Monster Media 1994 #2/Monster Media No. 2 (Monster Media)(1994).ISO/text/76_way.zip/76-WAY.TXT

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   77 Ways that Aldus PhotoStyler 2.0 Beats Adobe Photoshop 2.5.1
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Windows

About This Document

This document describes some of the ways that Aldus PhotoStyler 2.0
for Windows exceeds the capabilities of Adobe Photoshop 2.5.1 for
Windows, and why a graphics professional would benefit from these
differences. It is not intended to be an exhaustive overview of the
hundreds of features and benefits of either product, but an
illustration of some of the strengths unique to
Aldus PhotoStyler 2.0.

This material has been carefully reviewed and was as accurate as
possible as of March 22, 1994. However, because both applications
are complex and (naturally) undergo continuous upgrading, some
descriptions may become invalid at a later date. We therefore
recommend that you do not rely solely on this document for a pur-
chasing decision, but that you also carefully review the current
specifications of each product to weigh the features and benefits
that apply to your particular digital-imaging task.

We welcome your comments and corrections. If you know of any
inaccuracy in this document, please write to: PhotoStyler Product
Marketing, Aldus Corporation, 411 First Avenue South, Seattle, WA
98104-2871, U.S.A. You may also fax responses to PhotoStyler
Product Marketing at [phone].  Comments may be sent via
email to [e-mail] on Internet or 75216,3137 on
CompuServe.

Contents

The Top 10 Ways Aldus PhotoStyler 2.0 Beats Aldus Photoshop 2.5.1
Unsurpassed Productivity
Accurate and Consistent Color That's Easy to Achieve
Superior Output Quality
Program and File Integration
Powerful and Customizable Interface

The Top 10 Ways Aldus PhotoStyler 2.0Beats Aldus Photoshop 2.5.1

Feature----Number

Built-in color management system----46
Multiple previews for changes----1
Ability to load and edit portions of an image----2
Built-in image management tools----58
Multiple transformations at once----6
Tool ribbon----62
Quick Command palette----64
Harder working Open dialog box----20
OLE support----59
Image Navigator----3

Unsurpassed Productivity

1. Multiple, side-by-side previews of changes
PH  Whether a user is trying out filters, effects, or color
corrections, PhotoStyler provides three previews of the image
within each dialog box: one with the original settings, and two
test copies that can be adjusted independently. This Multi-Preview
capability allows users to try out and compare changes before
committing them to the original image. Moreover, users can examine
the previews at either a 1:1 or fit-in-window view. The 1:1 ratio
provides an accurate, pixel-level representation of the effects
anywhere the user chooses within the image, while the full view
provides a way to check overall results.
PS  For every effect for which it offers a preview, Adobe Photoshop
provides only one preview, with no option to compare original
settings to alternative ones before applying changes. (The only
exception is the Variations dialog box, discussed below.) When
available, adjustments are previewed on the main image window
that's open on the screen, at whatever ratio the image happens to
be at, such as 1:1 or 1:4. For dialog boxes without previews, the
change must be applied to the actual image. If the change isn't
right, the user must undo the change and reopen the dialog box for
further adjustments.
  Adobe Photoshop's Variations dialog box does show either two or
six before-and-after thumbnail previews of changes (depending on
the effect applied). Unlike in PhotoStyler, however, this multiple-
preview option is available only for adjusting the color balance,
contrast, and saturation.

2. Ability to load only part of an image
PH  To reduce image processing time and increase the amount of RAM
available for image manipulation, PhotoStyler users can opt to load
only a portion of an image into memory for editing. They can choose
precisely what portion they want as they open the file or at any
time during editing. Once editing is complete, the loaded portion
can be saved back into the original image or saved as a separate
file. This capability increases user efficiency and product
performance by allowing image editors to work on large images a
piece at a time.
PS  Adobe Photoshop does not offer this capability. Users must
always load all of an image, which can't help but increase image-
processing time and decrease available RAM for editing large
images.

3. Image Navigator for constant bird's-eye view of active image
PH  PhotoStyler 2.0 comes with an Image Navigator that provides a
thumbnail, bird's-eye view of the active image at all times. This
optional palette makes users more productive in three ways: by
helping them keep track of where they are in the full picture while
they work at the pixel level; by showing the overall results of up-
close changes; and by letting them quickly select exactly where to
go in an image without panning, scrolling, or zooming out from the
current view. The Image Navigator also provides shortcuts for going
to fit-to-screen, 1:1, or any other magnification level.
PS  Adobe Photoshop does not provide a feature similar to the Image
Navigator. Users must constantly rely on the grabber hand, scroll
bars, magnification tool, and many zoom commands to move around in
an image, check the overall results of a change, and keep track of
where they are in a picture.

4. Memory-usage indicator
PH  PhotoStyler has a memory-usage indicator to help users keep
track of the amount of free RAM and free virtual memory available
to PhotoStyler. The indicator provides numeric values of free
memory, as well as a colored dot that indicates how the memory is
being allocated--using RAM only or RAM plus the hard-drive memory
(i.e., virtual memory). Based on this information, the user may
choose to adjust the memory usage--and thereby improve the pro-
gram's performance--by turning off the Undo function, resampling the
image, editing only a portion of the image at a time, or
performing similar actions that PhotoStyler supports.
PS  Adobe Photoshop 2.5.1 does not offer this capability, so the
user doesn't have the access to how memory resources are being
used.

5. Practice Pad for testing brush settings
PH  The Practice Pad in Aldus PhotoStyler enables users to test all
paint settings--such as brush width, paint flow, transparency, and
so on--before applying them to an image. Users can practice on the
current background color, on a standard color test pattern, or on a
copy of any portion of the actual image. The latter option is
particularly useful, for it allows image editors to practice with
the tool precisely where they'll use it in the image. And in case
they get it just right in the Practice Pad, PhotoStyler provides an
"Apply" button to transfer the practice strokes to the actual
image, saving the effort of trying to duplicate them.
PS  Adobe Photoshop does not offer this capability.

