Photo Editing Software
Buying Guide
Profiles
Chapter 2: Features
What Photo Editing Software Features Matter and Why?
Advanced Editing
16 bit Image Editing
Add Grain/Noise
Advanced Color Image Operations
Audio Editing
Black-and-White Conversion
Blend
Blur
Collage
Color Adjustment Tools
Color Management
Color to Grayscale
Control Points
Distortion Control/Correction
Effects
Exposure Adjustment
Filters
Generate Mosaic Images
Gradients
Image Correction
Image Zoom
Layers
Masks
Nondestructive Editing Environment
Photo Text Entry
Post-processing Effects
Reshaping, Manipulating, and Resizing
Retouch Brush
Saturation/Warmth
Selection Options
Selection Tools
Sepia Enhancement
Shadow and Highlight Adjustment
Sharpen
Support for Custom Palettes
Templates
Text Effects
Transformations
Watermarks
Professional Editing
32 bit Image Editing
3D
Animation
Base-level Image Operations
Basic Video Editing
Blur Adjustment Tools
Chromatic Aberration Tools
Compositing
Content-Aware Tools
Gamma Correction
High Dynamic Range (HDR)
Histogram Correction
Image Post-processing
Image Scaling Methods
Image Slicing
Layer Management
Lens Correction
Noise Reduction
Panoramas
Perspective Control
Professional Color Image Operations
Special Effects Filters
Spot Removal
Tone Image Operations
Trim to Shape
Publishing
Books
CD/DVD
Cloud-based Storage
Preview
Printing
Screensaver
Send via email
Slideshows
Web Galleries
Standard Editing
8 bit Image Editing
Brightness
Color Balance
Color Depth
Contrast
Crop
Drawing Tools
Flip
Picture Frame
Red Eye Removal
Resize
Rotate
Shapes
Undo
White Balance
Digital Painting
Color Mixer
Custom Brush Options
Drawing Modes
Floodfill Options
Layer Blending Modes
Mix Brush
Paint Brush
Papers
Pen Tablet Connection
Pencil
Shapes
Tools
Learning Materials
Help Articles
User Guide
Video Tutorials
Webinar
Interface
Change Default Templates
Configurability
Create New Transparent Image
Customizable Workspaces
Dockable Panels
Dual Monitor Support
Editable menu shortcuts
Filter Preview
Panels
Screen Capture
Scriptable File Management
Support for Pen Tablets
Tethered Capture
Viewing Options
Virtual Memory Management
Standard Photo Management
Audio/Video Playback
Create Albums
EXIF Overview Data
Favorites Folder
Image Labels
Image Ratings
Image Search
Image Viewer
Metadata Tags
Offline Photo Management
Thumbnails
Formats
Archive Read Support
Archive Write Support
Image Read Support
Image Write Support
Other File Formats
Palette Import
Video and Audio Read Support
Video and Audio Write Support
File Management
Automatic Image Backup
Batch Processing
Compare to Last Saved
File Export Preview
Image File Transfer
Renaming Template
Scriptable
Support
FAQ Page
Live Chat
Online Forum
Online Knowledge Base
Phone
Social Media
Advanced Photo Management
Best in Class:
Advanced Photo ManagementAutomatic Collections
Batch Editing
Contact Sheet
Create Image Lists
Event-based Image Management
Extended GPS support
Facial Recognition Tagging
Geotagging
Image Analysis
Image Caption
Image Conversion
Import and Edit RAW Files
Location-based Organization
Side-by-Side Image Comparison
Slideshow-to-Video
3rd Party Integration
Best in Class:
3rd Party IntegrationAdobe Flash Player
Flickr
Google Earth
Microsoft PowerPoint
Chapter 3: Consumer Profiles
Who Uses Photo Editing Software?
Photo Collector
First-Time Photo Editor
Recommended Products:
High-Volume Pro
Professional Photographer
Graphic Designer
Recommended Products:
Prosumer
Snapshooter
Social Media Maven
Scrapbooker
Chapter 4: Product Types
What are the Different Types of Photo Editing Software?
Professional Photo Editing Software
The industry standard in photo editing software is Adobe Photoshop CS6. Any photo editor who is considered a professional will be using Photoshop CS6. It’s not uncommon for professionals to use two products together, like Adobe Photoshop CS6 and Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, as both products together will offer every feature that any professional would need. It doesn’t make as much sense for consumers to make the significant investment in a product like Photoshop CS6 because this type of person won’t likely use most of the features. However, for a professional, it is a necessity to own this product and worth the price.
Consumer Photo Editing Software
Consumer photo editing software is geared towards people who don’t edit photos for a living, but engage in photography and photo editing as a very serious hobby. These products won’t have the same capabilities in terms of professional editing tools, but it’s not likely that the average consumer will even notice these are missing. One of the features that stands out in consumer photo editing is publishing. Consumers are often interested in the post-production aspect of taking their photos off the computer and bringing them to life in another form, like a book or a DVD.
Image Management Software
Image management software is a form of photo editing software that focuses primarily on managing, storing, and organizing photos. While the consumer and professional photo editing options put an emphasis on making edits and publishing photos, image management is meant for the photo collector who has large libraries of photos. The most important components of an image management software are standard and advanced photo management, file management, file formats, and publishing photos. Extra editing features, like digital painting, hold little or no weight when considering an image management software.


