OpenCanvas 7: What it is, Uses, Features, Prices, Review and Alternatives

Image editing or creating original drawings and even digital works of art is something that any user can try thanks to the many dedicated utilities that are available in the market. Among these software you can find OpenCanvas 7, a powerful application with a lot of tools.

Through a simple yet well-organized interface, all features are easily accessible and a generous workspace is available. You can load images and modify them or create a completely new painting, or other type of graphics on the spot.

OpenCanvas 7 supports some of the most common image file types like JPG, BMP or PNG, as well as some proprietary formats (OCI and WPB) and Adobe Photoshop PSD.

There are several separate windows that open when you deploy the software, each containing various instruments and settings that can be adjusted to suit your needs. So, let's dive right into its functions and features.

What is OpenCanvas 7

OpenCanvas 7 is a photo editing, design and illustration software developed and released in 2017, by PGN Corp.

This is a painting software dedicated to the Windows operating system, suitable for beginners and advanced users. Equipped with analog brushstrokes and a functional yet easy-to-use interface, OpenCanvas 7 has very high basic performance and a unique "Event" function, which allows recording and playback of the drawing procedure.

OpenCanvas 7 has played a big part in creating some of those gorgeous game illustrations you may have seen. Just like Photoshop, OpenCanvas 7 is one of the most influential graphic editors for illustrators.

Unlike Photoshop, however, OpenCanvas 7 is designed to be a bit easier to use. If you are an artist, a game developer or a user who is interested in illustrating, you must visit and try OpenCanvas 7.

What can OpenCanvas 7 be used for?

OpenCanvas 7 has been designed to be able to draw without using a tablet from the start. Therefore, even beginners can use the software to easily draw illustrations as a hobby.

Some famous illustrators have often mentioned in interviews that this software influenced their painting skills before they became proficient. Of course, the latest version of OpenCanvas 7 is also optimized for tablets.

OpenCanvas 7 set out to be a simple and easy to use paint graphics editor and this is thanks to the efforts of passionate developers and the consistent support of its many loyal users.

Thus, you can use pencil, airbrush, watercolor, eyedropper and many other tools, all of them customizable and with several options at your disposal. It has many effects and filters that can be integrated into the design, not to mention layers and layer sets that can be made from scratch.

The images you are working on can be easily resized or rotated, while the display modes also include plenty of adjustments. An interesting option, at least for those who want to make the controls easier to use, is the built-in shortcut manager.

OpenCanvas 7 has many features that can be controlled via hotkeys, but if you need to modify or add new keyboard shortcuts, this can be done very simply.

In addition to that, the settings you create can be exported and used on another PC running this app.

Features of OpenCanvas 7

Here are some features that you can experience after installing OpenCanvas 7 Free Download . Please note that some of the features may vary and are entirely dependent on your system support.

• OpenCanvas 7 has been designed to provide users with all the tools to easily create digital drawings and paintings.
• It has a very well organized and simple user interface with all the features neatly organized and easily accessible.
• You can upload images and easily modify them and you can create a new painting if you wish.
• Supports a wide variety of image file formats.
• You can use various different tools like pencil, airbrush, eyedropper, watercolor and many more.
• You can resize the image you are working on and you can also rotate it to any degree.
• The speed of the software varies depending on the tool you use, but in general terms it is quite acceptable.
• It has customizable shortcuts and menus, and you can combine some of the multiple windows that its interface has.
• 22 blending options.
• Various color sliders, wheels, a palette window, and numeric inputs.
• Drawing aids, mainly rulers are excellently made and easy to adjust.

Advantages

• No monthly subscription costs.
• Great easy to adjust rules.
• The brushes are soft and fluid.
• It is very light, it loads very fast compared to Photoshop.
• Customizable theme.
• Simple user interface that is quite easy to understand.
• Lots of tools to use.
• With the Event feature, you can recreate how your drawing came to be from start to finish.
• Excellent photo editing capabilities.
• 120-day trial period. That is four months, impressive.
• It's available on Steam, which gives it an edge over those that aren't.

Disadvantages

• Some speed issues when using specific tools.
• It uses a lot of resources of your machine in some occasions.
• The lack of tutorials and guides makes the software a bit difficult for new users.
• Getting technical support is hard. The developers do not respond on the Steam forums or to reviews where people say they are having problems with the software.

Plans and prices

OpenCanvas 7 is available on its official website: Portalgraphics . A version of the software also exists on the Steam platform .

