List of bitmap/raster editors I have tried

[bitmapper]

Hi! Just started using/trying out paint.net, with mixed results.

I'm always on the look out for any other bitmap drawing applications especially if they are

free (cause I'm a damn cheapo lol).

Here's my list of drawing/painting apps I've tried. If you don't see one listed here

(that you have tried) feel free to post them here :

Adobe Photoshop 6 :

Unsurpassed photo editing user-friendliness, expensive, inadequate tools for the

pixel artist.

Paint.net :

Free. What it lacks in photo editing features, it tries to fill with tools to aid the

pixel artist (drawing from scratch, instead of using photo resources). Tools are

average, though user friendly (pdNet fanboys please don't kill me for stating my opinion

lol). Did I mention free? This observation is premature, since I've just started using/trying this program.

Cosmigo Pro Motion :

Pricey. Supposedly mimicks the functionality of Deluxe Paint (an overrated paint/anim

program that came out first for the Commodore Amiga, version 3 ported to the pc).

Catered more towards the pixel artist / game artist, tools are average. Has animation tools as well, although not as intuitive as I would have liked).

Pixia :

Free just like Paint.Net. Also tries to cater to the pixel artists, especially to the anime/manga/cartoony crowd with user friendly paint features for smooth contours bla bla...

drawing/plotting tools still just only average.

Graphics Gale :

Ehh...not free that's for sure, price is affordable. Basically, if you slapped animation capabilities to Microsoft's original paint program, you'd end up with a product similar to this one. Drawing tools are average although very user friendly, although the overall

intuitiveness of the program is not so user friendly (?). Did I mention the drawing and paint tools are very basic. Most pixel artists prefer this program for some reason that still eludes me.

Paintshop Pro :

Like photoshop used to be user friendly with less features found in photoshop with the

exception of their many numerous customizable brushes (a feature now incorporated in

Photopshop CS I think). That was an old version. The current incarnation is significantly different, appearing to be some b4st4rd child of both the vector and raster worlds, resulting in a very unintuitive, clunky program IMO. Cheaper than Photoshop, but who cares since I hate this program.

Autodesk Animator Studio Release 1.1 (win95) :

Saving the best for last. This program is (or should be) considered abandoneware, it is

a discontinued product from 1995. A lot of features no longer work, although it is still runable on Windows XP and quite usable. The drawing tools are unmatched, very user friendly, configurable, and easy on users like me who use a mouse instead of a stylus. The animation features are equally easy to use and understand, onion skinning is a cinch in this program. This is what every pixel artist could ever want or need in a paint program. This is what I wished Paint.Net could have been, right down to the palette selection tool with it's three point triangle color picker. This program outshines every other pixel artist oriented program including Cosmigo's Pro Motion and Graphics Gale. The downside is that since it is so old, the .avi codec (Autodesk's custom codec) is no longer supported or downloadable anywhere, so any animation saved as an .avi can only be played in Autodesk Animator Studio. Any paint/drawing features in this program that use avi's are also equally bug-ridden such as the paint-over animation tool....etc. But this is still the best program in my opinion to draw anything from scratch. It's predecessor Autodesk Animator for Dos was used extensively by professional animators, I've tried this program using DosBox and I think it's overrated and nowhere near as powerful as the last version Release 1.1.

[Olli]

Paint.net :

Free. What it lacks in photo editing features, it tries to fill with tools to aid the

pixel artist (drawing from scratch, instead of using photo resources). Tools are

average, though user friendly (pdNet fanboys please don't kill me for stating my opinion

lol). Did I mention free? This observation is premature, since I've just started using/trying this program.

Do you mean that?

Paint.net is the best in simple and wonderfull tools ...

But nevermind thats my opinion

[Myrddin]

Paint.net:

Free. What it lacks in photo editing features, it tries to fill with tools to aid the

pixel artist (drawing from scratch, instead of using photo resources). Tools are

average, though user friendly (pdNet fanboys please don't kill me for stating my opinion

lol). Did I mention free? This observation is premature, since I've just started using/trying this program.

The core download only contains effects that cater for a photo editing purpose, plus the ample amount of photo editing plugins available on the Forums. In fact, Paint.NET is publicised as a photo editor despite nowadays been used beyond this. Even some Photoshop users have claimed great usability in some of the effects over their PS equivalent*. And yes, it may not contain 'photo resources', but aren't the photo resources actual photographs taken by you? How is Paint.NET supposed to take them for you?

Anyway, as you stated, you are new to the program, and nobody in their right mind would belittle you for your opinions - no way, no how. They are yours and yours to do as you please with them, no-one here will take that from you.

Also, it's Paint.NET, with a capitalised 'NET' to reflect the .NET Framework for which the program is built upon .

EDIT: wait, are you spamming with advertisements for other raster applications, or is this a genuine review? I've put my foot into it, haven't I?

*I cannot cite this remark at the moment, you'll just have to take my word for it.