As far as software to edit and manipulate images, Adobe Photoshop has long set the standard. There is no other program in the world that does everything photoshop does.

The only drawbacks to photoshop are the price, and the learning curve. Worth every dime to the professional graphics designer, the typical home user & amatuer photographer often doesn’t need all the features of photoshop, and can do well with a less expensive program, with many of the same features, often with a greatly reduced learning curve.

Fortunately, many good alternatives exist if you don’t require everything Photoshop provides.

Adobe Photoshop Elements is a “light” version, with reduced features and capabilities of it’s big brother, Photoshop CS2.

Paint Shop Pro - I’ve been using Paint Shop for quite a few years and versions now, and it does nearly everything I need to create web graphics, jpgs transparent gifs, bitmaps, windows metafiles, an a lot more. It even saves images as photoshop files (.psd), and works with layers. It makes it easy to create professional results for a low cost. You’d be hard pressed to find a program that does as much for such a good price.

Note - Paint Shop Pro used to be a product of Jasc, but has since been aquired by Corel. I found some good deals on the Jasc versions still out there, and still very good software.
For version 8 (Jasc) click here.

From Corel: “For anyone who aspires to make good photos great, there's Paint Shop Pro X. You'll be able to learn as you go with a built-in Learning Center that lets you choose automatic photo fixes or precision editing controls for fine-tuning.”
For the latest Corel version click here.

Xara Xtreme - If you’re looking for a good all in one program for both regualr image editing, web image creation and editing, as well as something to wokr on your personal images remving red eye, resizing, animations, and more you should definitely take a look as Xara Xtreme. According to Xara, is “simply the best graphics software for all your drawing and day to day photo needs, ideal for both print and the web.”

If you're looking for drawing software then Xtreme is a perfect solution for everything from simple logos to astonishingly detailed illustrations.

If you're working with photos then Xtreme will match your ambitions from simple one click auto-enhance of your photo through to awesome photo compositions.

If you are looking for software for creating web graphics then Xtreme can help you produce all the graphics you'll need for your site, from smart and sharp navigation buttons to eye catching animated GIFs.

Whatever graphics you need and whatever your skill level, the famously friendly user interface and fast processing of Xara Xtreme will make it an absolute pleasure to be creative. And at a price that won't break the bank!
To learn more, or purchase, click here. - Be sure to check out the movie while you’re there - some great examples & demonstrations!

Ulead Systems has been around for quite awhile too, and have many many programs for image editing, video editing, dvd authoring and more. As far as image editing, their primary offering is the PhotoImpact image-editing suite. This is another great program that offers way more features than the average user could possibly need, at a great price.

According to Ulead: “Ulead® PhotoImpact® 11 is a complete image-editing suite with easy-to-use tools for all your image and photo-editing needs. Whether you're new to digital photography or want to take creative expression to the next level, PhotoImpact 11 makes professional image editing easy.”

You can get a free trial, read more or purchase it here: