Corel Paint Shop Pro
Encyclopedia
Paint Shop Pro is a raster graphics editor
and, later in the series, a vector graphics editor
for computers running the Microsoft Windows
operating system
that was originally published by Minneapolis-based Jasc Software
. In October 2004, Corel Corporation
purchased Jasc Software and the distribution rights to Paint Shop Pro. PSP functionality can be extended by Photoshop-compatible plugins.
and is still available at many download sites (4.12 being a popular version). Newer versions are only commercially available.
On November 28, 2007, Corel announced that the office in Eden Prairie, Minnesota
, where Paint Shop Pro was created, would be shut down, with development moving to offices in California and China.
Italicized entries indicate the closest date available. In these cases, the date is that of the earliest file date available on JASC or Corel's FTP site. It can be assumed that the official release fell on or before that date. For non-italicized entries, the dates are taken from official press releases or notifications posted on JASC's web site.
), animal and toy figures, flowers, love messages and seasonal symbols.
The tube system originated with PSP Pro version 5. Native tube files may be in .tub, .psp, .pspimage, and .psptube formats. XnView
, IrfanView
, and TubeEx are separate graphics programs that can open tube files (.tub) and save them as .png files for use in other programs.
called ProtexisLicensing. Written by Protexis, this runs in the background and collects licensing information. This program communicates with a remote host. Manually disabling the Protexis Licensing service may cause Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo to cease functioning.
As of September 7th, 2011, Suggested Retail Prices of PaintShop Pro X4 on Corel eStores are respectively $79.99, €69.99 and ₤59.99.
Raster graphics editor
A raster graphics editor is a computer program that allows users to paint and edit pictures interactively on the computer screen and save them in one of many popular “bitmap” or “raster” formats such as JPEG, PNG, GIF and TIFF....
and, later in the series, a vector graphics editor
Vector graphics editor
A vector graphics editor is a computer program that allows users to compose and edit vector graphics images interactively on a computer and save them in one of many popular vector graphics formats, such as EPS, PDF, WMF, SVG, or VML....
for computers running the Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
that was originally published by Minneapolis-based Jasc Software
Jasc Software
Jasc Software, Inc. was an Eden Prairie, Minnesota based company founded by Robert Voit, the creator of Paint Shop Pro, a popular graphics editing program...
. In October 2004, Corel Corporation
Corel
Corel Corporation from the abbreviation is a computer software company headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, that specializes in graphics processing, similar to Adobe Systems...
purchased Jasc Software and the distribution rights to Paint Shop Pro. PSP functionality can be extended by Photoshop-compatible plugins.
History
Originally called simply Paint Shop, the first version, 1.0, was a basic picture converter between BMP, GIF and PCX formats, released in August 1990. Paint Shop was originally distributed as sharewareShareware
The term shareware is a proprietary software that is provided to users without payment on a trial basis and is often limited by any combination of functionality, availability, or convenience. Shareware is often offered as a download from an Internet website or as a compact disc included with a...
and is still available at many download sites (4.12 being a popular version). Newer versions are only commercially available.
On November 28, 2007, Corel announced that the office in Eden Prairie, Minnesota
Eden Prairie, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 54,901 people, 20,457 households, and 14,579 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 21,026 housing units at an average density of 649.2 per square mile...
, where Paint Shop Pro was created, would be shut down, with development moving to offices in California and China.
Version and event history
- 1990 — 0.9 beta - (based on personal use)
- 1992 — 1.0 - based on screenshot
- 1992 - 1.02a
- 1993 August - 2.00
- Version 2 introduced the floating toolbar.
- 1993 August - 3.0
- 1995 August - 3.11
- 1996 January — 3.12
- 1996 July — 4.00
- This was the first 32-bit release (for Windows 95 and NT 4.0).
- 1996 September — 4.10
- 1997 January — 4.12
- 1997 October — 4.14
- 1998 April — 4.15
- 1999 April — 4.15 SE
- Special edition for PC Advisor Magazine free cover disk "Licensed version- do not distribute". Also included on the installation CDs of some peripheral hardware.
- 1998 April — 5.00
- This release introduced major user interface changes, including support for layers.
- 1998 June — 5.01
- 1999 May — 5.03
- 1999 September — 6.00
- This release introduced support for vector graphics.
- 1999 December — 6.01
- 2000 February — 6.02
- 2000 September — 7.00
- 2001 February — 7.01
- 2001 March — 7.02
- 2001 August — 7.04
- This coincided with the release of the "Anniversary Edition" of Paint Shop Pro 7. Presumably, this means the first release of Paint Shop Pro was on August 22, 1991.
- 2002 June — 7.05
- It's not clear whether or not this was an official release. Several downloads with this version number were available, but all web site content refers to 7.04 as the last update.
- 2003 April — 8.00
- New UI, ability to control most elements of PSP via PythonPython (programming language)Python is a general-purpose, high-level programming language whose design philosophy emphasizes code readability. Python claims to "[combine] remarkable power with very clear syntax", and its standard library is large and comprehensive...
scripts or macros. New filters, One Step Photo Fix, Learning Center. New brush engine.- 2003 June — 8.01
- 2003 October — 8.10
- The last version to support Windows 95Windows 95Windows 95 is a consumer-oriented graphical user interface-based operating system. It was released on August 24, 1995 by Microsoft, and was a significant progression from the company's previous Windows products...
