How to Select Photo Software

Whether you simply want to create artistic photo arrangements and scrapbooking projects or need more professional features, photo software is available at many levels of expertise and costs. Finding the software that fits your needs and budgets requires just a little knowledge.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Determine your area of interest and what you want the photo software to accomplish. If you want to create beautiful photos for framing, collages and scrapbooking, there are many suitable beginner programs available. Some of the features you will want include photo cropping, resizing, image editing (contrast, color, and photo sharpen/soften) and a library of graphics and templates. Most beginner programs will offer automatic lighting adjustments that allow little manual adjusting by the user.
2. If you are more concerned with organizing your photos and minor editing, try a free photo program, Picasa, available from Google (see Resources below). This program allows you to create multiple albums, share photos via email or online and print photos. If you’re looking for the basics, this might just do the trick.
3. If you are heavily into scrapbooking, make sure the photo software you select contains scrapbooking tools, such as design cuts, backgrounds, and photo framing. Some software is specifically designated as scrapbooking software. If you are exclusively looking for scrapbooking software, you might consider one of the free programs offered online, such as Scrapbook Flair (see Resources below). You can audition an online demo of the product before downloading.
4. If you are interested in restoring old photographs for reprinting, make sure the software has an image restore feature. This feature should correct red eye, blemishes, dirt, smudges and other issues. While professional-grade restoration probably won’t be realistic, you would be amazed at how well some of these programs work.
5. If you are looking for more intricate photo software, look for advanced layering and filtering options and the ability to manually adjust selected portions of a photo. For newcomers to photo software, these more advanced programs can be difficult to navigate. Even for the seasoned user, advanced photo software would be best used on a trial basis after reading user reviews.
6. Purchase photo software with a user-friendly customer support service. The best way to evaluate the customer service support of varying products is to research consumer reviews. If you are considering a downloadable program, find the contact number on the source website and call to find out what type of user support they offer.
7. Remember that cost doesn't always dictate quality. Photo software ranges from free to hundreds of dollars and many free or low-cost programs can do amazing things. However, if you plan to use the software commercially, you will need a professional grade program.

Tips & Warnings

• Look at the system requirements for all software programs to determine if your computer will support them
• Even if you feel comfortable with a company's reputation, always use caution when downloading anything from the Internet.

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