OpenCanvas 7 has a totally free trial version for 120 days. After this time, you must buy the license, which costs $59 on its official site, and $59.99 for the Steam platform .

If you are a user of any of its previous versions, and you want to update to the most recent version, you only have to pay 35 dollars

How and where to download OpenCanvas 7

Before you install OpenCanvas 7 Free Download , you need to know if your PC meets the recommended minimum system requirements:

Minimum requirements

• Operating System: Windows Vista or higher.
• Processor: x86 compatible with SSE2 processor.
• Memory: 40 MB of RAM.
• Graphics: 1024 × 768 / True Color.
• Network: Broadband Internet connection
• Storage: 50 MB of available space.

Recommended Requirements

• Operating system: Windows Vista or higher.
• Processor: x86-compatible processor that supports SSE2.
• Memory: 8GB RAM.
• Graphics: 1280 × 768 or higher / True Color.
• Network: Broadband Internet connection
• Storage: 1 GB of available space.

To Download and Install:

• Visit their official Portalgraphics website.
• In its main menu, click on “Download”.
• A new page opens, click the blue button “Download OpenCanvas 7”.
• An installation file will be downloaded to the “Downloads” folder on your machine.
• When the download is finished, open the installer.
• Comply with all the requested steps, so that the installer performs the installation of the software.
• At the end of the installation, you will already have OpenCanvas 7 available on your Windows PC for 120 days completely free.

Opinions of users who have used OpenCanvas 7

Let's see some opinions and comments from users who downloaded the trial version of OpenCanvas 7.

• Wall:

“I was excited when I first saw the teaser for it. There it goes. The interface has been the biggest visible change and the truth is that I really like it. It's really nice to look at and it's pretty easy to use. However, I was disappointed because I thought the windows would become dockable (like the Adobe stuff), unfortunately not. Although, this is not really a big deal. PG, please. Oh, it supports 4k, if that's your thing.

The brush engine is another step up in the game. It seems to have included a lot of new features in it. It also seems to work faster now. I was never interested in custom brushes, it's not like I'm very good at drawing either."

• D4wn:

“I love this software, it's beautiful, it's really easy to use, it starts up in about 5 seconds and it's a great alternative to Photoshop and I know it's going to cover most people's needs, it even comes with a line stabilizer Which as far as I know, Photoshop doesn't have.

Please make OC8 pdf compatible, it's one of the things I miss in Photoshop."

• fuse:

“It is a very good application. I'm not much of an artist, it would be an insult to the profession if I dared to call myself that. But I do like to do a few edits, whether it's for promotional events or posting on the go.

This app has helped me publish some content that has helped unite the communities I'm a part of. It takes literally seconds to show up when I need it, which is usually when I'm in a rush to make an abomination of a meme so I can post at record speeds .

Is it necessary to be an artist to fully enjoy this application? Maybe. But if you want something to edit or to speed up your posting, this app is a must.”

• Heceta:

“I really like using this software. As a Photoshop user, sometimes I just want something specific for the illustration and not all the extras. This...was perfect, while still having the versatility I crave and need. Also nicley transitions between OC and Photoshop and back again...which was a plus for quick back and forth manipulation.

Love it. It's clean and streamlined, and I don't get lost trying to learn the software while working on my art. I have also used it on my Twitch streams and viewers really like the design and have asked for tutorials on the software itself.”

• Cookies:

“183 hours, and probably only 10 hours of drawing. Nice expensive scratch paper that helped me in many classes and with some simple visual designs.”

Alternatives to OpenCanvas 7. The 5 Best of this year

For many it is expensive and for others it does not have enough functions. However, OpenCanvas 7 is an excellent option in the graphic editor market. So that you can compare with other graphic editors, here is a list of similar software.

1. Clip Studio Paint

This is one of the top graphic editors that you should consider. Clip Studio Paint is a drawing application with many optimized tools to make design and art easier for designers and artists.

The tool provides you with the right means to draw and paint images from scratch, for animations, comics, manga, illustrations, and even in concept art and painting.

The interface is very good and suitable for this type of software. Most of the options are conveniently placed in the main window, so you can easily enable the tools.

It also offers a free trial and its paid version after the trial time expires. Everything in this software is oriented to help you paint, to create, for this reason, it is the favorite of many artists.

This software is included as standard in the famous Wacom tablets, and in recent Samsung tablets. It is available for all platforms. It is simply impressive.

2. Paint brush

Paintbrush is a drawing tool quite similar to the Windows Paint or Paint 3D utilities. The software offers you a simple interface, gives you access to easy-to-configure drawing tools, and allows you to import content from your clipboard and export it as an image file.

