What Version of PhotoShop Is Best For Beginners

[Brusimm]

Hey gang, I'm tossed up between PhotoShop and GIMP. I'm thinking PhotoShop is the best way to go, considering all the support it has. Yet I only dabble in image manipulation. The one thing I want is to be able to muck with layers, maybe add text and tinker with lighting.

What's the better version of PS to get for this light use?

Thanks,
Bruce

GIMP - It's free.

[waffles]

1 - Gimp. It can use a lot of the PhotoShop plugins (last time I checked anyway) and you're not making any sort of monetary investment.

2 - GimpShop. It's GIMP made to look like Photoshop.

3 - Teh version of Photoshop that you can find for really cheap. Here's a link to the current eBay page of version 7 sorted lowest price to highest.

[private]

YOu can also get Elements - its under $100 and does what you need, but yeah, GIMP is free...

[Jim Bryant]

If you really want Photoshop do it quickly before CS5 comes out. Inorder to upgrade to CS4, which is pretty damn good, you can't get anything before CS2 because Adobe will only allow you to go back four versions.

I started out with Photoshop 1.0 back in the early 90's and upgraded to every new version that has come out. But what what I heard, if you don't want to spend the $500 to $600.00 for photoshop. Elements 7.0 will work just fine, until you outgrow it.