports you at every step. It has an abundance of online resources — a hidden benefit to choosing a company that’s been in the field for decades — and Photoshop CC particularly impressed us with its tutorials and guidance, helping us learn both terminology (what exactly the clone tool does) and technique (how to create and add to masks). Hovering over the individual tools in Photoshop's left-hand bar pops up five-second gifs that demonstrate each tool — though you can easily change your settings and remove this feature once you get the hang of things. Points to consider Subscription serviceOur only complaint about Adobe’s Photography Plan is that it’s a subscription service; you’ll sign up for a year-long contract and pay fees monthly rather than making a one-time purchase. While this subscription is significantly cheaper than the one-time purchase model that Photoshop used to follow (complete with a painful $1,500 price tag), if you cancel your subscription, you’ll lose access to all of the programs and tools, as well as any photos that remain in Adobe’s proprietary format. Make sure you’ve completely exported your library if you decide to cancel your contract.

Why we chose it Easy to useWe were primarily drawn to Serif Affinity Photo because of how easy it was to use. Its customizable control panel initially appears overwhelming, with 22 adjustments options immediately available on your right-hand dashboard. However, each one is neatly packaged so that no matter what you want to do, you can quickly find and open the relevant folder. Helpful presetsWe also appreciated how Serif provides a number of immediate preset options on all of its effects. You can also manually adjust each effect for more control, but the presets offer a nice introduction for beginners.

One-time purchaseOne of the keenest edges Serif Affinity has over Adobe’s Photography plan is that it’s a one-time purchase of $50, rather than a $10 or $20 monthly subscription. This means that, depending on your cloud storage needs (in turn based on how many photos you have and their editing needs), Serif Affinity becomes the more affordable plan after five months, possibly as early as three months. Points to consider No organizational toolsHowever, Serif Affinity’s budget plan comes with one significant drawback: It doesn’t offer any organizational tools. If you’re dealing with hundreds or thousands of photos that you need to organize, or would like to sort by place, date, or personalized keyword, you’ll want to consider Adobe’s Photography Plan or take a look at Photoshop Elements 2018. Why we chose it One-click editingIf you’re just trying to create, say, annual holiday cards, and the idea of learning new photo editing terms, tools, tricks, and techniques feels daunting, Adobe Photoshop Elements transforms the process into a few simple clicks — with a couple of sliders you can adjust if you’re feeling adventurous. Photoshop Elements 2018 gives you high-quality photographs without a technical learning curve, so long as you stay within its predetermined adjustments. Settings for different skill levelsWe love that Photoshop Elements offers three tiers of photo editing: Quick, Guided, and Expert.

Quick is simply that — with a few auto-adjustments, possibly a camera filter or picture frame, you can take your photograph from raw image to printer-ready. Guided gives you almost 50 options, where it will walk you through step-by-step the process of adjusting brightness, straightening or resizing a photo, or adding filters. Finally, the Expert mode lays out all of the program’s tools with minimal instruction. Points to consider Light on advanced editing toolsEven though the Expert mode of Photoshop Elements is more advanced than either the Quick or Guided modes, it doesn’t compete with our top picks.

In addition to its clunky ‘90s-era design, it lacks all of the tools found in Photoshop CC or Serif Affinity Photo. That said, it could be a good introduction when you feel like trying out some additional techniques outside of the guided programs. How to Find the Right Photo Editing Software for You Decide what tools you needDifferent types of image editing require different tools. No matter what you’ll be doing, you’ll want to know which ones you need for your most common projects — these functions might not be immediately necessary, but they’ll let you tackle tasks a little more complex than wiping away corgi footprints. Layers let you combine separate images or edit specific areas of a photograph.

These are helpful if you’re trying to remove a photo-bomber from your wedding ceremony on the beach or swapping out the snowy background of your cute dog photo to send him floating through space instead. Applying a mask layer is another technique to isolate areas of a photo for specific editing.

Best Desktop Computer For Photography

If you’d like to make changes to the background of your photograph without affecting the subject, or if you’d like to create a cut-out of a tiny dog from one photograph to layer him into a desert landscape in another, you’ll probably use a mask. Finally, preset filters let you adjust your photos with a single click. These could either take the form of a typical Instagram filter (you click “Black and White” or “Landscape” and it automatically alters your photo) or auto-adjustments on a tool-by-tool case.Knowing what types of editing you’ll be using the software for will help you narrow down which tools are essential and which are just nice to have. Test drive several optionsAll of our top picks offer a free trial, and we recommend taking full advantage of them. You probably know what you’re going to be using the software for, and now’s a good time to see how each of them perform on the type of image editing you need. Pay attention to the number of tools and effects provided, how easy they are to use, and the organization features of each program.

Determine how much you’re willing to spendPrices for photo editing software vary a lot, and depending on what you’ll be using it for, you may not need to pay a premium. The most powerful tool on the market, Adobe’s Photography Plan, runs on a subscription model for $10 per month.

If you don’t need all of that technical prowess, Serif Affinity will meet all your image editing needs for a one-time purchase of $50. There are even a number of available if you don’t want to make any investment. Financial Disclosuremakes money through affiliate partner links: If you click on a link, we may earn a commission.

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