The drawing window is separate from the “Tools” screen. You can move these two windows anywhere you like on your desktop.

Each built-in drawing tool comes with easy-to-configure settings, so minimal graphic design experience is required to work with Paintbrush .

The utility features a small number of drawing tools and text editing options. Other image editors give you more features and work smoothly.

For those looking for functionality and easy editing, Paintbrush may be the one. However, it falls short compared to OpenCanvas 7.

3. Adobe Photoshop

Use Adobe Photoshop to create your own artwork, edit photos, and do so much more with the images you take and find. Known as one of the best photo editing software of all time, Adobe Photoshop is popular with experts and beginners alike.

While famous photographers and artists use the software to edit and create pieces that they share with the world, beginners use it to edit their own photos. Photoshop comes with the features that you can use to enhance your professional and personal work.

Some of the best features allow you to hide the mistakes you've made in your photos. An editing tool allows you to remove red eye in photos, while another tool allows you to sharpen the overall look of the image.

Although it may not be one of the best video editing software, Adobe Photoshop comes with a video editor as well. This editor allows you to make simple changes to your videos, including trimming content and combining two videos into one. You can even click and drag different videos or clips together to create a longer video.

Despite the great benefits of Photoshop, it is a software more suitable for professionals. As a hobby photographer, you can still take advantage of the software, but you may not understand how to use some of its main features. Beginners can take months or even longer to learn how to change filters, use layers, and make other adjustments.

4. Corel Painter

Corel Painter is a very good choice for all Apple users and a similar product to Clip Studio Paint . It offers AI-based art styles including 12 art styles that provide great oil pastel tools, clone tinting, and various layer tools.

You can also mix multiple colors as the software has an advanced color wheel option. Corel Painter also allows you to customize various sets of pens and brushes according to your own requirements.

The new version of Corel Painter brings several new digital painting and drawing techniques. Corel Painter is available on its official website, in the form of a free trial version, and then its paid version.

It is quite expensive, although for many it is the best graphic editor on the market, well above Photoshop. It is a professional level graphic editor, and it is compatible with both Mac and Windows.

5. Sketch

Sketch is a handy application for drawing, editing and mapping vectors. It comes with a wide variety of tools, which you can use for free drawing or vector design.

It has an attractive interface and user-friendly menu that will help Mac users quickly get familiar with the tool. It provides various features and tools specially designed for vectors, but also allows users to draw freely using various predefined shapes and adding visual effects to drawn elements.

Adding inner and outer shadows and highlights to an object can enhance its appearance, giving it a more vivid look. This app also provides distortion tools and a transform tool that allows users to manipulate an object to better understand how it looks in three-dimensional space.

The tool responds well to commands and comes with great functionality. Unlike other similar products, the application does not overload your Mac, so you can use it simultaneously with other applications.

In conclusion, Sketch is a great tool for vector drawing and editing, but it also allows users to draw freely or using various predefined shapes that come with the tool, in a more professional way.

Frequent questions

Let's look at some frequently asked questions related to OpenCanvas 7.

1. Is OpenCanvas 7 a good software for beginners?

Indeed, OpenCanvas 7 is easy to use and understand. Beginners will quickly adapt to its interface, as it is very intuitive and clear.

However, this does not remove functionality. OpenCanvas 7 is also very attractive for professionals and experts, although most of them, having an adequate level, change their graphic editor looking to improve its functionality.

2. Is the free version the full version?

Yes. The free version comes with all the features, without limitations of any kind, except that it will be available for 120 days only. After that time, you must get a license that has a price of 59 dollars.

3. Is this software safe from viruses, is it safe?

100% sure. You only have to download from its official website, or failing that, from the Steam platform.

4. Does OpenCanvas 7 consume a lot of hardware resources?

The software is quite light and really not demanding in its work requirements. You will be able to see some kind of delay when activating some of its more complex functions, if you have a mid-range computer. But usually it works great.

Conclusion

In general, this software can be quite useful, especially since it is quite easy to use. However, there are some shortcomings, such as limited support for graphics file formats, which may cause some users to look for alternatives.

The fact that many recommend it for beginners indicates that the software is ideal for beginners and intermediate levels of learning.

For professionals, looking for more and more functions, this software falls short.

The above content published at Collaborative Research Group is for informational purposes only and has been developed by referring reliable sources and recommendations from experts. We do not have any contact with official entities nor do we intend to replace the information that they emit.