ULEAD Photo Impact
Reviewed by Lisa Casler

If you need a product that covers everything from photo editing and animating to an easy to use photo album, Uleads PhotoImpact should be very high on your list.

PhotoImpact includes a particle effects system for creating snow, rain, clouds, fire, and many more effects. There is an easy to use macro recording and a playback feature for simplifying and cataloging repetitive tasks. Text effects and 3D text effects can be applied to any TrueType Font you have installed. Post processing of images after scanning or from digital cameras is a snap. PhotoImpact lets me do the work the way I want to do it.

Web support in PhotoImpact, unlike many other programs, is good enough to take the place of your special purpose programs for web related work. Image mapping, super efficient file downsizing with SmartSavers, background creator, fast buttonizers and image framing are just a few of the easy to use web tools in the suite. Also included is Gif Animator, one of the best animation programs I have used.

The Album in the PhotoImpact suite is now my favorite way to keep our images organized. It is intuitive and can be used well right after installation. Making thumbnails for web pages has never been this fast or easy for me. There is a feature for sending pictures via email right from the Album, or you can email a whole album with just a few quick steps. Most photo manipulating programs will create slide shows, but PhotoImpact slide shows can be exported right to a web page as well.

PhotoImpacts Album

Using PhotoImpact:

This is my original image.

3 views using the particle system

Clouds

Spheres

Rain

Lighting effect applied

Creating a 3D effect in PhotoImpact

Making a 3D text effect is simple in PhotoImpact.
Using the type tool, create your text.
In the toolbar, select mode/3D Round and click on the options.

3D Text settings options
You can change and tweak all the setting until you get the effect you want.
You also have the choice of paths, selections, 2D, and other 3D effects in the toolbar.

Animations created in PhotoImpact and Gif Animator

A view of Easy Palette

The Frame and Shadow settings

The original after using Frame and Shadow

Rating: 10

The Plus: A suite, PhotoImpact is a must have for everyone. The Particle plugin is worth the price alone! GIF Animator is an excellent addition. The SmartSavers keep your images to a size useable on the web. Album keeps everything together nicely. A small but well written manual and some nice tutorials via the online help.
The Minus: No minus's that I can see

Minimum System Requirements:
486-DX2/DX4 or Pentium Compatible System
Windows 95/98 or Windows NT 3.51 or higher
At least 8MB (16 recommended)
At least 120MB of disk storage
CD-ROM Drive
Compatible with I/O devices: scanners, digital cameras, frame grabbers, and printers.
Supports BMP, EPS, FPX, GIF, JPEG, PCD, PNG, PSD, TIFF, TGA, WMF, and many more file formats.

Ulead Web Site: http://www.ulead.com/