) so searching for the right one is not too arduous. Once the design has been chosen the next step is to add images. If the images need to be uploaded via a digital camera or scanner Picture It! will fire up the relevant software and upload the files. There are also thousands of clip art images available; three of the four CDs included in the software contain around 75,000 images. And for those with Web access who need even more choice there is a link to another 100,000 images online. However, the real fun starts with manipulating the images. All the usual features are available here-adding borders, frames, text and shapes; rotating your picture; adjusting brightness and contrast et al-but there are also some seriously addictive transformations to indulge in. These range from helpful to just plain silly but fun. So while the image connoisseur in us is fine tuning a masterpiece by removing dust and scratches (or even red-eye and wrinkles!) the mischievous in us can skew the image, add a 3-D effect and then create the illusion that the viewer is looking through frosted glass. This latter feature is dangerously addictive. There are more illusions than a magician has up his sleeve and it's almost impossible not try to them all out. Picture It! also features one great time-saving feature. A "mini-lab" allows basic manipulation of a number of images simultaneously. Once the design project is complete sharing your pictures can range from easy to imaginative. Simply print them or have them printed professionally, e-mail them to friends or relatives, upload the design to the Web or go one step further and order custom t-shirts, mugs or mouse pads. So, hire some Victorian costumes, take a family photo by the mantelpiece, add a sepia tint and the odd handlebar moustache and away you go. Adrian Spence.

The help system has also taken a technological leap; if you perform certain tasks for the first time, the program will even ask if you would like to watch an easy-to-follow tutorial video on that subject. In addition to its revolutionary interface advancements, PictureIt certainly packs a wallop of features. Start with a blank project, or choose from over 500 project templates including calendars, greeting cards, invitations, flyers, and Web photo albums. Choose from over 20,000 photos and frames provided by PictureIt!, or use your own photos from the web, a scanner, a digital camera, or disk. Altogether, PictureIt Photo Studio 2001 offers a tremendous bargain and a first-class product that will allow even a novice to create both print projects and Web presentations, as well as well as perform advanced photo-editing tasks previously only available in complicated and expensive software packages. A great deal no matter which way you look at it. -Victor Andersen, Amazon. com.

) so searching for the right one is not too arduous. Once the design has been chosen the next step is to add images. If the images need to be uploaded via a digital camera or scanner Picture It! will fire up the relevant software and upload the files. There are also thousands of clip art images available; three of the four CDs included in the software contain around 75,000 images. And for those with Web access who need even more choice there is a link to another 100,000 images online. However, the real fun starts with manipulating the images. All the usual features are available here-adding borders, frames, text and shapes; rotating your picture; adjusting brightness and contrast et al-but there are also some seriously addictive transformations to indulge in. These range from helpful to just plain silly but fun. So while the image connoisseur in us is fine tuning a masterpiece by removing dust and scratches (or even red-eye and wrinkles!) the mischievous in us can skew the image, add a 3-D effect and then create the illusion that the viewer is looking through frosted glass. This latter feature is dangerously addictive. There are more illusions than a magician has up his sleeve and it's almost impossible not try to them all out. Picture It! also features one great time-saving feature. A "mini-lab" allows basic manipulation of a number of images simultaneously. Once the design project is complete sharing your pictures can range from easy to imaginative. Simply print them or have them printed professionally, e-mail them to friends or relatives, upload the design to the Web or go one step further and order custom t-shirts, mugs or mouse pads. So, hire some Victorian costumes, take a family photo by the mantelpiece, add a sepia tint and the odd handlebar moustache and away you go. Adrian Spence.