July 12, 2010 – Serif (Europe) Ltd, the UK’s leading independent design, publishing and creative software developer, is pleased to announce the launch of PhotoPlus X4, the perfect choice for photography enthusiasts that demand a powerful, easy-to-use and inexpensive way to organise, edit, and be creative with photos.

From advanced, professional-level tools and features to quick fixes designed to improve photos in a matter of clicks, PhotoPlus X4 can help users achieve better results from their photographs, learn new editing techniques and be more productive than ever before. Whether users own a digital SLR or point-and-click camera, PhotoPlus is a flexible package designed to suit all editing needs.

With PhotoPlus X4, high-end features are no longer the preserve of expensive software packages. Take advantage of support for RAW and 16-bit image files, powerful HDR imaging, plus professional layer management including non-destructive filter and adjustment layers.

This is the easiest to use and most powerful version of PhotoPlus yet. Improvements include a contemporary new look, user enhancements to improve workflow and performance, plus new tools to accurately cut out subjects from photographs and make pixel-perfect edits.

PhotoPlus X4 now also incorporates AlbumPlus Organiser, an easy-to-use program for viewing, managing and sharing photos, and a bonus copy of PanoramaPlus X4, Serif’s automated photo stitching software for creating stunning panoramic images.

“We’re confident that photography enthusiasts will find PhotoPlus X4 a powerful program that offers a great balance between quick fixes and advanced editing,” says Gary Bates, Managing Director at Serif. “With new features such as the PhotoFix mode, Image Cutout Studio, Pixel Grid, and the Adjustments Tab, users now have the ultimate software solution for editing, enhancing and organising digital pictures.”

PhotoPlus X4 is compatible with Windows 7/Vista/XP and retails at £69.99. It is available directly from Serif at www.serif.com and from major retailers including Amazon and PC World. Existing Serif Software users should contact 0800 376 7070 for further information on upgrade pricing.

Serif PhotoPlus X4, showing the Raw Studio screen. Screenshot provided by Serif (Europe) Ltd.

New and improved features include:

• NEW! PhotoFix – Apply common edits to your photos faster than ever before from this dedicated area of PhotoPlus X4. PhotoFix groups together common tools and adjustments and makes them more accessible and easier to apply. Straighten and crop photos, fix red-eye, remove blemishes, edit using curves and apply non-destructive adjustments to a photo or areas of a photo using masks.

• NEW! Image Cutout Studio – Easily extract people and objects from a photo with precision. This dedicated studio makes light work of an otherwise time-consuming process.

• IMPROVED! Filter Gallery – The Filter Gallery is improved with greater support for 16-bit per channel images. Select from a greater range of filters including dust and scratch removal, diffuse glow and more.

• NEW! AdjustmentsTab – Photo adjustments are now even more accessible and easier to apply thanks to PhotoPlus X4’s Adjustment Tab. Adjust levels, colour balance, saturation and more. Simply choose an existing preset or create your own. All adjustments are non-destructive so they don’t overwrite your original image and can be fine-tuned or removed at any time.

• NEW! Pixel Grid – Edit individual pixels easily and accurately to ensure pixel-perfect images that look sleek and smooth on screen.

• NEW! Pressure Studio – Calibrate the sensitivity of your graphics tablet within PhotoPlus X4 for a more natural editing experience when using brushes.

• IMPROVED! AlbumPlus Organiser – Use AlbumPlus Organiser to stay on top of your growing photo collection. Create a categorised photo album, tag photos for quick keyword searches and rate your images to find your favourites fast.

• NEW! PhotoMap – Display your photos by their location with AlbumPlus Organiser’s PhotoMap view, a new and exciting way to re-visit memories of trips and holidays. PhotoMap is a Google Map™ of the world with markers that show where each of your photos were taken. If your camera supports geo-tagging then your images are automatically displayed on the map but they can also be dragged and dropped manually too.

• IMPROVED! EXIF Support – Retain EXIF data when saving or exporting an image.

• IMPROVED! Workflow – Tailor PhotoPlus X4 to your needs with customisable menus, toolbars and keyboard shortcuts.

• NEW! Fresh Interface – PhotoPlus X4 has a new user interface, sporting a contemporary look with large icons and multiple colour schemes.

• IMPROVED! Performance – PhotoPlus X4 is the quickest version yet, optimised to run on computers with multi-core processors and is five times faster when performing undo edits.

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Serif PhotoPlus X4, showing the artistic filter selection screen. Screenshot provided by Serif (Europe) Ltd.

About Serif
Serif is the publisher of the award-winning software range that includes PagePlus®, PhotoPlus®, DrawPlus®, WebPlus®, AlbumPlus®, MoviePlus®, PanoramaPlus® and Digital Scrapbook Artist® and more. Founded in 1987 with the aim to develop low-cost alternatives to high-end publishing and graphics packages, Serif as been repeatedly praised for its powerful yet easy-to-use software which has put professional effects and demanding publishing tasks within the reach of ordinary PC users round the world. Now with over 6 million customers worldwide, Serif has over 200 employees at its head office, development and European sales centre in Nottingham, UK and its North American sales operation in New Hampshire, US.