hehe! Actually, the images that I used in this thread were all shamelessly stolen from various meanderings on the internet and I only adjusted them slightly for size. But, to answer your question completely (sometimes a bad habit of mine in that it gives people more information that what they really wanted) I'll make a listing of the proggies that I frequently use in operations ancillary to forum posting. DISCLAIMER: At the outset let me say that I don't do graphics professionally, and there are lots of programs out there that various people will prefer for different reasons. The ones that I'm listing are merely the ones that I've become accustomed to over time and I don't claim to have the ultimate, definitive answer for all uses. Most if not all of the developers of these programs offer trial downloads, and I would recommend availing yourself of a trial use before purchasing anything, in order for you to make sure that it does what you want it to do. Refunds for purchased software are an extreme rarity, so it's essential to be certain of a program before you buy. Please forgive me if I'm stating the obvious here, but it's hard for one person (or especially a stoat) to instantly know the level of expertise of another person on the internet, no offense or condescension is intended.
For most all posts to FR (including this one) I first lay out everything, even if it's only text, in Microsoft Front Page (soon to be replaced by Expression Web) because I can (usually) make things look the way I want them to very quickly and then with one click I can get the HTML code, copy it and post it to FR. I have zero interest in learning HTML and Front Page lets me do what I want without coding.
For basic photo / Image manipulation such as cropping, resizing, adjusting color / brightness and some special effects etc. I use either ACDSee or CompuPic Pro depending upon my mood and the needs of the task. They have different features and a completely different user interface, and so which one I use will just depend upon what I want to do.
For more involved image / graphics manipulation including retouching and layering, I own Adobe Photoshop but I actually prefer Jasc Paint Shop Pro. (be advised that Corel has just recently acquired Jasc Software, and I haven't tried Corel's version of Paint Shop Pro. I don't know if they have only rebranded it or if they have radically changed it from Jasc Software's excellent product). Adobe Photoshop is essential if you are doing commercial work such as magazine layouts and advertising, but for about 1/10 the price you can do 90% of anything a consumer might want to do with Paint Shop Pro without the crushing learning curve of Photoshop. For years Jasc's Paint Shop Pro has been an extremely popular "value-alternative" to Photoshop, but I can't speak to the current Corel incarnation....it might be great or better, but it might not.
For GIF animations I really like Ulead GIF Animator because it's easy to use.
Be advised also that there will be a lot of overlap in these programs in terms of duplication of functions and features, and you may be able to get a better deal by buying various "suite" options rather than multiple standalone applications from different developers. If you are starting out with graphics, it's good to soberly define your needs while leaving room for some creative expansion and try several options....different interface types appeal to different people and again I don't pretend to have the definitive answers for all people here.
I hope that this will be of some help, and please feel free to ask any further questions if you feel so inclined.
Oh -- and you DID notice there were 3 separate pictures, right? I wouldn't want you to miss any.
Thank you very much :-)
Whoa! I'll say! Thank you, thank you, and uh, thank you.