The Warp Brush is helpful for correcting lens distortions (or slimming body proportions, if used judiciously), and there are the usual clone, red-eye and eraser tools for making other adjustments on the canvas. Once you're in, you'll find all the usual photo-editing tools.

We were particularly pleased to see profiles designed specifically for social media sites, including Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and even Google+. You can set a custom canvas size, or take your pick from a huge choice of paper sizes, cards and envelopes, plus sizes optimized for presentations and web use. PaintShop Pro’s selection of brushes and other creative tools make it a good choice for amateur artists (more on that later). To get started, either open an existing image file or create document from scratch. If you're not sure how to achieve a particular task, assistance is only a couple of clicks away.

There are also comprehensive help files to guide new users, including video tutorials, which are a welcome touch.

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