6. Ability to test and apply multiple transformations at once
PH  PhotoStyler 2.0 has an innovative Multi-Transform dialog box
that lets users try out multiple transformations on a low-
resolution version of an image, see the cumulative effect, and
apply all changes at once to the image. These transformations
include re-sizing, skewing, rotating, adding perspective, and
similar functions. Multi-Transform also shows all changes in real
time--that is, PhotoStyler redraws the screen at the same speed that
the user makes adjustments, so that visual feedback is immediate.
This saves time by helping the user achieve the right results the
first time.
PS  Adobe Photoshop allows users to apply only one transformation
at a time, hampering experimentation and increasing the time it
takes to get to the final result. It does not provide real-time
screen redraw for transformations.

7. Drag-and-drop copying of selections between windows
PH  PhotoStyler provides drag-and-drop copying between windows,
bypassing the standard copy-and-paste operation through the
clipboard. In one motion, the user can either cut or copy the
selection from an original image and transfer it to another, even
without selecting the second image.
PS  Adobe Photoshop does not offer this capability. Moving
selections between images requires three steps: cut or copy the
selection to the clipboard, select the other image, and paste the
selection from the clipboard.

8. Electronic loupe
PH  Aldus PhotoStyler provides a unique magnification tool, called
the Magnification Loupe, that simulates a traditional loupe. As the
user moves the tool over an image, only the portion of the image
that's beneath the loupe is enlarged. This enables a user to check
on details quickly, without wasting time zooming and panning. Users
can set the loupe's magnification level from 1x to 4x, and can
resize the loupe.
PS  Adobe Photoshop does not offer this capability.

9. Ability to open and close multiple images at a time
PH  PhotoStyler lets users select and open any number of images at
once from either the "Open" dialog box or the Album. They also can
close only the active image, multiple selected images, or all
images at once. Like other Windows applications, PhotoStyler
supports the ability to open multiple files from the Windows File
Manager by dragging and dropping files onto the PhotoStyler
application workspace or icon.
PS  Adobe Photoshop users can select and open only one image at a
time from the "Open" dialog box. To open multiple images at once
requires multiple trips to the dialog box, or a return to the
Windows File Manager for drag-and-drop file opening. Adobe
Photoshop can close images only one at a time or all at once; it
cannot close several selected images at a time.

10. Window Manager for handling multiple open images
PH  Several standard operations such as saves, closes, changes in
views, and adjustments to image resolution can be applied to
multiple images at the same time using the Window Manager in
PhotoStyler.
PS  Adobe Photoshop does not offer this capability. All similar
operations must be performed on one image at a time.

11. Undo of multiple painting actions at once
PH  In Aldus PhotoStyler, several painting and image-editing tools
(airbrush, paintbrush, pencil, smudge, blur, dodge and burn, and so
on) provide the option of undoing all actions recently done with
that tool, or just the last action. (For example, when users draw
four lines, they can delete all four at once, or only the last one
drawn.) This feature provides greater flexibility when painting and
retouching images.
PS  Adobe Photoshop can undo only the most recent stroke made with
its tools.

12. Selective Undo for painting tools
PH  Using the right mouse button, PhotoStyler 2.0 users can
selectively undo (i.e., drag over to erase) any part of what
they've added using a painting tool, without losing the rest of the
strokes. This selective undo works for all painting tools and
provides the flexibility needed to apply an effect and then remove
any part of it--valuable when correcting painting mistakes or fine-
tuning a dodge and burn, for example.
PS  Adobe Photoshop does not offer this capability.

13. Better eraser tool
PH  Aldus PhotoStyler's eraser tool allows the user to erase an
image to white, black, or the background color, or to the last-
saved version of the image. Users can also control the opacity,
edge softness, shape, and size of the erasing tool. This
flexibility provides a great deal of creative control--for example,
users can apply a series of effects to an image, and then use a
partially opaque, customized brush to selectively remove part of
the added effects.
PS  Adobe Photoshop's magic eraser tool provides only a fixed-size,
hard-edge eraser that can erase only to the current background
color or to the last-saved version, without any control over
opacity.

14. Better speed for standard functions
PH  Benchmarks on an 8MB image show that Aldus PhotoStyler 2.0 is
an average 33% faster than Adobe Photoshop in the application of
filters and effects. Tests on a 10MB image show that PhotoStyler is
10% to 500% faster for general functions, such as painting,
computations, and file handling (including opening, closing,
cutting and pasting, and duplicating). Out of 93 benchmark tests
performed, Aldus PhotoStyler was faster in two-thirds of the
functions.
PS  Although Adobe Photoshop's performance speeds beat PhotoStyler
speeds in a third of the tests, the program showed a significantly
slower performance than PhotoStyler as images got larger, due to
slower handling of virtual memory.

15. More versatile borders capability
PH  When creating a border from a selection marquee, PhotoStyler
2.0 lets image editors control the border's width, position, and
edge, as well as preview the border before committing to the
settings. They can set borders from 1 to 256 pixels wide, and
control the softness or sharpness of the edges by a value of 0 to
150. They can create the border on the outside or inside of the
selection's marquee, or have it straddle the marquee evenly.
PS  Adobe Photoshop users can control only a border's width (1 to
64 pixels), not also its placement and edge. The program always
straddles the border over the selection marquee (half the width
inside, and half the width outside). Adobe Photoshop does not
provide a preview of borders.

