Digital Photographer's Software Guide - Bertemes - Net

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The Digital Photographer's Software Guide
Version: N/A (2008)
OS: Windows 2000, XP, and Vista
RAM: 256MB
Supported file formats: Major file formats
Price level: (Starter) $550
Address: K.V.D. KlearVision digital Ltd., 109/7 Histradrut Street, Holon, 58347, Israel
www.klearvision.com
Photo Tools
Vendor: Microspot
Purpose: Quick-fix tools for Mac, including the PhotoFix editor/retoucher, with auto color,
brightness, and contrast correction
Description
Fully compatible with Apple’s iPhoto, Photo Tools consists of three formerly separate
modules called PhotoXtra, PhotoFix and PrintmiX. Of these, PhotoXtra is an organizing,
storage, and slide show creation utility, whereas PrintmiX is a drag-and-drop printing
template. PhotoFix is the quick-fix editor with many manual options as well, making
it attractive for both novices and experienced photographers.
PhotoFix has many customizable painting, drawing, and retouching tools, together with
editing capabilities such as cloning, feathering, and masking. One of its key features is
its ability to correct the color, brightness, and contrast of any image automatically.
PhotoFix also includes a dozen special effects filters, such as Add Noise, Distort 3D,
and Posterize. It supports 32-bit color, has 32 levels of undo, and runs on just 5MB of
free RAM (more is recommended to cope with image size).
Comments
Ten years ago, MacFormat compared PhotoFix software to Photoshop. It has been
updated many times since then, but avoided the bloat until its incorporation into Photo
Tools. Reviewers have liked its low cost, its feathering and transparency controls, support
for masks, and good printing tools, but on close examination have found it lacking
in CMYK support and tool functionality, the latter being somewhat corrected by
the addition of the other modules. The company itself is better known for its MacDraft
and Microspot Interiors software.
Version: Microspot Photo Tools (PhotoXtra 2.3, PhotoFix 3.5, and PrintmiX 1.2) (2008)
OS: Mac OS X 10.2 or higher
RAM: 6MB
Supported file formats: Major formats, including PICT, TIFF, and EPS