Jasc Paint Shop Pro Ver. 6.01 & Jasc Animation Shop 2.01 (PSP6x) are graphics programs that can meet the needs of either occasional or full-time professional users. This is so because they are friendly enough for the casual user who wants to enhance family photographs, yet powerful enough for the professional who needs to create multi-layered graphics. The companion program, Jasc Animation Shop, may be used to create animations for a Web site presentation, or multimedia publication. One can import animations into PSP6 for editing and return them to Animation Shop. This version of PSP6, with the new vector layer features, gives it enhanced drawing capabilities for incorporation into graphic design. The two together are designed to: a) edit continuous tone (photographic) images; a) draw vector objects; b) create Web graphics; c) create animations for a Web site, presentation, or multimedia publication; d) manage images. PSP6x comes with a CD and two user-guide manuals -- one for the basic graphic-editing software, the other for the animation software. Selling for about $70 after a $30 rebate, it rivals the most expensive graphic editing software around.

These User's Guides are the core of an extensive package of user help information that Jasc provides to bring any novice up to speed. The manuals contain chapters with tutorial-type text covering both general background information on computer graphics and specific information on all the various tools and manipulations available with PSP6x. The program's Help menu contains 10 "How to ..." categories, each of which is expanded into additional, relevant, subject details. In addition, the installation contains the option of an excellent, extensive, audiovisual Tour which leads one through the various details of using the Jasc software. And, at its Web-site Jasc also provides advice and program downloads to use, modify, and expand the effectiveness of PSP6x.

Recommended system requirements are: Win9x or Nt4.x, 200 Mhz or better Pentium, 75M HD storage, a 32 bit video display, and 64M RAM. PSP6&x took 106M on my hard drive, not counting the fonts and other hidden odds-and-ends most programs inject into one's PC. Both HD storage and especially RAM are of primary importance for expedient graphic editing. The program supports up to 100 layers per image, which are one measure of the multiplicity of editing possibilities that can be achieved. The PSP6x software, however, can work well with lesser system specs. In fact, I easily installed PSP6x a 100 MHz 486 and, except for somewhat of a slowdown in some graphics processing, it performed excellently well. The software had a utility that recognized my system and seemingly accepted its lesser specs. Finally, it should be mentioned that a suggested tablet tool is a tremendous asset for refined image editing and drawing.

PSP6x supports TWAIN compliant input devices (e.g. scanners), pressure sensitive drawing tablets and digital cameras. For image file management, the PSP6 software has a neat Browser with a two-part window for quickly locating files and previewing images therein. The left-hand pane displays the Win9x, Explorer, system folders. The right-hand pane displays (for a highlighted file) thumbnails which are preview buttons of images contained by the file and supported by PSP6. PSP6 supports about 70 image graphic formats ... a highly desirable feature. Also included, are a good number of images and graphic elements to start one off in compiling and designing an individually crafted graphic creation.

Aside from the pallets, and tools, and histograms and zooms etc. which graphic editing programs usually have, PSP6 also has a monitor gamma adjustment. In a nutshell, this gamma adjustment attempts to adjust a monitor's RGB display peculiarities to the actual coded RGB information which pixels transmit to the monitor; the two should be the same. When checked, my monitor somehow needed no adjustment from that which PSP6 had already done.

I imported detailed multicolored graphics and photos with excellent rendition from my Microtec E6 scanner. Without a digital camera, this operation was not tested. The tools and other editing utilities worked effortlessly and beautifully. I was able to improve the overall quality of graphic items, requiring such, significantly. Then came printing.

PSP6's advice for printing is that there is a difference between the RGB created colors of the monitor and the CMYB created color of printers. True. But next,"As you become familiar with how your printer handles color, you will be able to adjust you images to compensate." In my experience -- Lots Of Luck. Graphics programs should have some software to address the WYSIWYG connection between the monitor and the computer. As I see it, gamma correction does nothing for a home user who's end production is on a home color printer. The 'gamma correction' is manually made by the satisfactory color composition depicted on one's screen. Gamma correction is necessary when the graphics are sent to someone else to print what you see.

Using the Animation Wizard, and some of the supplied graphics, I generated a rocket launch, man running, etc. A Banner Wizard also worked smoothly. However, the application of such tools to an actual Web site or a multimedia publication requires some creative know-how in addition to a facility with these tools.

It's important to point out that use of PSP6x requires a close study its user guides. If one merely jumps in with a trial-and-error approach to learn its use, one finds that some of its tools don't work. Thus for example, one finds, "Note: You can apply filters to gray-scale and 24-bit images. If necessary increase the color depth of your image to make the commands available." ... in addition to other important caveats.

But if you do spend some time with Paint Shop Pro, you unquestionably will be happy with what it can do for your graphic efforts.