Rating: 
Summary: Not a lot of bang for the buck
Review: I have previous versions of the Print Shop and thought it was good. I purchased PrintShop Deluxe on DVD, Ver. 15 because I couldn't get my old program to work on my new computer with WinXP. The new version seems to rely only on its built in graphics, photos and templates. There are not a lot of tools to do your own thing. I also had immediate problems with the software in scrolling through the fonts -- the program freezes. This is apparently a well-known problem to Broderbund as their "fix" on the web page is to delete several of the fonts. When I asked why (through their customer service site) there was no fix and they thought it was acceptable to delete fonts, they blamed it on XP and then invited me to buy their newest version. I guess I thought that's what I was doing when I was at CompUSA. Now I know...they keep the old [stuff] out there until it's sold out.
Rating:
Summary: Why can't I see what I am working on?????
Review: I have used Print Shop Deluxe products for years with no problems. I had an older version on my computer but purchased this when I got my new computer with XP and no longer had the installation disk for the other version. I have to click on the print preview button to see what I am working on otherwise all I see is a blank piece of paper in front of me. I have tried the "so called" web troubleshooter but no one else seems to have the same complaint. Maybe these newer programs just run that way. I also downloaded a free trial of Print Master 15 and had the same problem. I would love some actual help with this but can't seem to find it so the program is going back!!!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Great design software
Review: I have used this program for almost a year and find it the easiest program I own to create a variety of print projects. I also have Microsoft's Office Suite Professional version which includes Publisher, etc. I can't do nearly as many creative things with that extraordinarily expensive suite of programs as I can with The Print Shop. Try designing a greeting card as an example. In most programs you are limited to the format of the particular template, whether quarter fold or half fold. In Publisher I had to design my own template to do a top fold half fold card. Moving graphics or text in Publisher or Word is a nightmare of formatting, etc. In The Print Shop, I can place anything I want in any position I want. I can rotate text or images any direction I like. In addition, if the many images that come with the program are not enough, you can simply go to the Microsoft clip art page online and either copy/paste any clip you like or just drag any clip right into The Print Shop project you are working on. Not many other programs are that easy to get along with. I don't use it to do my photo editing and I don't believe it is marketed as a photo editing program. However, there are some effects that can be applied to photos that I don't know where else I could find. This program, for a few dollars, has put hundreds of dollars of software on my computer out to pasture. It really does it all and does it well. Worth many times the price they charge.
Rating: 
Summary: Overrides you printer's settings!
Review: I installed this without any problems on my XP run system. Tried printing envelopes on my brand new Canon i950 ink jet. The Print Shop overrides your printer's settings, so I had to keep the printer set on "Paper" mode, but there's a lever in the printer carriage that must be changed when printing envelopes. If it this doesn't match what the software settings are, it won't print! I tried going along with the settings recommended by The Print Shop, and didn't switch the carriage to "envelope" mode, and the ink came out in splotches. It also prints about 2 inches down into the envelope, so if you want to add borders or art in the corners, it ain't happening. I didn't have this problem with Works. According to the self help section on the Broderbund website, this margin is not the fault of the software, but is a printer problem. I called Canon (who answered immediately and were very helpful BTW), and I determined that I was setting the printer correctly according to Canon's instructions. The problem goes back to the fact that The Print Shop overrides your printer's settings. The link to the website in the software works intermittently, and I'm using a broadband connection and it's always on. Sometimes I click on it and nothing happens. So, I've uninstalled it and I'm sending it back to Broderbund this week (they have a 90 day money back guarantee). What a hassle!
Rating:
Summary: Overrides you printer's settings!
Review: I installed this without any problems on my XP run system. Tried printing envelopes on my brand new Canon i950 ink jet. The Print Shop overrides your printer's settings, so I had to keep the printer set on "Paper" mode, but there's a lever in the printer carriage that must be changed when printing envelopes. If it this doesn't match what the software settings are, it won't print! I tried going along with the settings recommended by The Print Shop, and didn't switch the carriage to "envelope" mode, and the ink came out in splotches. It also prints about 2 inches down into the envelope, so if you want to add borders or art in the corners, it ain't happening. I didn't have this problem with Works. According to the self help section on the Broderbund website, this margin is not the fault of the software, but is a printer problem. I called Canon (who answered immediately and were very helpful BTW), and I determined that I was setting the printer correctly according to Canon's instructions. The problem goes back to the fact that The Print Shop overrides your printer's settings. The link to the website in the software works intermittently, and I'm using a broadband connection and it's always on. Sometimes I click on it and nothing happens. So, I've uninstalled it and I'm sending it back to Broderbund this week (they have a 90 day money back guarantee). What a hassle!
Rating:
Summary: Just keeps getting better!
Review: If you liked Print Shop before, you'll love it now! Many new features, including the "Photo Workshop," make it easy to edit and improve your scanned and digital photos. You'll get near-Photoshop results at a fraction of the cost and without the painful learning curve. You can also add 'artistic effects' to your projects such as posterizing, Impressionist, or Psychedelic. And NEW NEW NEW - you can save your projects as PDFs! This feature alone makes it worth the price of admission - you can share your projects with everyone, and the PDF format makes it great if you want to carry your project off to the local photo store for printing. Now you can email your Print Shop projects using the "Share Project" feature, and your less-fortunate loved ones who don't have Print Shop can enjoy your creations! The freehand crop feature has been improved - now you can modify your crop points to get a perfect crop. The desktop is easy to understand, you really won't need instructions on how to work the product - it's truly intuitive Tons more graphics, a new calendar creator (better than the ones that cost $$$ separately), and free project downloads from the internet makes this product a must-have for everyone, regardless of skill level. From super-user to novice, this product delivers! I could go on and on - but stop reading now and order the product - you won't be sorry!
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