WHAT A BARGAIN Pictures express more than words, so it's necessary to tweak images for best results. This latest version of Photolmpact has new innovative features that can help even amateurs.

Style and Features
The Photolmpact photo editor has made a comeback in the revised X3 version. However, the interface doesn't seem to have changed from its predecessor's and there are only a couple of new tools in the program, such as a 'Cloud pen' that lets you add fluffy and real-looking clouds to your photo. New cropping tools in X3, the 'Rule of Thirds' and 'Golden Ratio', will come in really handy for those budding photographers who want to whittle their images and photos down to size using classic artistic principles.

The Express Lab mode, a new feature introduced in X3, has been adjusted to make it more user-friendly for beginners. For instance, it offers you a dual view one of the original image and the other of the manipulated one. ExpressFix provides various tools for editing the image with a click of the mouse. Along with a 'One-click Preset' tool, ExpressFix also contains two other cool features-'Reduce Noise' and 'Smart Curves'.

SmartGuide is another improvement-it teaches you how to edit by offering step-by-step instructions and also directly linking the tasks to the specified tools. It contains three categories 'Photo', 'Video', and 'Video and DVD', all of which help you to work with ease. The 'White Balance correction' feature is further improved in X3 than what it was in the earlier versions, and imparts a more natural look to images. Also, a variety of other tools and filters manage to deliver the desired output.

The RAW file format support has been widened to support more camera models. The 'Share' feature has support for converting the image file to fit the mobile screen as wallpaper, for instance, the ability to crop certain parts of the image.

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Performance
A few things disappointed us in Photolmpact. The RAW files, which we transferred from a digital camera, took a long time to load. They appeared too dark in the integrated image browser and could not be opened efficiently there. Moreover, if the user makes very detailed selections, then the program fails to implement any changes with the 'Magic wand'. Unlike its rival Paint Shop Pro, Corel does not have a function for automatically tweaking individual pictures while adding exposure ranges to HDR images (High Dynamic Rangel. However, apart from these failings,Photolmpact proves to be an excellent photo editing program that will satisfy even hard-to-please Web graphic designers.

As bonus, Corel also provides the Painter Essentials illustration program and the MediaOne Plus management program in the Photo Impact X3 package in addition to templates for collages, slide shows and galleries.

Verdict While there's hardly any novelty in version X3, Photolmpact impresses with it's tried and tested tools and functions. FOR: Comfortable to use. AGAINST: Unappealing interface.