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Value for money is the key with Tesco's venture into the image-editing sector
The image-editing software market is something of a saturated one, so in order to stand out from the crowd individual titles have to offer something unique. In terms of features, Tesco Photo Restyle contains everything you would expect to find in an image-editing package – the selling point here is the price.
Costing under £10, this Tesco program boasts scores of filters, support for all major file formats, the ability to export files to pdf, and a range of vector drawing tools.
If the built-in selection of tools and filters is not sufficient for requirements, Photoshop plugins can be used to extend the facilities of the program. As well as automated tools such as red eye removal, the program also allows for precise control of colour levels, gradients and selections.
While there are a number of other budget image editors to choose from, Photo Restyle’s support for layers, editable brushes, and macro programming makes it noteworthy. Although the pricing would suggest that the product is aimed at the beginners’ market, the sheer range of tools takes it to the next level.
This is not a Photoshop-killer, but newcomers to the world of image editing will be encouraged into trying out new tools and ideas thanks not only to their inclusion, but also to the intuitive and customisable workspace.
As is the case with Tesco’s office suite, Photo Restyle is a repackaged version of Ability software. There is therefore tight integration with the office suite and even an overlap of tools in the form of Photoalbum, Launcher and Draw.
As with Complete Office, Photo Restyle includes two licenses so it can be installed on both a desktop and laptop PC. The undemanding system requirements mean that a cutting-edge system is not required to run the software, which is an added bonus.
Related reviews:
Adobe Photoshop Elements 5
A solid – if unspectacular – upgrade to Adobe’s popular photo-editor
Ulead Photoimpact 12
A competent photo-editing package with a collection of basic and advanced
features
Tesco Complete Office
Can Tesco’s foray into the software market offer a serious alternative to
Microsoft Office?
Read more reviews
Pros: Outstanding value at under £10 for two licenses
Cons: Lacks some of the power and features of Photoshop and
Paint Shop Pro
Overall: This is not a professional-level program, but for its
intended market it is virtually flawless
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Why I'd never use Tesco Photo again
I'm a photographer putting on my first exhibition, and decided to use Tesco Photo for my prints, as I've used them before, and was happy with their quality. The exhibition was to be on the 28th of October, and so about a month before the exhibition I placed my first order for prints, and waited for delivery. A week later I was told one of the files uploaded was corrupted, and so they cancelled the entire order. Fortunately I'd given myself a month to get the prints done for exactly this eventuality. I re-uploaded the corrupt image, and placed another order. On the next order, a different image was corrupt, even though I'd already submitted exactly the same set of files. After two or so hours of calls to Tesco Customer support, who were occasionally rude and often unhelpful I finally managed to find someone who said they'd look into it. His advice was to reupload all the images, which I did. I then placed another order, split in two this time, figuring I could at least get some of the images. A week later, on the 21st of October, half the photos arrived. I called to ask about the whereabouts of the others, and was told 'they'd been dispatched'. Later that day I received an email saying there was a problem with the order. Calling back, I discovered that the order had never been printed, nevermind dispatched. I was told at first that the image file had a virus (which was near impossible), or that a virus had entered the file as it was uploaded (also impossible). Worst of all, I was informed that Tesco knew of the error a week ago, on the 13th of October. There was no indication of this anywhere on the website, nor was I informed when I called to enquire about the prints. To add insult to injury, many of the photos never arrived, 'lost in the post,' although I wouldn't be surprised if they were lost somewhere in Tesco's incompetence. I've now had to pay a very expensive, local print service a lot of money to get my prints done as a rush job. Don't trust Tescos if you want something on time and without hassle. I'm just glad these weren't for some special occasion, like some poor guy's wedding or something similar.
Posted by Jacob Lewis, 26 Oct 2009