Nothing makes you feel like a photo editing god like Adobe Photoshop, a graphics editor produced by Adobe Systems. Other than Adobe Acrobat, Photoshop is the most popular software published by the company and thanks to its usability and features, considered as the industry standard when it comes to graphics editing.

Versions

If you have never used Adobe Photoshop before, you'd probably best grab the newest CS3 version. Every magic trick you've always wanted to learn using a graphics editing program is included in this package. There are features contained in this version that you won't find in older versions like v.6.0 and v.7.0. CS3 is perfect for both amateur and professional photographers, who can easily correct imperfections with the software.

If you prefer the older version, get v.7.0. This is one of the most popular versions used by graphics experts before they were experts. This version features a strong paint engine and enough power to very effectively handle GIF transparency. The preset tool option now lets you manipulate parameters and save them, a feature that was not available before. The file management system is also a great improvement, allowing you to organize your projects depending on your preference, making it easier to locate them in the future.

Should you buy it?

If you are seriously looking into using Adobe Photoshop on a regular basis, it's a nifty tool to have, regardless of what version you buy. After all, it remains the top choice in image manipulation. Many of its peers have tried to imitate its greatness and yes, some have come close but not one has ever toppled Photoshop from its throne.

If you intend to utilize many of Adobe Photoshop's functions and features, you should go ahead and buy yourself a copy. But if you won't be using it for regular projects in the future, consider it a luxury. Getting a copy of Adobe Photoshop (specifically its new version) is like buying a piece of really great equipment that will spend the best part of its life in the garage gathering dust. Get it if you intend to use it because if you don't, it will not only be a waste of your money but also a waste of a lot of image editing power.

Where to learn Adobe Photoshop

The software itself is easy to manipulate and use, provided you have a background on image editing before and understand what the terms mean. The menus and tools are easy to access and if you learn best hands-on, the program can help you produce a decent image in about, say, half an hour.

However, as mentioned earlier, it will be a waste of potential not to maximize the use of Adobe Photoshop. You're better off learning what you can from people who have experienced it themselves.

Go online and take some tutorial lessons from . The link to Photoshop will show you a list of much-needed tutorials to help you start. Go to the introduction first and learn the basics. You might find it a little boring at first and you might want to jump to the more advanced lessons, but the basics are the way to go. In case you meet an obstacle later (and you will), you'll understand what you did wrong.

There are also other websites that can help you learn Adobe Photoshop in no time. Some sites to check out: , , , , and .