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Microsoft has two photo-editing packages, both of which are based on the same core program, called Digital Image Pro.
The entry-level package is simply known as Photo Standard and costs just £29.99, while the more expensive Digital Image Suite adds a number of extra editing tools and a separate program called Digital Image Library, which provides file-management and archiving features.
The current version of Digital Image Pro has an attractive interface that will appeal to beginners while also giving advanced users access to the program's more powerful features. When you launch the program a simple Welcome screen allows you to view online hints and tips, or to jump straight in and get started with editing your photos. You can open individual photos, select templates for documents such as calendars and greeting cards, or go into the Library module to organise your photo collection.
The main editing workspace is quite cleverly organised. For beginners, there's a simple series of buttons on the left of the screen, with self-explanatory names such as Effects, Touchup and Add something. Clicking on any of these buttons causes them to expand and display a set of related tools.
So, clicking the Touchup button opens up a menu that includes controls for adjusting brightness and contrast, hue and saturation and the blending brush that is used to paint over blemishes such as dust or scratches on scanned pictures.
Some of these features work automatically, but many provide additional controls so that you can experiment with different effects. Once you've got the hang of these basic tools, you can start to explore the menus running along the top of the screen. These contain additional tools that provide more advanced effects such as drop shadows and other text styles, dodge and burn options, and advanced retouching tools such as the ability to remove facial wrinkles. This approach allows beginners to get started quickly, while also encouraging experienced users to explore the program's more powerful tools.
There are lots of other useful touches as well. There's a clever Smart eraser that allows you to eliminate parts of an image by blending them into the background. We also liked the Mini lab, a screen that allows you to open multiple pictures and adjust settings such as brightness and contrast on all the pictures at the same time.
When you're working in the main editing screen there's a panel that allows you to view thumbnails of all your open files so that you can quickly switch from one photo to another. A simple Stacks palette allows you to create collages by combining multiple image elements on separate layers within a single file.
Even basic features show a good eye for detail. For example, the Crop tool superimposes a set of guidelines for the rule of thirds onto your image, so that you can check your composition before cropping.
Once you've finished editing, it's important that you have plenty of options for saving and sharing your files. Digital Image Suite has all its bases covered here, with a Save for command that allows you to automatically save images in a format suitable for use on the web, for email attachments, or even for use on handheld devices such as a Pocket PC or mobile phone.
There are a few rough edges, though. The program provides multiple levels of Undo, but there's no Revert command so that you can quickly discard all changes and return a picture to its original state. We were also disappointed by the range of special effects filters. There are plenty of them but we found that many of the artistic filters, such as chalk and crayon, don't produce very good results unless you spend a fair amount of time experimenting with them.
Photoshop Elements has an edge here, with a better range of filters and more powerful layer controls. However, Digital Image Suite has a friendlier interface that may appeal to those who aren't ready for the complexities of Elements or Paint Shop Pro.
Contact: Microsoft 0870 601 0100
www.microsoft.com/products/imaging
System requirements:
- 700MHz processor
- Windows 98 or later
- 256MB Ram
- 400MB hard disk space
Back to photo editing software group test
See also:
Personal Computer World's round up of six photo-editing packages suited to the mid-range user. 10 Aug 2004
This software comes with as many filters as the full version of photoshop but at a much lower cost. 10 Aug 2004How Personal Computer World picked their Editor's Choice. 09 Aug 2004
All Image Editing & Management
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