I know that this has probably been asked before but I am having trouble deciding which software to buy. They are all so expensive and I dont want to be sorry.

I have trial versions of photoshop and dip7 . All I can bring up on these are basic grids with nothing else to work with or on. I looked at Photoshop for dummies but it has so much more informaton than I need to learn to do what I want to do .

I want to make collages. I want to be able to print saying and poems on my pictures. I might like to play aorund with the edges or alter the looks a little bit. I am not interested in fising photos or changing the colors or getting the lighting perfect etc....

Do I need to get the entire photoshop program? Is there different photoshop programs to do different things? I just have a basic grid.

Has anyone ever taken the online beginners course? It is almost $200 so I dont want to waste money but I sure would like to be able to find a nice program.

Thanks for any help.
Rhonda

oceanside_2003@yahoo.com

Both are excellent programs. DIP has a much easier learning curve but has great capabilities. Check out Design Team Member shelleyrae's gallery. She uses DIP exclusively.
Photoshop is very expensive (there is photoshop elements for under $100 - just a light version) the learning curve is is huge but you'll never be sorry. The possiblities are endless with it. This is what most of the design team uses.
There are "basic page" tutorials for each of these programs in the tutorials section. They should have you going in no time in whatever program you decide.
I always recommend DIP to a beginner but if you are pretty computer savvy PS might be the way to go.
The grid you see in these programs I'm ***uming is just the transparent background. You'll be able to do everything you want to do in either of these programs.

i'm not really sure what basic grids you're talking about, sorry. if you have trial versions, you should be able to walk thru one of the basic tutorials posted here under informational, tutorials.
photoshop elements is a watered down version (and around $100) that would probably do most of what you'd need.
i think you can get great deals on dip too, hopefully someone will pop in here and let you know.
and whatever you buy, i wouldn't limit yourself to what you think you'll need. when i started i had no idea how much i'd get into computer scrapping. course i have *much* to learn about ps still. but i'm certainly now wanting more than i ever thought i would. good luck! Ü

Might I suggest you start with an "inexpensive" program to get your toes wet and decide whether you want to spend more money on a better program.

NO COST programs - The Gimp http://www.gimp.org/ and Pixia http://www.ab.wakwak.com/~knight/ Free, but not many tuts online.

LOW COST to NO COST - Adobe PhotoDeluxe. No longer being sold by Adobe. Most scanners came bundled with it. You might have one sitting in a drawer. Limited in what it can do, but it does support layers. Try looking on Ebay for a cheap buy if you don't have it. You can buy one for under $25.00 including shipping.

AFFORDABLE - PSP, PS Elements, PhotoImpact, DIP, etc. I'm a PSP user myself and am very happy with it. I also own PS Elements, but unistalled it.

EXPENSIVE - Photoshop, but who can afford it. $609.00 smackeroos. Great program if you half way know what you're doing and have money to burn.

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