What is a good Photo editing program that everyone's using now??
keets
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I think I'm using an old Microsoft Picture It version from around 1998. I know that sounds like a dinosaur but all I really do is crop-size-save so it's worked well. Lately it seems as though it may not be as compatible and user friendly with my newer camera.
Is there a good option that everyone uses?? Nothing expensive or extravagant, just a simple, user friendly program.
Thanks in advance.
Al H.
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That would be my recommendation as well.
Photoshop + Mac
Buy the best
PhotoScape and it's free.
I recently went through the same search, having gotten a new camera and desire to become photo-competent....
I settled on trying "Paint.net". But to be honest, haven't been terribly impressed with it. It seems to choke on the larger photo file sizes, and it's not really intuitive. I'm making do with it, but am eagerly looking for responses to your question!
Most web searches for "Best Free Photo Editor" have GIMP and PAINT.NET on their list, so it may be a matter of finding the one that works for me/you....
Based on the above....I may have to try GIMP.
PhotoScape.
ANA LM
USAF Retired — 34 years of active military service! 🇺🇸
I use photoshop elements. Haven’t updated in ages. Not sure if It’s even still available.
I use Photoshop.
Looking for Top Pop Mercury Dime Varieties & High Grade Mercury Dime Toners.
For what you describe photoshop elements would fit the bill and when it is on sale it is pretty dang cheap.
Photoscape
graded US silver coins for sale at link below
https://photos.app.goo.gl/obFf1E1SvDvXsSfu5
As "simple, user friendly" is one of your criteria, I would strongly recommend NOT trying GIMP unless you are familiar with higher end editing programs. And to crop and resize it is total overkill.
Paint.NET is my usual recommendation for a mid-range image editor. Tommy, if you find Paint.NET unintuitive, you will likely hate GIMP. I haven't used Paint.NET in a number of years, but never had any issues with larger images. However, I've always had very highly spec'd computers.
I don't have enough knowledge to recommend a very basic cropping and resizing editor.
For user friendly, with a free version (upgrade for a small fee to get extra features) I use PicMonkey. It will resize/crop and is easy for a casual user. It's web based. Pretty easy to make something like this:
IrfanView is also free and easy to use. Really easy to make combined pics with it. The best thing is that if you're doing a bunch of things it remembers [unlike Photoscape] the last folder that you saved a pic to. I use it in combination with PhotoScape. Have not figured out how to do an overlay like Stork posted tho.
RE: "Lately it seems as though it may not be as compatible and user friendly with my newer camera."
That suggests a file format problem or compatibility with your operating system. If your current product does what you expect of it, then why change?
Corel Paint Shop Pro is good, flexible, and not of the price and inconvenience that Adobe has seen fit to encumber Photoshop. Avoid anything that requires web connection - you risk losing your work and are limited by your bandwidth. Some of the others mentioned in posts are OK, but not very robust and have interfaces that make them more 'toy-like' than real productivity products....but these are only my opinions.
Are you supposed to download and install a Microsoft CODEC pack for your new camera?
I should probably pay close attention to this thread
I use Paint Shop Pro as well-have for quite some time.
You may be right about the specs on my computer. It's a low-end, "access to the web" type of computer.
The only time I had issues with strange behavior was when I tried to copy a coin reverse image next to an obverse image for the "standard" side-by-side compilation. It burped, coughed, and wheezed, before finally playing along.
But as noted, I am making it work with a little hunting and pecking. If GIMP is less "friendly", maybe I'll stick with Paint.net, since I have at least a passing understanding of it now....
Thanks for the input....
how user friendly is PhotoShop Elements?? it isn't very expensive so I may take Todd's suggestion and watch/wait till I see a sale somewhere.
If all you're doing is crop/size/save why not just use paint(or the new paint 3d I think it's called)? Ctrl+W is the resize shortcut btw.
Even windows photo viewer can crop and rotate among other things.
Collector, occasional seller
I should probably pay close attention to this thread
Me too, because since I 'lost' my Photobucket account, and got reasonably skilled with
using my cell phone camera (i7), all I do is click the photo and paste it in a PM or thread.
It's Ok, but primitive and usually doesn't do the coins justice.
Yes it is, and it's much easier to use than Photoshop ... but it's not a professional tool ... it's really a consumer photo-editing tool.
Last time I checked (several months ago) you could download it and try it for free for a period of time.
