Photoshop Type Software?

MDalbyMDalby Registered Users Posts: 697 Major grins
edited February 5, 2011 in Finishing School
I am a Lightroom 3 user for my post processing and I am going to start using it for my NR.

I have been asked to make 6'x8' banners of the boys and girls HS basketball teams for next year. The banner will be essentially a team photo and the name of the High School across the top and the year and maybe a one word motto for the year or something. I will also want to put my web site along the side.

This sounds real easy for the text for you gurus but I really know nothing in regards to Photoshop etc. I thought I could just use text overlays or something in Lightroom but it looks like I am going to need some kind of graphics editor, correct?

Should I just get Photoshop Elements and that combined with Lightroom should be sufficient for my needs? I am just going to be adding a few words to the photo.

Any recommendations for a rookie are appreciated.

Thanks,

MD
Nikon D4, 400 2.8 AF-I, 70-200mm 2.8 VR II, 24-70 2.8
CBS Sports MaxPreps Shooter
http://DalbyPhoto.com

Comments

  • run_kmcrun_kmc Registered Users Posts: 263 Major grins
    edited February 5, 2011
    It sounds like you don't want/need the full version of Photoshop. In that case, I would recommend either Photoshop Elements or the GIMP. (http://www.GIMP.org)

    I don't usually recommend the GIMP. It is powerful, but difficult to use at first. (I learned how to use it due to my years using Linux.) I do 99.9% of my processing in Lightroom, and pull out the GIMP very rarely. If all you need to do is add one word to an image, the GIMP, being free, might be your best bet. If you want to explore further, Elements might be the way to go.
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  • MDalbyMDalby Registered Users Posts: 697 Major grins
    edited February 5, 2011
    run_kmc wrote: »
    It sounds like you don't want/need the full version of Photoshop. In that case, I would recommend either Photoshop Elements or the GIMP. (http://www.GIMP.org)

    I don't usually recommend the GIMP. It is powerful, but difficult to use at first. (I learned how to use it due to my years using Linux.) I do 99.9% of my processing in Lightroom, and pull out the GIMP very rarely. If all you need to do is add one word to an image, the GIMP, being free, might be your best bet. If you want to explore further, Elements might be the way to go.


    Yep, I really don't think I want some full features program. Ease of use and quality are the most important aspects to me.

    Thank you for your advice

    MD
    Nikon D4, 400 2.8 AF-I, 70-200mm 2.8 VR II, 24-70 2.8
    CBS Sports MaxPreps Shooter
    http://DalbyPhoto.com
  • aquaticvideographeraquaticvideographer Registered Users Posts: 278 Major grins
    edited February 5, 2011
    If you're using a Mac, Pixelmator is only $30 in the App Store right now. I'm considering picking up a copy. Otherwise, there's Acorn, also available in the App Store, for $50. I also came across Posterino that might fit the bill, it's $30 and it's for making collages/posters.

    I'd be curious to hear if anyone has any experience with Acorn and/or Pixelmator, and your thoughts on the program(s). I'm considering picking up Pixelmator for the introductory price, as they're including upgrades to v2.0 for free. (I'm not affiliated with any of these developers.)
  • racerracer Registered Users Posts: 333 Major grins
    edited February 5, 2011
    MDalby wrote: »
    Yep, I really don't think I want some full features program. Ease of use and quality are the most important aspects to me.

    Thank you for your advice

    MD

    Gimp isnt of a low quality, simply because it is free, and will be able to do more then Photoshop Elements, but the "ease of use" of Gimp is the worst of them all, only slightly harder to use then the full version of photoshop.
    As far as feature set, I would list them them in this order, Photoshop Elements has the least amount of options, Gimp comes next, and Photoshop CS5 has the most features.
    As far as any other option out there, you could rank there number of options well below these three programs.

    I would suggest, if you have the money, get Elements, and also download Gimp, since it is free. If you find yourself wanting to do something advanced that Elements dosnt do, then you can then hop over to Gimp.
    There is tons of learning material on how to use Elements, and learning how to use Elements will help leaning Gimp or the full version of Photoshop if you ever decide you need them.

    Another way to look at this would be to just go for the best of them all, Photoshop CS5, if you can afford it, and have the time to learn it. The thing with the full version, is that you have to be committed to learning it, if you want to get much use out of it. The "ease of use" isnt that it is hard to use or to figure out, but that it takes time to learn it all. It also has the highest amount of learning material.
    A biggest advantage to learning the full version, is that you will have a advantage over the competition who doesn't know how to use those tools, and will ultimately give you more options in your photography career
    Todd - My Photos
  • ThatCanonGuyThatCanonGuy Registered Users Posts: 1,778 Major grins
    edited February 5, 2011
    You don't have to get CS5. I use CS2: very powerful for graphics. CS should be good too. You can save money this way.
  • Ric GrupeRic Grupe Registered Users Posts: 9,522 Major grins
    edited February 5, 2011
    Nothing wrong with GIMP...but if you are going to learn a feature laden program you might as well bite the bullet and get CS5 since it interfaces nicely with LR3 and Bridge.

    I resisted getting PS for years because I couldn't see paying that kind of money to Adobe. Well the cost is high...but it is the best there is. Now I'm a happy CS5 user...and it didn't take all that long to learn the things I wanted to do.
  • BinaryFxBinaryFx Registered Users Posts: 707 Major grins
    edited February 5, 2011
    I am not sure how capable LR and Gimp are with including vector text in raster files - so that the text remains at final device resolution at output.

    Text/Graphics have different resolution requirements than photos. If you render text at the pixel resolution of the document, the text may output with "pixelated" edges. If you scale the image up in resolution to account for the text requirements - then you will have a much larger file than required and you may introduce artifacts into the image unless the resampling is done right.

    In Photoshop, when you add a text layer, the text is live and vector based. One can then save the document into say PDF format and retain the layers. This will allow one to have the text "resolution free" in vector format, inside the resolution bound image (which is at a lower resolution than the text). Printing from Acrobat Reader will honour both the vector and raster data. This means that you will have device resolution accuracy for the text (cleaner edges) and smaller file size/print time for the photo data.

    I am sure that Photoshop Elements can do this (vector text layers and saving a layered Photoshop PDF), however, before purchase install the free 30 day demo.


    Regards,

    Stephen Marsh

    http://binaryfx.customer.netspace.net.au/ (coming soon!)
    http://members.ozemail.com.au/~binaryfx/
    http://prepression.blogspot.com/
    http://binaryfx.customer.netspace.net.au/
    http://members.ozemail.com.au/~binaryfx/
    http://prepression.blogspot.com/
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