Paint Shop Pro 8 in a Snap [Paperback]

Jennifer Fulton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 29, 2003

These days, nobody really needs to learn everything there is to know about software product like Paint Shop Pro. And even if you did, who has the time to endlessly tinker and play with it until you figure everything out?

You just want a book that will quickly show you how to do things with Paint Shop Pro ¿ things that aren¿t already covered in the docs, and things you can¿t just figure out on your own.

Paint Shop Pro in a Snap is designed specifically for today¿s computer user:

• Somebody who is new to Paint Shop Pro, but not new to computers.
• Somebody who doesn¿t have time for long-winded, mind-numbing explanations ¿ and certainly no time or patience for bad jokes.

Organized into a series of well-organized, bite-sized, quickly accomplished tasks, this book lets the reader zero right in on the one particular task he or she wants to accomplish, quickly figure out what to do, do it, and then get back to work.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

These days, nobody really needs to learn everything there is to know about software product like Paint Shop Pro. And even if you did, who has the time to endlessly tinker and play with it until you figure everything out?

You just want a book that will quickly show you how to do things with Paint Shop Pro things that aren't already covered in the docs, and things you can't just figure out on your own.

Paint Shop Pro in a Snap is designed specifically for today's computer user:

* Somebody who is new to Paint Shop Pro, but not new to computers.
* Somebody who doesn't have time for long-winded, mind-numbing explanations and certainly no time or patience for bad jokes.

Organized into a series of well-organized, bite-sized, quickly accomplished tasks, this book lets the reader zero right in on the one particular task he or she wants to accomplish, quickly figure out what to do, do it, and then get back to work.

About the Author

Jennifer Fulton, iVillage¿s "Computer Coach," is a consultant, trainer, and best-selling author of more than 80 books covering areas of computing, including Windows, Office, and computer repair.

She is a self-taught computer guru ¿ if something can happen to a computer user it has happened to her at one time or another. After working with computers all day, she brings what is left of her sense of humor to her many books.

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Sams (September 29, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0672323893
• ISBN-13: 978-0672323898
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,452,406 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Only for photographic editing, November 24, 2003

By 

Joseph T Reinckens II (Dallas, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Paint Shop Pro 8 in a Snap (Paperback)

In A Snap is *totally* about manipulating photographic images. If you want to learn PSP basics, pass this up. I have used Paint Shop Pro 3 and am totally confused by version 8. I bought this book and Paint Shop Pro 8 Fast & Easy by Diane Koers because even the basics were confusing me, e.g., selecting a font to put on a blank background.

Obviously, I am not qualified to give a detailed review of In A Snap, but if you want to learn editing of photographic images, you probably want this book. For basics such as creating buttons and banners for websites, check out Koers' book.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Limited use, sloppy writing, May 25, 2004

By 

TheCafeWriter (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Paint Shop Pro 8 in a Snap (Paperback)

I agree with a previous reviewer: this book is extremely limited in its scope, given that it's some 450 oages. It assumes that ALL you want to do is clean up or enhance your family photos. There's almost nothing on creating original graphics. For example, there's absolutely NOTHING on doing such basic things as resizing an image, using the Picture Tube function, or applying backgrounds. It's a shame because I've had SAMS books about previous versions of Paint Shop Pro that were far more useful.

As a technical writer and editor by profession, much of the writing style in this book is just downright lazy - such as this example buried in a paragraph:

"You can change this on the Units tab of the Paint Shop Pro 8 Preferences dialog box (choose File, Preferences, General Program Preferences)."

A better version would be in the order the user would actually complete the task: "To change this, click the File menu, point to Preferences, and click General Program Preferences. On the Units tab, choose the Disply Units from the list."

This book was a major disappointment, considering the publisher. If all you will ever use Paint Shop Pro 8 for is creating an online family photo album, this book is for you. If you really want to get the most out of this powerful program for other projects as well, this book is no help at all.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Treasury of How To Information, January 30, 2005

By 

Michael Haddad - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Paint Shop Pro 8 in a Snap (Paperback)

As a lifelong amateur photographer and digital image user for 8 years, I thought I knew a great deal about enhancing photos. I was pleasantly surprised to learn much more from this reader-oriented, consistently-detailed "how to" book. Especially useful were tricks for sharpening images, eliminatng blemishes, and improving portraits. Tips giving suggested parameter values were also valuable.

I thoroughly enjoyed the author's personal style of exposition. After renewing the book three times from the library and studying nearly every page, I am now purchasing it as a reference. (Yes, I have PSP 9, but 8 and 9 are similar enough to justify purchase.) Be advised that it does not stray from the subject of improving photos, so if you are looking for help in creating graphics, look for a book on that subject. If it is photos you want to enhance, and you want to really understand how PSP can be used, this is a great book for you.