Paint Shop Pro X3 is the latest offering from Corel in this legendary program’s history.  Paint Shop is an alternative to Adobe Photoshop Elements, and the full version of Adobe Photoshop.  It is priced to compete with the Elements version, but has many features found in the full version that Elements does not have.

There are three main modes that this program uses for productivity.  The first, and default, mode is the Media organizer.  The second is the Express lab which is useful for pre-defined tasks.  The third, and most powerful, is the Advanced Editor which allows the use of powerful digital image tools.

The Media Organizer is similar to the one in Photoshop Elements.  Many people thought this was the best feature of Elements, and the Paint Shop one does not disappoint.  This is the mode that Paint Shop is set to open in by default when first installed.  Fortunately, you can change this in the program settings to open up in whichever mode you prefer.

The Express Lab is a simple photo editor that has shortcuts to common photo tasks, such as Red Eye removal.  This mode is for users who mostly want to touch up their digital photos.  I have not played around with this mode much, but it looks intuitive and simple to use.

The Advanced Editor is where I spend most of my time.  My main reason for purchasing this program was for digital image editing and creation.  The interface takes some getting used to, but once you do it is easy to use.  This mode is more sophisticated than Photoshop Elements, but is more limited than full Photoshop.  Compared to the free program I had been using for years (Paint.net) it adds more features and functions.  Paint Shop can also be extended using plugins that are compatible with Photoshop.  Another compelling feature of Paint Shop Pro X3 is its native support for the RAW format.  This makes it a perfect program for owners of DSLR cameras.

This program has been criticized for stability issues since it first came out.  The new Service Pack 4 has addressed many of these issues making it a much better program.  I have not had any issues with it since installing it and have been enjoying using it.

Overall, this is a quality program for a reasonable price.  I highly recommend it to any amateur digital image and photo editors out there that are on a budget and cannot afford the full version of Adobe Photoshop.  I give Paint Shop Pro X3 a 9 on the d10 of digital media.