Hi!! So happy to have another PSP user unboard!! I never used 8 I went from 6 to 9 and then X. But I do know you need to get all the patches available for PSP8 if you haven't already. If you don't have them you will not be able to view the .png files correctly, they will always show a background color for you instead of a transparent background!
Go to this site and select your PSP8
http://www.jasc.com/support/updates/default.asp and then get the patches you need. They will self install to the correct location for you!
I really understand what you are saying about working at these large image sizes. I also just played with the fun little tubes for years. The one thing to remember now is that most all of the tubes are only made at 72ppi and appear really tiny on your Layout if you try to use them on a 300ppi Layout. You really can NOT deform/stretch them larger for the to work!! They will look modestly OK on your monitor but they will print out horrible!!
This goes for almost everything that was originally made for PSP older resources, brushes, patterns, textures and frames, you almost have to start fresh with all new items and create them at 300ppi. However the good thing is creating a brush at 300ppi 500x500 pixels, you can deform this rather large and it looks great!!
) Same thing with tubes created at 300ppi, then we can still use them as easy tubes like we always could, creates big files, but so does saving them as .png's and as a tube I can easily adjust the size being a tube. Also I can make them follow a path with the vector tube script @ pixelnook.com!!
LOL Kelly!!!
I just love to spread my love of PSP around!! hehe