16. Ability to disable Undo for increased memory
PH  The Undo function in PhotoStyler can be disabled to increase
the amount of memory available to manipulate an image. An image
that takes up 15MB of RAM, for example, might need an additional
15MB of memory to support the Undo function. By turning off Undo,
users regain that extra 15MB of memory. Undo can easily be turned
on again right before a comparatively drastic change that the user
might want to undo.
PS  Adobe Photoshop does not offer this capability.

17. Ability to empty the Undo buffer
PH  For those times when a user doesn't want to turn off Undo to
regain memory for image manipulation, PhotoStyler also provides a
way to simply empty the Undo buffer of its current contents. (The
Undo buffer stores what the image looked liked before the current
change was made.) Much like emptying a trash can, clearing the
buffer "dumps" the memory reserved for undoing the last action and
releases the RAM for the next operation. Being able to free this
memory gives the user even more control over the program's
performance when handling larger images.
PS  Adobe Photoshop does not offer this capability.

18. More flexible magic wand
PH  The PhotoStyler magic wand (a tool used for selecting areas
within an image based on the color or grayscale values of the
pixels) provides more controls and options than Adobe Photoshop
offers. In PhotoStyler, the wand can select colors or gray-scale
values based on one specific pixel, or it can take the average of
the colors within any rectangular, freehand, or straightline
selection the user drags. The tolerance setting for color
similarity can range from 0 to 255, and the wand can work with a
variety of selection criteria (RGB, HSB, Hue Only, Saturation Only,
Brightness Only, RGB Range, and HSB Range). For times when a
current selection isn't quite right, PhotoStyler has an "Update"
button that lets the image editor quickly change the criteria and
update the selection without first deselecting the area.
PhotoStyler can also add, subtract, and find the intersection of
multiple selections made with the magic wand.
PS  Adobe Photoshop's magic wand can only select colors based on
one specific pixel or upon the average of an area that is 3x3 or
5x5 pixels. Like PhotoStyler, it provides tolerance levels from 0
to 255 for color similarity, but this is the only selection
criterion it offers. Adobe Photoshop has no way to reduce the
current selection based on a new tolerance setting unless the user
deselects the area, changes the criterion, and then starts the
selection over again. The program can add and subtract multiple
magicwand selections, but it can't take the intersection of
multiple selections.

19. Remove Holes command
PH  When created with several selection tools or cumulative
criteria, an active selection will often end up with "holes"--
unselected areas in a large field of active pixels. PhotoStyler has
a Remove Holes command to turn this kind of complex selection into
a contiguous selection in one step.
PS  Adobe Photoshop cannot create a contiguous selection area from
a non-contiguous ones. The user must manually lasso or draw a
marquee around the holes, which can require extra zooming and
careful drawing.

20. Harder working "Open" dialog box
PH  The "Open" dialog box in Aldus PhotoStyler provides much more
than standard file and directory listings. A thumbnail preview
enables users to see and crop an image before they open it, or to
select just a part of the image to load and edit. Sort and search
functions help users locate files by parameters such as creation
date, file size, and filename. Other options let them open an image
at screen resolution, open a copy of the image, or load multiple
images at once. From this dialog box, users can also gain
information about a selected file (its size, color mode, format,
location, and so on), set several file options (such as which
resolution a Kodak Photo CD image will open at), and gain access to
color management controls and PhotoStyler image Albums.
PS  Besides the standard directory and file listings, Adobe
Photoshop's "Open" dialog box provides only an image's name and
file size. It does not provide a thumbnail preview, nor any of the
other quick-access features that PhotoStyler offers.

21. Snap-to-edge for free selections
PH  A PhotoStyler user can opt to make the free-selection tool find
the edges in an image automatically. This provides an easy way to
isolate objects from an image or an image from its background.
PS  Adobe Photoshop's lasso tool does not offer this capability.

22. Support of virtual memory for all filters
PH  All of the effects and image-correction filters that come with
Aldus PhotoStyler 2.0 can take advantage of a computer's virtual
memory. Thus users can apply these filters to an image that's
larger than available RAM.
PS  Many filters that come with Adobe Photoshop 2.5.1 do not
support virtual memory. Most notably, all the Distort filters
(Displace, Pinch, Polar Coordinates, Ripple, Shear, Spherize,
Twirl, Wave, and Zig-Zag) can work only with images that are small
enough to fit into the computer's available RAM. The Lens Flare,
Pointillize, and Crystalize filters also have some limitations
based on available RAM. Such restrictions can severely limit the
size of images these filters can be applied to.

23. Ability to backtrack to correct a freehand selection
PH  When an image editor uses the free-selection tool to draw a
selection, it's not uncommon to go astray from the intended course.
Applying the Backspace key enables users to correct their in-
progress selection by backing up point by point or pixel by pixel,
and then continuing with the selection again.
PS  The lasso tool in Adobe Photoshop provides no option for
correcting a selection while the user creates it. To achieve the
same kind of marquee-editing ability, an image editor must use the
pen tool to draw a path, and then convert the path to a marquee.

24. Rate of flow for paintbrush tool
PH  Among several other options, the Aldus PhotoStyler paintbrush
allows users to set the rate of paint flow to more accurately
simulate the behavior of real brushes.
PS  Adobe Photoshop does not offer this capability.

25. Automatic text shadows
PH  PhotoStyler provides an option for creating text shadows
automatically. Shadows can be offset in positive and negative
values by an amount equal to the size of the text, and can be given
their own color.
PS  Adobe Photoshop does not create shadows automatically. Users
must duplicate, offset, and recolor text to achieve the same
results.

26. Easy editing and updating of floating text
PH  In PhotoStyler, users have a choice of entering text as a mask,
a floating selection, or directly onto the image. When entered as a
floating selection, the text can be readily reformatted, resized,
moved, and edited until the user accepts it as final text.
PS  All text in Adobe Photoshop is entered as floating but it is
not editable. To edit or reformat the text requires deleting it and
starting over.

