PhotoLine 25.00

Overview

PhotoLine is a viable alternative to the traditional choice in image editing software, Photoshop. This application embeds almost all of the functionality features of Photoshop, but the price is a bit lower. In addition, users have noticed that PhotoLine provides them with a substantially higher flexibility. You might even go as far as to say that PhotoLine can provide a complete photo editing solution, even for the most demanding tasks.

It has a wide array of smart filters, dynamic layers, cropping tools, shadow effects and distortions and many more excellent functions to choose from. PhotoLine comes as a shareware utility and certain features will not be available until you purchase the full version.

Installation

The installation kit for PhotoLine is relatively small, so adding this application to your operating system will not take very long. Users will be able to opt for full, custom or compact installation and can also decide whether they want to install the demo images package as well. Moreover, during this phase you will be able to add a new line to the Explorer menu, which allows browsing or viewing pictures directly with the PhotoLine software program. However, this option is not mandatory.

Interface

Every time you run PhotoLine in shareware mode the notification regarding the 30-day trial period and the ability to register online will be displayed in the focus of the main window. Unfortunately, users are unable to minimize or hide this notification and it will not disappear for a while or until you start a new project. The layout of tools is very similar to any photo editing program. On the menu located at the right of the main window users will notice the conventional utensils, their shape and size setting and the mask option.

However, an innovative submenu located on the right section also allows users to switch between the RGB modes or adjust brightness and contrast. The left option section enables users to switch between channels or layers in the same manner as Photoshop. In essence, the PhotoLine interface does not exactly incorporate groundbreaking concepts, but rather does everything a picture editor should and stores it exactly where it should be located for increased convenience.

Pros

In addition to editing photos, PhotoLine allows users to create documents too and it even includes special templates for designing exquisite business cards. At the same time, this application can also be employed in creating high quality calendars. Moreover, PhotoLine incorporates an impressive amount of filters that can basically permit you to modify a picture or document in any way you like. From un-sharpening mask to blurring, from morphing to embossing, there is basically nothing that PhotoLine cannot do. The versatility in creating and editing images or documents is only matched by the impressive variety of file formats it can support, such as PLD, PDF, TIF, PSD and many more.

PhotoLine includes interfaces that support a digital camera or a scanner as well as the touch-tablets and 3rd party modules. In addition, this utility is also fully capable of importing and exporting a seemingly endless number of file formats, excelling in creating layers from those that support transparency effects. If you also count the versatility of the embedded text editor, there is actually no reason to purchase any other similar software ever again.

Cons

It would seem that the terminology that Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro used has been slightly modified within PhotoLine, so there might be a bit of confusion before you get acquainted with all the features. In addition, the manual of this software utility could be a bit more comprehensive and easier to read by those with less advanced photo editing knowhow.

Alternatives

Gimp is a more simplistic but free photo editing software, but it is only a viable alternative for users that are aiming to perform simple retouches on their images. At the same time, Adobe Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro can constitute worthy rivals for PhotoLine. Alternatively, it is worth checking out Paint.Net, another free editing utility.

Conclusion

Despite the fact that users are generally inclined to opt for one of the bigger names in the photo business, PhotoLine is still a very competitive application. In fact, it is nothing short of Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro and it also comes in at a lower price.