The Ultimate edition ($99.99, $79.99 upgrade) throws in more software, including AfterShot (Corel's photo workflow app for importing and organizing digital photos), Corel Painter Essentials, PhotoMirage Express (converts still shots to animations), and more brushes and backgrounds. PaintShop Pro 2023 is available directly from Corel or via retail for $79.99 (or $59.99 as an upgrade from any previous version) and is frequently discounted. SmartClone lets you blend multiple image selections, and Refine Brush makes it possible to select complex objects like hair or tree lines. The Sea-to-Sky Workspace (only in Ultimate) applies appropriate fixes to underwater and aerial shots, such as those from a drone.
AI Upsampling, AI Denoise, AI Artifact Removal, AI Style Transfer, and the HDR Studio plug-in are more recent tools. Previously, PaintShop added a touch-friendly photography mode that includes a split before-and-after view, handy for seeing the effects of your edits. Additional brushes, color palettes, gradients, patterns and picture tubes, and a Frame tool for placing images inside shapes have also appeared.
Recent updates include AI Background Replacement, AI Portrait Mode, AI Style Transfer, and support for the HEIC and HEIF file types that iPhones use. Corel puts a lot of effort into improving and adding features to the venerable image editing software, taking feedback from user advisory boards and program telemetry to decide what people want.