27. Ability to import and paste text from other sources
PH  Aldus PhotoStyler can import text files of up to 50 lines, and
can accept text pasted from the clipboard. These options save users
from typing all their text in place.
PS  Adobe Photoshop does not offer this capability. All text must
be typed from scratch into an image.

28. Sketch Overlay for adding comments
PH  Acting much like a tissue overlay, an optional Sketch Overlay
in PhotoStyler enables an image editor, art director, or reviewer
to add comments to an image, say, to indicate edits, corrections,
or other requested alterations. The overlay is also a valuable tool
for verifying that work on an image has been completed as
originally envisioned.
PS  Adobe Photoshop does not offer this capability.

29. More extensive image information
PH  A single dialog box in Aldus PhotoStyler provides full
information about any image, including its format, resolution,
name, and location on the hard drive; its color mode and
dimensions; and its actual file size and file size on disk (these
differ if the image has been compressed). This Image Information
box also indicates an image's current status--for example, whether
it's been modified, whether a current partial edit is active, how
many views of it are currently open, whether an OLE client is using
the image, and so on.
PS  Adobe Photoshop provides only a smattering of the image
information that PhotoStyler gives--namely, an image's dimensions,
resolution, actual image size, color mode, and color channels in
use.

30. Simultaneous horizontal and vertical flipping
PH  PhotoStyler provides a time-saving command that will flip an
image both horizontally and vertically in one step.
PS  Adobe Photoshop 2.5.1 requires the user to perform each
operation separately.

31. More versatile virtual-memory support
PH  PhotoStyler 2.0 supports up to four hard drives simultaneously
for swapping out virtual memory. This provides greater flexibility
to the user, as well as the ability to handle exceptionally large
images. Users can set up PhotoStyler to use a particular directory
on a drive for memory swapping, and can reconfigure the virtual-
memory drives without leaving PhotoStyler.
PS  Adobe Photoshop supports only two drives for virtual-memory
swapping and does not let a user specify which directory to use for
memory swapping. Also, the user must exit Adobe Photoshop to
reconfigure virtual-memory drives.

32. On-call system information
PH  PhotoStyler provides access to complete information about the
user's computer and operating system from within the program. Users
can find out their system's configuration, the resolution of their
devices (monitor, printers, and scanners), which printers and
scanners are active, the amount of virtual and free memory in use,
their monitor's aspect ratio, and Windows information. They can
also gain read-only access to all configuration files, WIN.INI and
other system .INI files, and the PhotoStyler "ReadMe" files.
PS  Adobe Photoshop does not offer this capability.

33. More flexible restore
PH  PhotoStyler gives the user a choice of how much information to
restore during a revert: the whole image without any mask; a
selected part of the image; only the mask; or the whole image plus
the mask. These options enable a user to retain specific changes
and throw out the rest. Restoring only part of an image also saves
image-reloading time.
PS  During a full revert, Adobe Photoshop 2.5.1 always restores the
entire image, consuming the same amount of time whether the
previous changes were large or small. Version 2.5.1 users can also
fill (in essence, "revert") selected areas of an image using either
the saved version of the file or a "snapshot" they've previously
taken of the image.

34. Batch-conversion of file types
PH  Using the Album, PhotoStyler users can convert any number of
files at once from one file type to another, such as from TIFFo to
Targa, or from Kodak Photo CD to BMP, with a single command. None
of the files have to be loaded to make the conversion.
PS  Adobe Photoshop users can convert only one file at a time by
first loading it and then using "Save as" to give the file a new
format.

35. Real-time previews of image computations
PH  Like Adobe Photoshop, Aldus PhotoStyler provides image
computations for controlling exactly how one image acts upon
another when they are subtracted, added, blended, composited,
shifted, and so on. Unlike in Adobe Photoshop, however, the
computation dialog box in PhotoStyler 2.0 provides a visual
reference of which images and masks are being manipulated, as well
as a real-time preview at either fit-in-window or 1:1 view of the
results of the computations. Thus users can see precisely what
images and masks they're working with, and can also be sure that
the results are what they expect and want before they apply the
settings.
PS  Adobe Photoshop supplies only a text-based dialog box for the
same kind of calculations. The user selects filenames of the
desired images and masks, types in values or chooses settings from
pop-up menus, and must execute the calculation to find out the
results (this feature has no Preview option). Because there's no
visual reference to go by while selecting files, it's easy to
insert the wrong image into a composite, or to layer the images
incorrectly. Every correction requires a trip back to the
calculation dialog box.

36. Greater control over dodge and burn
PH  In Aldus PhotoStyler, the Dodge & Burn tool can adjust
highlights, midtones, and shadows simultaneously, with each
attribute being given different settings. The program comes with 11
predefined dodge and burn settings, such as Increase Exposure,
Increase Contrast, and Darken Shadows, and users can name and save
their own dodge and burn settings for future use. A selective Undo
can remove (erase) either all or part of a dodge and burn action
for precise control over the results.
PS  Adobe Photoshop's dodge and burn tool can affect highlights,
midtones, and shadows only one attribute at a time. Thus it takes
three dodge and burn passes to achieve the same result as one pass
in PhotoStyler. The program has no predefined dodge and burn
settings, does not allow settings to be named and saved for later
use, and has only one level of Undo for dodge and burn actions.

37. More color-selection options with eyedropper tool
PH  The PhotoStyler eyedropper tool can select a color from a
single pixel or it can take the average of the colors within any
rectangular or freehand area or along any straight or freehand
line. This gives the image editor more control over precisely what
color to work with when adjusting or enhancing images.
PS  Adobe Photoshop's eyedropper tool can only select the color of
a single pixel in an image or take the average of a selection area
of 3x3 or 5x5 pixels.

