Is PSP or Photoshop better for a beginer?

[Gergi]

Now I'm not completly sure where to post this, but I'll try it here.

I'm looking into buying some new software to make pictures on my computer, but I'm not sure which program would be best for me. Currently all I have on my computer is Microsoft Paint (As you can see in my signature.) I have used some photoshop in school, but never had a chance to go in depth to learn how to use all the different effects it can give an image. But I have also grown up using PSP when I was bigger on forum sites around 2001.

So i guess my question is which program would be easiest for me to learn with knowing a little about each. I'd like to have a program that I can start using right away, and slowly learn how every thing works through trial and error, not reading a manual for days.

[Saknika]

Personally, I've found PSP to be a lot easier to learn on my own, where as it's easier for me to learn Photoshop when someone is helping me through it.

[Oracle]

Let me start by saying that there isn't really a program suited for beginners, you just need to start with simple stuff and then move up as you get more experience, so what you need to look at is which one you can work better with. The one you choose will more than likely be the one you will continue using.

Difference? There isn't a real difference really, just some things can be done faster in PS than in PSP (from what I hear people say). There is also more tutorials and resources on the internet for Photoshop (although, if you know your way around in PSP, then you'll be able to follow these tutorials easily). But the downside of PS is the price, which is very high compared to PSP.

What I recommend for you to do is download a trail version of both of them and compare them, see which one is easier to work with and etc. From personal experience, I would recommend Photoshop, it's what I started with and still use it today.

Good luck.

[Kay]

I started with PSP and now working with PS in Digital Photography has been a slight bitch for me. There's different ways around both, though both can do the same exact thing, it's just different. Some things are easier and harder in both programs. Me? I'll never switch to Photoshop. I love PSP mainly because I've worked in versions 5 up to X2.

[Gergi]

I did just find out that my mom has a verson of photoshop (which i'm looking for right now) and I'm going to get the trail of PSP to see which is easyest for me ti get usest to. Thanks again for the help.

Also I was woundering, I know my mom had taken a class for Illistrator but ended up stopping it because she didnt have the time to work with it. Would something like that be worth it or is it just better to learn solo / tutorials?

[Oracle]

I've never followed a class, but seems like you'll learn more and faster on your own. And besides, you can always search the net if you want something specific.

[Vintage]

I learned PSP by myself when I was eleven and everything clicked, I started taking classes online for the program when i was 15 but many of those classes still around are invite only based on talent so I can't suggest taking that route.

So yes, Gergi classes are around but the ones for PSP are hard to get into and very good ones stuck around. But they do help when your stuck on something because it is almost like actually being there in a classroom the one i was in.

Paint Shop Pro is easier IMO, I never really got Photoshop

[Stinky666]

I don't think any program out of Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro is harder to learn than the other.
There are more tutorials out there for Photoshop though, but I personally prefer tools, shortcuts and features in Paint Shop Pro, than them in Photoshop.
I find Photoshop to be harder to learn than Paint Shop Pro though, but that is only because I have used Paint Shop Pro more than Photoshop, and so I am more used to everything in Paint Shop Pro.

But the best thing to do, is do what Oracle said, get the trials and see which YOU personally prefer. Don't go by what biased people say (mostly those that use Photoshop ALWAYS slate Paint Shop Pro) about the programs, since everyone is different, and it's how much time & effort you put in, and which program you personally can adapt to using the fastest.

[TROWLIN']

i never got the hand of psp but photoshop just came easier to me. as im sure it has been said, its all your preference.

[Deleted]

You've got to test both Paint Shop Pro and PhotoShop out. For me, Photoshop is better... I am still learning.

[alias]

There are a lot of tutorials out there for Photoshop, and it is the industry standard. I would reccomend it even if was harder to learn (which i believe it isnt).

[c130]

When you first open Photoshop and look at the dozens of tools on offer, it can be daunting. But it really doesn't take long to learn your way around, and it's by far the more powerful and flexible, IMO. Both PSP and Photoshop have a learning curve, so you'd be better off looking for the one that will suit your needs in the long term, than going with the simplest. FYI I started with Photoshop when I was 14 and it took me a couple of weeks to become comfortable with it.

If you just want a quick fix, there are plenty web-based image editors that'll save you spending a penny.

If you want a proper workhorse program for advanced image editing, web design, vector work, etc, go with Photoshop. ;D