Photo Clip Art 150-000 Description:

Photo Clip Art 150,000 review:
2 stars (Transparency Problem) - This product is very nice when it works. However, I'm having the same problem as the reviewer below me. When I attempt to export the image - either by saving, draging or copying, Hemera places a transparency over the object, making the product worthless.



I gave it two stars because, for the two months it worked, it worked well, however, now, it won't work at all. And as the other reviewer stated, support is nearly non-existant.
1 stars (Can't use this program) - This product offers much to chose from and I really liked the photos. However, I have yet to get this program to work right. I am able to view the photos but when I go into the the Export Wizard to save the photos, the photo has a transparency over the top of it, instead of in the background. I tried bypassing the Export Wizard by right clicking on the selected photo and saving. This also inserts the transparency over the photo. I called Hemera in Canada and they instructed me to call Encore USA in CA for support. Encore USA said they couldn't help me. Encore's technical support is "limited to crashes, error messages and lockups". I also referred to their website hoping to find help in the knowledge base or FAQ's. There was VERY little about this software and no help to be found. I wasted my money on a product I can't use and that offers no support for issues out of my control.
4 stars (Best value Hemera offers, but a few cautions) - First, if you're thinking about using these photos for print, you may wish to think again. Most objects run between 300-600 pixels in width or height, or 1-2 inches at 300 DPI. Stretch them bigger than that, and they'll start to blur and/or get jagged.



Also note, that if you try to export/save an image from the Hemera Image browser and select the 300 DPI setting, the browser may stretch the graphic larger than it's actual size, causing blurring and jaggedness right out of the gate.



You need to use the "Use Image's Full Size" checkbox when exporting images. If you specify a 300 DPI size, and don't use that checkbox, you'll get a stretched image.



For example, the first image in the collection (the pocket watch) is only 384 pixels wide. If you specify 300 DPI and don't check the "Use Image's Full Size" box, the software will stretch it to 642 pixels wide. The stretching will cause the image to look fuzzier and/or more jagged when you use it in a web site or print project.



All that said, if you're going to use the images for the web, they're great.



You get almost all the images you'd find in their three "Photo Objects" collections, each of which is much more expensive than this single collection. The difference is the Photo Objects collections offer about 20-30% higher resolution (i.e. the first image in the collection is 384 pixels wide, but is 492 pixels wide in Photo Objects) and you can save the Photo Objects images with transparent backgrounds (while this collection forces you to specify a color for the background).



For the price, this is a good collection. There are lots of shots with minor variations, so it may seem like duplication, but for someone trying to get something just right, that slightly different tilt of the head may be just what the doctor ordered.