ACOT Message Board

 I have been comtemplating digital for a while but am really getting the urge to try it now.  In your opinion which software is the most user-friendly.  I see refereces to PSE and PSP, etc.  I know there are also some free trials out there.  Is there a particular version I should look for?  Also, I would like the capability to print some of my pages.  I am very compuer illiterate so use of ease is important, but i would really like a quality product.  I am assuming I can buy page kits, etc. to download and use in any of the programs.  Oh, and I really don't want to spend tons of money.

Any advice would be helpful. 

Thanks so much.

Chris

I'm not sure about how user friendly all the other software packages are out there, but if you want to try Digital out for free try GIMP!

Yes, I do push this software a lot because I love using it!  And it is completely free!

Here is a tutorial on how to do a basic layout (for free) using GIMP and free products in the store.  You can Dig-It for Free

If you have any questions about GIMP please pm me!

 Thanks for the info. I want to try digi but my need to go slow and do hybrid first. Can get away from the scissors and glue.

davsar wrote:I'm not sure about how user friendly all the other software packages are out there, but if you want to try Digital out for free try GIMP!

Yes, I do push this software a lot because I love using it!  And it is completely free!

Here is a tutorial on how to do a basic layout (for free) using GIMP and free products in the store.  You can Dig-It for Free

If you have any questions about GIMP please pm me!

Oh, I hadn't heard of that. I've been wanting to give it a try again. My computer crashed a few months ago and I had to reset to factory settings. Lost all my programs and haven't wanted tospend the money to buy again.  I'm glad you posted this! Thanks for the tip, davsar!

 hi Chris  

I've heard good things from Sarah about GIMP. I use PSE 6 myself, and being that it is so popular, you'll find many good tutorials created for PSE to help you out. If you go to those software websites, you can find free trial downloads. The newest version is usually the most expensive to buy and not always the most user friendly.  My experience; I used PSE3 for so long, I trialed versions 5 and 6 when I was ready to upgrade and found that I liked 6 better. So if you can, try out different versions.

We have a couple beginning digital tutorials right here in our Resources section. There is even a tutorial for using GIMP. http://www.acherryontop.com/blog/65 

If you want to save money, digital is the way to go! Digital kits are super cheap compared to their paper counterparts. Plus, you can re-use the same digital kit and embellishments over and over and over and...   When you play with re-coloring and re-sizing your kits elements, you can extend their usefulness even more.

Be sure to visit the FREEBIE section of our digital shoppe for lots of cool free kits to help you get started.

Printing is a snap nowadays. Home printers are becoming more and more affordable, local photo lab developers like Walmart, Costco and more offer a fuller range of sizes, and there are tons of online photo sites where you can upload your images and purchase individual prints or create a customized book.