38. Up to eight colors within a gradient fill (blend)
PH  Aldus PhotoStyler lets users include up to eight colors in the
same gradient fill. The colors can be chosen from the entire color
palette.
PS  Adobe Photoshop allows only two colors (the current foreground
and background colors) to be applied to the same gradient fill.
Achieving the effect of multicolor gradients requires several
gradient-filled objects side by side.

39. On-screen leveling aid for rotating images
PH  PhotoStyler provides an on-screen leveling aid (with rotation
degree display) that assists in rotating selections to a precise
vertical or horizontal alignment. The user selects any two points
on the image that should be level or plumb, and PhotoStyler
rotates the image accordingly. This one-step feature is valuable
for adjusting crooked scans and precisely aligning particular image
elements, such as tables or walls, with the top or side of the
image.
PS  Adobe Photoshop does not offer this capability.

40. Ability to shift pixels within a selection marquee
PH  PhotoStyler has a Shift command that moves all pixels of a
selection by a specified distance within the selection boundary.
The user can shift the pixels up, down, left, and right, and can
control what goes into the area vacated by the moved pixels (such
as a fill of the shifted-out image or of the background or
foreground color). This feature extends an image editor's options
for artistic effects.
PS  Adobe Photoshop does not offer this capability.

41. More control when creating new files
PH  PhotoStyler comes with numerous predefined image sizes and
resolutions for new images, including sizes for common film
recorder formats, 35mm film, 4x5 film, and the current screen size.
Users can choose the resolution of new images based on the current
screen, target printer, active document, or custom resolutions.
Image editors can also manually define the height, width, data
type, and color mode of the new image.
PS  Adobe Photoshop users must set the height, width, resolution,
data type, and color mode for each new file they create in the
"New" dialog box. The program has no predefined image sizes and
resolutions.

42. Automatic sequence of commands after scanning
PH  The PhotoStyler 2.0 user can set up a specific sequence of
commands to be invoked after an image has been scanned. This makes
dialog boxes open automatically in preparation for processing and
color correction.
PS  Adobe Photoshop does not offer this capability.

43. Images draw on-screen as they are being loaded
PH  Because large images can take a bit of time to open,
PhotoStyler displays all loaded parts of an image as the image is
being loaded into memory. This way, users can verify early that
it's indeed the image they want; they can cancel the file loading
at any time.
PS  Adobe Photoshop does not display any part of an image until the
whole image is loaded into memory. Therefore users must wait before
they can verify it's the one they want. Users can cancel the file
loading at any time, in case they remember that they're opening the
wrong one.

44. Saves that can be canceled
PH  Occasionally, users save an image and then realize at the last
second that they're accidentally writing over the original, saving
the image to the wrong directory, or not quite done making all the
changes they want. PhotoStyler therefore allows users to cancel a
save (or a "save as") to reclaim the file; the user can then rename
the image, change directories, or make additional changes as
necessary.
PS  Adobe Photoshop does not offer this capability.

45. Support for math coprocessors
PH  PhotoStyler can take advantage of a computer's math coprocessor
to speed up interpolation and many filter operations. Without this
support, users would have to wait longer for the computer to
process the results of their changes.
PS  Only the Lens Flare filter for Adobe Photoshop 2.5.1 supports
math coprocessors.

Accurate and Consistent Color That's Easy to Achieve

46. Built-in color management system (CMS)
PH  PhotoStyler uses the Kodak Precision Color Management System to
bring predictable color to a computer system. A CMS is a universal
color translator that interprets color among various devices, such
as scanners, color monitors, and printers. With a properly
configured CMS, users get consistent, accurate color through
previewing, editing, and output. Because the CMS makes on-screen
color more accurate, the results of image editing are more
predictable in PhotoStyler, and the user ultimately wastes less
time, money, and materials getting images right. CMS information
can be attached to images saved as TIFF files, so applications that
support the Kodak Precision Color Management System can use the
information, too.
PS  Because Adobe Photoshop has no color management capability
built in, it provides no automatic controls for ensuring that the
screen representation of an image accurately reflects what will end
up in the final output. Usually, an image editor must work by trial
and error with many controls to obtain accurate color results.
Third-party CMS plug-ins are available for separate purchase, but
they lack the full CMS integration that PhotoStyler offers.

47. Better color from Kodak Photo CD images
PH  Because PhotoStyler uses the color management system that's
produced by Eastman Kodak--the creators of the Kodak Photo CD
system--it can optimize Photo CD images specifically for CMYK output
and separations. PhotoStyler also utilizes Kodak's own color-space
conversions to translate a photo's color space into the monitor's
RGB color space.
PS  Adobe Photoshop does not have access to all the information
encoded into Photo CD images, making it impossible for the program
to approach the color quality that PhotoStyler can provide for
Photo CD images.

48. Support for the HLS color mode
PH  PhotoStyler supports the HLS color mode (hue, lightness, and
saturation) in addition to the RGB, CMYK, and HSB modes. Using the
HLS mode lets image editors isolate and work with specific
properties of a color, say, to adjust only the hue of a color but
retain its current lightness and saturation to provide more
realistic effects.
PS  Adobe Photoshop 2.5.1 does not support the HLS color mode.

49. Ability to merge several ranges of colors when compositing
images
PH  When merging two or more images, an image editor must have
control over the overlaid pixels--that is, whether the pixels within
one image are opaque or transparent in relation to the other's. For
ultimate control over this kind of merging, the PhotoStyler merge
controls enable users to adjust the transparency for any number of
discontiguous color ranges along the RGB spectrum (such as all
colors between 2 and 54, 98 and 103, and 113 and 115).
PS  Adobe Photoshop's composite controls allow only one range of
colors to be merged between images, which provides much less
control over the results of compositing.