See http://www.doubledimes.com for a free online reference for US twenty-cent pieces
Hmmm, 1998 photo software and New Camera? Yeah, I wouldn't think that a new camera's software would work with a program that old. Hell, I wouldn't even think that a company would even support a computer software from back then anymore. Yeah, if I was you, I would probably get at least a new Photoshop Elements program or one like it, it's not too much to buy one I would think and back in 1994 when I downloaded the first edition it downloaded pretty easily, a little slow but easily but with todays software, it will download pretty fast. But then again, you might be using Win98 still for all I know. (this was intended to be a little lighthearted and not put you or anyone else down for using older computers & softwares, hell, if anything, I kinda envy any of you that do because you really did get your money's worth! )
My self, I use either Photoshop or my Apple 8 Camera for quick pics
It is NOT intuitive. You have to learn to use and there are lots of icons to learn. Remember the first time you used Lotus 123 or Excel? Same thing here.
I decided it was the software most used and wanted to learn to use it. Fortunately, my local community college offered a class on how to use it. I took the class and can still remember how to manipulate images most any way I need to. Our class was composed of a dozen retirees - we had a blast.
“In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." - Thomas Jefferson
My digital cameo album 1950-64 Cameos - take a look!
Actually, now that I think of it, you said you got a new camera, it might have a editing software that came with it depending on the camera I guess. As for Photoshop Elements, you will have to play around with it to get used to it, it really isn't that difficult to use though and it doesn't cost that much, probably around $30 to $50 dollars I would think, maybe even cheaper than that.
I use Photoshop, but I would recommend starting with something cheap (Elements, $100 from Adobe) or free (GIMP) and discovering if either have any shortcomings for what you need before taking the plunge for Photoshop.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
I use adobe Photoshop CS2.
Lightroom
Really old version of Photoshop. It's all I need.
Great transactions with oih82w8, JasonGaming, Moose1913.
I use this group, all free except Elements:
Microsoft Office Picture Mgr.
Paint
Photoshop Elements 12
XnView for Windows
I use software that came with my Cannon scanner, ancient but it does what I want. Crop, resize, contrast, darkness, etc. and quite a bit of options. ArcSoft Photostudio 5 from 2003, yes 2003
That's what I have been using for quite some time.
+1 PhotoScape. Free, free, free. Used it for years.
Here's a warning parable for coin collectors...
I use Photoshop, the last version you could own before you had to rent it.
If you liked an editor from two decades ago, then just about any editor today will surpass your expectations.
If you want a capable editor, look at Photoshop Elements. It's sometimes offered pretty cheap on places like Amazon (as low as $60 for the current version), and you actually own the software.
You don't say what kind of camera it is, but didn't it come with a basic editor of some kind? Even if it's used, you may be able to download a free one from the manufacture's website when you look up your camera's software...
Paint.net fan here. Used it happily for years on many machines.
Nikon cameras come with free photo editing software. Many other photographers use Lightroom, a cousin of Photoshop. I edit photos; I do not take pics of coins.
"Seu cabra da peste,
"Sou Mangueira......."
Old copy of Photoshop works for me.
I copy and paste...
Pretty good at that... also, my wife has taken a couple of pictures for me... then sent them via email... and I copy and paste...Talented aren't I?? 
Back before I retired, I had aspirations to do coin photography... purchased a set up, was looking for a camera... then got busy retiring and now I am not even sure where that set up is.... 
Oh well.. It just snowed about three inches, so winter has 'officially' arrived. More house time now... who knows what adventures await.... 
Cheers, RickO
@ricko
I hereby publicly challenge you to dig out the setup, acquire a suitable camera, and give it a whirl. You’ll likely find, as many of us have, that photographing coins is as much fun as collecting them, conversing about them, or learning about them. You’re retired! There’s snow on the ground! What better hobby-in-a-hobby could there be?
I am not sure why anyone wants to go cheap. If one spends so much money on coins, and wants to image them well, why cheap? That is why I bought Photoshop, it works very well and does not compromise your efforts to capture the beauty of your coins. I see Photoshop sold online for as little at $100. Worth every penny. No I am not affiliated with Adobe....... Just like their products.
Best, SH
I installed Samsung's sidesync on my laptop and galaxy s7 via usb you can now see great details on a large screen and it has the ability to take a screenshot and it's free then if I really want to seriously edit i use gimp but if you just want to capture and crop then it resize i use a little utility called faststone screen capture it sits in the Conner of your screen then capture crop resize and save in the folder you want without minimizing any programs just my two cents hope this helps someone