Serif has really done its own thing with its PhotoPlus editor over the last few years, which means that some of the common features of other packages aren't available here. Instead it majors on batch editing, PDF export and a filter gallery where you can experiment with a wide range of filters, using a decent sized preview window.

We're sure Serif would claim it's responding to customer requests, but it's hard to see that converting a group of files from JPEGs to TIFFs, for instance, is really more popular than a tool for removing acne or straightening out a crooked shot.

The layer handling in PhotoPlus 10 is a cut above most others, as you can group layers together and apply filters and other tools to a whole group in one go. If you like to collage your photos, you may well find this a useful feature.

PhotoPlus has strengths in what are traditionally painting functions, too. It includes sophisticated warping tools, to distort images for special effects, and has support for pressure-sensitive graphics tablets. There's a high level of control over brush tips and the ability to introduce Bezier curves for outline drawing.

In the box with PhotoPlus 10 Studio is AlbumPlus 4 which, as you might imagine, organises your photos into albums. It has good tagging facilities which enable you to build up the metadata attached to your photos, so you can search them quickly and efficiently. You can produce a simple slide show from this application, too, but there's little control over transitions or display times.

Overall, PhotoPlus 10 is a bit short on the kind of automated tools which make tidying up photos enjoyable, rather than a chore. It's still playing catch up with the leading contenders.