50. Ability to drop out single colors when merging images
PH  The merging controls in PhotoStyler let users drop out a single
color in an image--such as white, black, or any other solid color--by
simply clicking an option to make the color transparent. This is
useful when compositing images that have solid backgrounds.
PS  Adobe Photoshop has no single command to accomplish this.
Dropping out a color can be done manually, but the task requires
toying with slider bars to find the right combination that will
make a particular color transparent.

51. More flexible indexed-color tables
PH  An image that's in indexed-color mode has a color palette that
contains a fixed number of colors (256 is the most common). Like
many image-editing applications, PhotoStyler gives the user access
to the color definitions through "color look-up tables." Aldus
PhotoStyler does, however, provide numerous editing controls that
Adobe Photoshop doesn't have. Image editors can, for example,
easily "walk" colors through the table to analyze an image's
component colors or to create special effects. (This shifts the
selected colors one entry to the right or left by moving, say, the
color in the 256th location into the first location.) Users can
edit colors, find and change all occurrences of a particular color
or range, quickly invert colors, and automatically redefine colors
so that they blend smoothly from one selection to another in the
table. As for most other alterations, PhotoStyler 2.0 provides a
real-time preview of the effect of color changes on the image.
Being able to edit and preview the changes this way gives image
editors significant control over special effects, image analysis,
and how the pixels within images map to certain colors.
PS  Adobe Photoshop allows its indexed-color table to be edited,
but lacks the interactive capability to shift colors through the
table. The program also cannot invert colors, redefine colors so
they blend between two selected colors, or provide real-time
previewing of changes to the table (the user must execute the
change to see the results).

52. Four color-palette layouts
PH  PhotoStyler 2.0 provides four different layouts for its color
palette, suitable for managing screen real estate and controlling
which tools should be at hand. The palettes become progressively
more complete, providing information such as color-component
values, the color spectrum, color wells of most recently used
colors, access to Help, and secondary access to tools such as the
eyedropper.
PS  Adobe Photoshop provides only two layouts for its color
palette. Both offer the foreground color, background color, and
color-component percentages; the enlarged palette also adds
swatches of custom colors.

53. Fourteen color libraries
PH  PhotoStyler provides 14 libraries of process colors: PANTONEAE*
(Coated, ProSim, Uncoated, PoSim Euro, Process, and Process Euro),
Trumatch Four Color Selector, DIC Color Guide (Dainippon Ink and
Chemical), Focoltone, Grays, Crayon, Munsell (High Chroma Colors
and Book of Color), and ToyoPC. Users can also apply custom color
libraries created in Aldus PageMakerAE.
PS  Adobe Photoshop provides only eight color libraries: ANPA,
Color, Focoltone, PANTONE (Coated, Process, ProSim, and Uncoated),
Toyo 88 Color Finder 1050 System, and Trumatch. Users can also
create custom color librries.

Superior Output Quality

54. Print Preview
PH  In PhotoStyler, a Print Preview shows all elements that will be
printed on the page, including the image itself, printer's and crop
marks, labels, and tiling breaks. Users can instantly verify
whether everything will fit on the output. The preview is
immediately updated whenever the user alters the printing
specifications, for example, to change the image's scaling,
orientation, aspect ratio, or centering.
PS  Adobe Photoshop can show only an x'd rectangle that indicates
where on the piece of paper or film the image will print. It does
not show the placement of labels and printer's and crop marks.
Because users don't know exactly what they'll get until they print,
however, they can sometimes waste valuable time and materials
getting the results right.

55. Tiling of printed images
PH  Aldus PhotoStyler can automatically tile images when printing
to fit large work onto multiple pages.
PS  Adobe Photoshop has no tiling capabilities. If an image is
larger than the print area, the image gets clipped during printing.

56. "Soft proofing" of color output on screen
PH  The Kodak Precision Color Management System allows the
PhotoStyler user to "soft proof" printed output to the screen for
an accurate representation of what the colors will look like on any
CMYK output device supported by the CMS. This softproof feature
reduces wasted output and improves the user's ability to achieve
accurate color correction.
PS  Adobe Photoshop does not provide this capability.

57. Thumbnails can be printed
PH  PhotoStyler 2.0 can print one or more thumbnails per page from
its Album.
PS  Adobe Photoshop does not provide thumbnail printing.

Program and File Integration

58. Built-in image management tools
PH  PhotoStyler has a feature called Album, an integrated program
for cataloging, managing, searching through, viewing thumbnails of,
and tracking revisions of all images filed on a user's hard
drives, CD-ROMs, and disks. Album is available at all times from an
on-screen icon, as well as from the "Open" dialog box. Users can
save images automatically into the Album, and add comments,
keywords, and descriptions to them. They can search through or
sort files by title, keyword, or file format, and can load multiple
images at once into Aldus PhotoStyler. The Album is valuable for
browsing through the contents of Photo CDs, which can name files
only by number (rather than with more descriptive labels).
PS  Adobe Photoshop has no image management and cataloging
capabilities, and no way to view Photo CD images as thumbnails
before opening them.

59. Support for object linking and embedding (OLE)
PH  PhotoStyler supports OLE as a server so that images can be
placed into other OLE client applications, such as Aldus PageMaker,
Aldus FreeHandAE, or Aldus PersuasionAE, and then updated
automatically.
PS  Adobe Photoshop 2.5.1 for Windows does not support OLE.

60. Ability to sociate file types from within PhotoStyler
PH  From within PhotoStyler, users can set up any compatible image
file format so that it recognizes PhotoStyler as its editing
application. This way, double-clicking on an image from the Windows
File Manager simultaneously launches PhotoStyler and opens the
image for editing--a time saver for those who want to get their work
done faster. Users can set up file associations for any image
format that Aldus PhotoStyler supports, including BMP, JPEG, Targa,
and TIFF images. Like other Windows applications, PhotoStyler also
honors file associations created from the Windows File Manager.
PS  Adobe Photoshop does not offer this built-in capability.
Association of file types can only be done through the Windows File
Manager.

