Photoshop substitutes or alternatives

[Spider2024]

Been thinking of buying Photoshop lately, but before I go splurge on the proper version (though there seems to be multiple versions of photoshop from Adobe) I was just wondering if there were any other, maybe cheaper alternatives. Basically, what do y'all use for photo shopping?

[SsnakeBite, the No1 Frenchman]

Paint.net is my favourite freeware tool for that. It's very similar to Photoshop and while it obviously doesn't have anywhere near the same amount of features, it has more than enough to make high-quality work and is very impressive for freeware stuff. I also find it to be far more user and noob-friendly than GIMP.

And then of course there is Photoshop CS2 which, like the entire CS2 line, is now available for free.

[Crappler El 0 M]

Not sure if it would be considered a photoshop alternative, but I use GIMP 2 which is free to download.

[Gecko]

I use Gimp which, as mentioned, isn't the most user friendly to learn.

It's not as good as Photoshop, but it's free and there's a whole bunch of plugins that are useful.

[Doctor Of Style]

I use GIMP 2 as well, it's free and works well enough for my needs.

[Oh Cry Me a Screwball]

Just do the freeware download of CS2.

[Throwback]

I have photoshop CS2 which I got for free. But I much prefer Imageready CS2 which comes in the same bundle.

[Sponsored by Groose Wipes]

I use Gimp. It takes some getting use to and it's not as advanced as Photoshop, but it is free.

[FinalGwen]

I use Paint Shop Pro (formerly Jasc, now Corel). Might be a bit harder to find the older versions - I personally go for versions 9/10 - but it's a remarkably solid and versatile program, and much simpler to pick up than Photoshop.

[Injustice45]

I, too, use Paint.net. Although it doesn't have nearly as much as Adobe, it can still get the job done. It really came in handy for my New Media Production class.

[A Platypus Rave]

PSP or GIMP are probably your best bet.