Product Reviews

PhotoImpact provides a wide range of photo-editing tools at a low price, but its interface tends to be cluttered and it's not the most welcoming of programs for new users. With that in mind, the new features in this upgrade focus on improving the program's ease of use.

The new Welcome screen allows you to perform basic tasks such as scanning images, viewing tutorials or entering the Quick Fix Wizard, which can be used to correct focus, exposure and other common problems automatically. The new Basic mode

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hides some of the more complex panels and palettes, leaving only the main editing tools visible. Even so, the program's interface is still rather busy, with dozens of tools and other options visible all at once, and it's not always immediately obvious what these tools are or how they work.

Other new features include artistic effects such as the ability to make photos look like cartoon drawings. We also like the preview options available with these effects, such as the Split View, which splits an image down the middle to show before and after views.

The new Touch-Up tool makes it easier to remove skin blemishes or other unwanted details from photos, although this feature is really just playing catch-up with the Healing Brush in Adobe's Photoshop Elements.

That's PhotoImpact's main problem. It includes a wide range of powerful editing tools, but it can't quite outdo Photoshop Elements in terms of sheer power, nor can it match the ease of use of Elements' more streamlined interface. However, at around £20 less than Elements, it will do the job if you're on a tight budget.