61. Better control and information for JPEG
PH  When saving an image in the JPEG format, PhotoStyler users can
select a compression level from 1 to 100, as well as decide whether
to subsample the chromatic resolution to achieve a higher
compression rate. (The latter option provides settings for None,
YUV422, YUV411, or CMYK4114.) All options provide better control
over the degree of compression, in which a lower level loses less
data than a very high level. PhotoStyler also provides access to
information about the compression level and subsampling that has
been applied to any JPEG image.
PS  The only JPEG compression control that Adobe Photoshop provides
is a slider-bar continuum of settings between "Fair," "Good," and
"Excellent." It does not enable users to select subsampling
options. There is also no way in Adobe Photoshop to determine how
much an image has been compressed, or whether subsampling has even
been performed.

Powerful and Customizable Interface

62. Tool ribbon
PH  PhotoStyler has an optional tool ribbon that provides quick
access to all the settings for the currently selected tool or
brush. This everything-at-a-glance palette provides more
information in one place than Adobe Photoshop can, and supports
faster changing of attributes for every tool.
PS  Adobe Photoshop requires the user to double-click on each tool
to check or change its current settings, and to close the dialog
box before using the tool, even if the settings are OK. The
program's floating Brushes palette does update to show the current
brush size.

63. More previewing methods
PH  For almost every action, effect, or transformation, Aldus
PhotoStyler has a way to help the user preview the results before
committing to the settings. These previews include the Practice Pad
for trying out paint tool settings; Multi-Preview dialog boxes for
comparing the effects of all filters, effects, and color
corrections between the original and two test images; optional
thumbnail previews in the "Open," "Save," and "Save as" dialog
boxes for examining files before loading or saving them; a Multi-
Transform dialog box to verify the cumulative effect of several
transformations at once; dialog boxes that show a graphical sample
of the current settings for text, tools, gradient fills, and
similar attributes; a Print Preview to show how all elements on a
page will print; and a "soft proof" for an accurate representation
of an image's colors based on the selected output device.
Furthermore, PhotoStyler can provide real-time previews for all
effects, regardless of the type of monitor or graphics card in use;
the real-time setting is optional so that users who have slower
computers can turn it off if desired.
PS  In general, Adobe Photoshop 2.5.1 has only three types of
preview methods: a Preview button in some dialog boxes to show the
outcome of that particular effect on the actual image on-screen;
low-resolution thumbnails in the Variations dialog box; and select
dialog boxes that show a graphical sample of the current settings
for text, tools, fills, and so on. (In fact, most of the effects in
Adobe Photoshop have no kind of previewing capability.) Adobe
Photoshop does not provide anything similar to a Practice Pad,
Multi-Preview, or Multi-Transform dialog box, nor does it have
thumbnails in its "Open" dialog box. It can provide previews of
only one action at a time, and--except for the Variations dialog
box, which shows multiple samplings for only color balance,
contrast, and saturation settings--it does not provide a way to
compare "before and after" changes. In addition, Adobe Photoshop
can provide real-time, 24-bit previewing--for those dialog boxes
that support it--only on computers that have an Adobe Photoshopn
compatible graphics board.

64. Quick Command palette
PH  To help speed their work, PhotoStyler users can create their
own floating palette of up to 16 menu commands of their choice,
such as oft-used filters, effects, and transformations. They can
arrange the commands in any order they like--for example, to reflect
the sequence of steps that tasks such as color correction may
require. The Quick Command palette also provides an automatic cache
of up to 16 most recently used commands. Image editors can create
and save an unlimited number of command palettes for use with other
images or other tasks. Besides enabling faster processing of images
that need the same kind of enhancement, the palette lets people
customize PhotoStyler for others in the production team who may not
know the program's interface but who understand the editing tasks
required for an image.
PS  Adobe Photoshop does not offer this capability.

65. Customizable toolbox
PH  Using drag-and-drop actions, PhotoStyler users can create their
own custom toolbox within the standard floating tool palette. They
can select which tools to include and where to put them--useful, for
example, when grouping tools according to frequently performed
tasks.
PS  Adobe Photoshop does not have a customizable toolbox.

66. Ability to align multiple views of an image simultaneously
PH  Frequently an image editor needs to have multiple views of the
same image open--for example, to view different channels or ratios
simultaneously. In this case, the user would want all views to be
focused on the same area of the image, no matter where the active
window is scrolled. PhotoStyler therefore provides an automatic
alignment option that can pan all of an image's open windows at the
same time that the image editor uses the grabber hand to move
around in the active window. This ensures that all views are
focused on the area the user is working on.
PS  Like PhotoStyler, Adobe Photoshop can show multiple views of
the same image, but it can't automatically focus all the views on
the same area without the user manually scrolling each window
independently to the appropriate spot.

67. Harder-working "Save" and "Save as" dialog boxes
PH  In Aldus PhotoStyler, the "Save" and "Save as" dialog boxes
provide similar functionality as the "Open" dialog box, enabling
users to search through their hard drive, see a thumbnail preview
of the active image, and set up formats and file types for the file
about to be saved. Even as they're about to save a file, users can
delete large files when disk memory is low, easily find a
particular drive or directory, attach comments such as version
notes to files as they're saved, and perform other file maintenance
tasks.
PS  Adobe Photoshop does not offer similar capabilities in its
"Save" and "Save as" dialog boxes.

