Monday, March 8, 2010

Graphics Toolbox: A Review



  • As part of the TOS Homeschool Crew, I received a cool program called Graphics Toolbox to review. Graphics Toolbox was created by a team of software designers with over 20 years of experience in graphics programming. This is a program that can make:

    personalized cards and invitations
    science diagrams
    photo editing
    posters and business flyers
    photo cartoons
    scrapbook pages
    blog headers and buttons

I have used a lot of "publishing" programs before, and made many photo projects. I didn't have a program that worked on my current computer. I was excited to give this one a try. I was especially excited to be able to make blog headers and buttons. The plan of the program creators was to create a program for everyday graphics needs that would be easy to use and understand. I have to disagree, but that was also partly my fault. I did attend the 90 minute online training session, but with everything going on in the background at my house I couldn't quite get as much out of it as I should have. I did have grand plans of making a project to post with my review to give you an idea of what the program can do. I didn't quite get there. You can go here to see samples on their website here, as well as some tutorial videos. I do have to point out that the customer service we received was incredible. I have to say that my shopping decisions are highly influenced by the kind of customer service I receive. These people were very eager to help and make sure that we fully understood how to use the program. So even though the program is not a simple, self-explanatory kind of program, the assistance and some practice made it much easier than I initially thought.

What makes this program different from others? First, your workspace is set up more like a table or desktop rather than one sheet of paper. Most other programs I've used start with a template and you just plug in your pictures, clip art and colors. This one gives you much more creative freedom with your projects. The possibilities are limited only by the size of your imagination. Click here for a full list of program features.

This downloadable program is available for $149, which will give you a license to use it on one computer. If you need it for more than one computer, there is discounted pricing for additional licenses. You can get a 30-day fully-functioning free trial. Click here to try or buy. If you'd like to see more reviews first, visit the TOS Homeschool Crew blog. Also, be sure to visit my blog regularly, because I will get some photo projects added very soon.

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