There are quite a few graphics programs available for digital scrapbooking, all with different features and functionality. Their price tags often are not too far below the $94.99 ‘regular’ price for Photoshop Elements 7. I am sure many people are happy using these programs. Because Photoshop Elements 7 was not primarily designed for scrapbooking, it does not have those limitations. This means that YOU are not limited in how you can use the program. You can keep things simple or you can put on your creative wings and soar.

Don and I use Photoshop CS3 Extended and Photoshop Elements in our graphics work. Don shopped all over the Internet recently to find the cheapest deal on the upgrade from PSE6 to Photoshop Elements 7, and was quite pleased to purchase it for only $67. That bargain is no longer available. The lowest price we found in a search today is $74.99, available on Adobe Photoshop Elements 7through October 31. Note, this is the UPGRADE price. If you are a first-time purchaser of Photoshop Elements the cost is $94.99. Either way, the product qualifies for free shipping.

We’ve been using Photoshop products for over ten years. We have never been disappointed in the quality or functionality. It is true that upgrades seem to roll around with great frequency! And we, like many others, carefully weigh the cost of the upgrades with the additional functionality promised. We can honestly say the upgrades have always been worth the money.

Photoshop CS3 Extended, the big brother to Photoshop Elements 7, delivers additional functionality to justify it’s much higher price tag. For the casual digiscrapper or person working with photos at home, this functionality is overkill. But it is something to consider once you’ve gotten your arms around Photoshop Elements and want to increase your creative boundaries.

While having a graphics program you love is important, don’t overlook some of the basics that assure your computer will perform properly. Check out “An Ounce of Prevention is Worth More than a Pound of Cure -Some Computer Rules of the Road” here in Tech Talk.