68. Better online Help
PH  PhotoStyler provides a complete context-sensitive Help that's
accessible from every menu, dialog box, and tool ribbon. It
includes an on-screen quick reference of all keyboard and mouse
shortcuts, as well as hints at the bottom of the screen that
briefly explain the purpose of any tool, palette, palette item, or
menu command the cursor passes over. A visual Help reference shows
the entire interface (complete with palettes and tools) side by
side with the Help contents; a user merely points and clicks to see
a complete description of a selected item. A full index is also
available as a side-by-side window to keep users from losing their
place in the index as they read among the entries themselves.
PS  Adobe Photoshop's online, context-sensitive Help is available
for all of its menu items but for only two-thirds of its dialog
boxes. It does supply on-screen hints about tools that have been
selected, but not also for menu items, palettes, and palette items.
It also lacks a visual reference for interface items, a quick-
reference of shortcuts, and a true index (what it labels an "index"
is more like the table of contents in PhotoStyler's Help).

69. Private .INI files
PH  PhotoStyler supports private .INI (preferences) files for
different users, working styles, or types of jobs. The .INI file
stores the workspace settings and tool and palette preferences that
were in place when a user last left the program.
PS  Adobe Photoshop does not support private preferences files.

70. Complete "Fill" dialog box controls
PH  Aldus PhotoStyler provides significantly more control over
fills than Adobe Photoshop. Image editors can set the fill color as
black, white, the background or foreground color, or one of up to
eight custom colors PhotoStyler saves for the user. In the same
dialog box, they can set a fill's opacity and color mode, change
its component-color values, get to the color picker to select a new
color, and use an eye-dropper to select a color from a thumbnail of
the active image. A Preview button shows the results of the current
fill settings on the active selection. Being able to control so
many fill attributes from one place aids experimentation and
increases productivity.
PS  Adobe Photoshop 2.5.1 can fill an object with the current
foreground color, a pattern, or with the corresponding portion of
either the saved version of the file or a "snapshot" they've
previously taken of the image (the latter option in essence
"reverts" selected portions of the image). The user must reset the
foreground color before opening the "Fill" dialog box, where only
the fill's opacity and color mode can be set. All other color
settings must be built into the foreground color.

71. Choice of color in work area
PH  When an image window is sized larger than the image itself,
PhotoStyler lets users select from among seven background colors
for one that interferes least with the colors in the image. This
improves their ability to assess and correct colors accurately,
with less distraction. The choices include white, black, and shades
of gray, including 18% gray, the best choice for most viewing
environments.
PS  Adobe Photoshop gives no choice to the user, instead making an
image background of light gray or black.

72. Measurements in millimeters
PH  PhotoStyler lets users specify units of measurement in
millimeters, as well as in the standard inches, pixels, picas,
points, and centimeters. Millimeters are useful in Europe and other
countries where the metric system is in common use.
PS  Adobe Photoshop cannot specify units in millimeters.

73. More flexible plug-in support
PH  PhotoStyler supports both the PhotoStyler for Windows and Adobe
Photoshop for Windows plug-in specification. In addition, users can
configure PhotoStyler to load plug-in filters that support either
plug-in standard from up to nine separate hard-drive locations,
providing users with more flexibility in installing filters.
PS   Adobe Photoshop for Windows supports only the Adobe Photoshop
for Windows plug-in standard, and can only load filters located in
the Photoshop PLUGINS directory.

74. All painting attributes always displayed
PH  PhotoStyler has a Painting Options palette that displays all
attributes for the current paintbrush or airbrush tool, including
its opacity, spacing, soft edge, rate of flow, and stroke length
settings. Showing all attributes at once and in one place allows
for faster double-checks and adjustments.
PS  Adobe Photoshop requires the user to check in three places to
find out all current settings for a painting or airbrush tool: the
tool's own dialog box (accessible by double-clicking the tool), the
Brushes palette (which can always be open), and the Brushes Options
dialog box (accessible only from the Brushes palette).

75. Constant feedback about whether selection areas are active
PH  The rectangular selection tool in the PhotoStyler tool palette
always indicates whether there's an active selection area in the
image. By "marching" in place in the palette, the tool alerts users
when even one pixel is still selected, or when a selection marquee
has been temporarily hidden. This saves them the aggravation of
accidentally applying tools to the selection instead of to another
part of the image.
PS  Adobe Photoshop does not offer this capability; users must
often second-guess why a particular tool may not be working the way
they expect, when the tool is actually being applied to a selection
they don't realize is still active.

76. Two sizes for tool icons
PH  Tool icons in PhotoStyler can be set at either 24x24 or 32x32
pixels to govern the size of the palette and how well it fits on-
screen. This feature is especially useful for those who have small
monitors.
PS  Adobe Photoshop does not offer this capability.

77. Ability to open the program in maximized window mode
PH  A preferences option can set PhotoStyler to always open in
maximized window mode. This was a popular request from version 1.1
users, many of whom would create a macro to perform this one task
during launch. Being able to open PhotoStyler into the user's
typical working configuration saves an extra step that is otherwise
a nuisance task.
PS  Adobe Photoshop cannot be configured to open in maximized
window mode.

Copyright 1994 Aldus Corporation (in Australia, trading as Aldus
Software Pty. Ltd.--ACN 054 247 835). All rights reserved. Aldus,
the Aldus logo, PageMaker, Aldus FreeHand, and Persuasion are
registered trademarks and TIFF is a trademark of Aldus Corporation.
PhotoStyler is a registered trademark of U-Lead Systems Inc.,
licensed to Aldus Corporation. Adobe Photoshop is a trademark of
Adobe Systems Inc., which may be registered in certain
jurisdictions. Kodak is a registered trademark and Photo CD is a
trademark of Eastman Kodak Company. Other product and corporate
names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of other
companies, and are used only for explanation and to the owners'
benefit, without intent to infringe.

3/94
Produced in USA
Available from Aldus Corporation as document #988-929M
---End of document---