- 2004 August — 9.00
- History Palette, natural media brushes, limited Camera RAW support, Fill Flash and Backlight filters.
- 2004 September — 9.01
- The last version to support Windows 98Windows 98Windows 98 is a graphical operating system by Microsoft. It is the second major release in the Windows 9x line of operating systems. It was released to manufacturing on 15 May 1998 and to retail on 25 June 1998. Windows 98 is the successor to Windows 95. Like its predecessor, it is a hybrid...
/MEWindows MeWindows Millennium Edition, or Windows Me , is a graphical operating system released on September 14, 2000 by Microsoft, and was the last operating system released in the Windows 9x series. Support for Windows Me ended on July 11, 2006....
- 2004 October
- JASC Software is officially acquired by Corel.
- 2005 September — 10.00
- Fully rebranded as "Corel Paint Shop Pro X"
- Revamped Learning Center that helps new users to get started, Makeover Tools (Blemish Remover, Toothbrush/whitener, and Suntan Brush), IR film simulator, and a Black and White film converter that includes color filter effects, partial 48-bit (16bits per channel) color support. Image browser palette, Smart Photo Fix, Object Remover.
- The last release was 10.10 and the last patch was 10.03
- 2006 September — 11.00
- Fully rebranded as "Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo XI"
- 2006 December — 11.11
- Bug fixes, including improvements in the appearance of Camera Raw images (and support for two new camera models) plus a performance increase of the organizer, new 'One-step photo fixes'.
- 2007 February — 11.20
- The last version to support Windows 2000Windows 2000Windows 2000 is a line of operating systems produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, business desktops, laptops, and servers. Windows 2000 was released to manufacturing on 15 December 1999 and launched to retail on 17 February 2000. It is the successor to Windows NT 4.0, and is the...
- 2007 September — 12.00
- Comes with the "Graphite" workspace theme. Layer styles have been added, although these have been criticised by people as too basic.
- 2007 October — 12.01
- 2008 September — 12.50
- Rebranded as "Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 Ultimate Edition".
- This version included some stability and bug fixes
- Adds Creative Content Pack, Background Remover, and Full Certification for Windows Vista.
- 2010 January 25 — 13.00 (X3)
- Rebranded as "PaintShop Photo Pro X3".
- Adds Windows 7 support, New Organizer, Multi-photo Adjustments, Smart Carver(TM), Express Lab, Camera RAW Lab (Supporting more than 350 RAW formats), Object Extractor, Project Creator, improved Text tool, import and export HD video.
- 2011 September 7 - 14.00 (X4)
- Rebranded as "PaintShop Pro X4"
- Streamlined user-interface with workspaces, Photo Blend for combining multimple photos, optimized HDR workflow
- Optimized performance: Up to two times faster than X3, Ultimate version with Nik Color Effects included
Picture tubes
Picture tubes are graphic images with no background. They are often used as a starting point for complex images; that is, they are combined with other image elements to produce a final work. Tubes can also be regarded as graphic brushes based on a pre-created image; this was their original use. Instead of leaving a trace of color on the canvas, they would leave a trail of images. Popular tube subjects include alphabets, human (also known as dollzDollz
Dollz, cartoon dolls or pixel dolls are small pixelated digital images, generally consisting of illustrations of people with clothes and accessories. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, they were widely spread on the internet and were considered an internet fad or meme, used in avatars and signatures...
), animal and toy figures, flowers, love messages and seasonal symbols.
The tube system originated with PSP Pro version 5. Native tube files may be in .tub, .psp, .pspimage, and .psptube formats. XnView
XnView
XnView is a cross-platform image viewer used for viewing, converting, organising and editing graphical & video files. It is free of charge for private, educational and non-profit organisations...
, IrfanView
IrfanView
IrfanView is a freeware/shareware image viewer for Microsoft Windows that can view, edit, and convert image files and play video/audio files. It is noted for its small size, speed, ease of use, and ability to handle a wide variety of graphic file formats, and has some image creation and painting...
, and TubeEx are separate graphics programs that can open tube files (.tub) and save them as .png files for use in other programs.
License Management Software
Versions XI, X2, X3 and X4 install a third party program named PSIService.exe, a Windows serviceWindows Service
On Microsoft Windows operating systems, a Windows service is a long-running executable that performs specific functions and which is designed not to require user intervention. Windows services can be configured to start when the operating system is booted and run in the background as long as...
called ProtexisLicensing. Written by Protexis, this runs in the background and collects licensing information. This program communicates with a remote host. Manually disabling the Protexis Licensing service may cause Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo to cease functioning.
Pricing policy
There have been criticisms of Corel's pricing policy that pitches international versions at higher prices than those charged in the US. An easy work-around for international customers is to purchase their software from Corel's online store. While on the site, changing your regional preference to United States changes the pricing to those charged in the US. Some software can be acquired almost 50% cheaper this way.As of September 7th, 2011, Suggested Retail Prices of PaintShop Pro X4 on Corel eStores are respectively $79.99, €69.99 and ₤59.99.