Installing Plugins for PaintShop Pro
Did you know that there are a number of plugins that can be used with PaintShop Pro? If you’re not familiar with plugins, they are simply add-on programs designed to enhance or add extra functionality to your existing software. These plugins are created by Corel, or by other software companies, or by the PaintShop Pro developer community.
In this tutorial, we’ll use the Google Nik filters to show you how to install a plugin and get it working with PaintShop Pro. The process is not complicated and it will only take a few steps for you to add filters, brushes or other tools.
Thanks for watching! We hope you found this tutorial helpful and we would love to hear your feedback in the Comments section below. And don’t forget to visit our social media pages and show us what you’ve learned by sharing your photos, videos and creative projects with us.
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Comments (33)
Olá! Acabei de fazer o upgrade para o PSP2021. Não estou conseguindo instalar os plugins, nem direcionando através do file locations nem copiando para a pasta dos plugins. Meus plugins não são mais compatíveis? O que devo fazer? obrigada.
Hello Karina,
Thanks for getting in touch! Changes between software versions often require a patch or update to related programs such as plugins, as the way that these secondary applications interface with the main program change. Sometimes the change is minor, and a plugin manages to keep working (although bugs do often creep in when using mismatched versions like this), but sometimes the changes are more extensive and require a patch or update to the plugin for compatibility.
This is up to the plugin developer, so in this case we do not able to offer any advice beyond checking for an updated version of your plugin!
Hope this helps,
Discovery Center Team
I purchased PSP2021 but the 32-bit version does not run any .8bf plugin! It says:
Unable to load the requested plug-in filter. The plug-in may not be installed properly or may be missing files. (Plug-in XXXXXX.8BF).
But the files are there, and they work with previous versions of PSP.
Hello Dario,
Is this an official Corel plug-in? If so, we can certainly get you in touch with support to take a look at this! If it is a third-party plugin however, it would be up to the author to release an update that adds compatibility with PaintShop Pro 2021.
Discovery Center Team
Guten Tag,
Ich versuche verzweifelt Filters Unlimited im Corel Paintshop Pro 2020 Ultimatezu installieren.
Aber egal was ich mache ich bekomme sie nicht rein.
Vielleicht können Sie mir sagen wie man das hinbekommt?
I have Corel PSP 2019 and would like to add DXO Nik Collection. Is DXO compatible with PSP?
Help! I bought PaintShop Pro 2018 Ultimate a bit ago. I loaded it on my desk top computer. I want to load it on my Laptop, but my laptop does NOT has a CD Rom…according to the box the software is licensed to load for up to 3 computers. How can I load this software on my laptop? Please help
Hello Joseph,
The simplest method would be to use an external USB DVD drive, but you could also use a disc imaging program to make an .iso file backup of your install disc and transfer it using a USB memory stick or other removable media. While there are various programs that can read disc images, Windows 10 can also open them natively – you can then run the install from the disc image as though it were a physical disk.
Hope this helps,
Discovery Center Team
Thank you for the response and suggestions. Greatly appreciated
KPT Collections: I bought PSP 2019 and tried to click KPT collections “Install” button from my Plugins library. Nothing happen no KPT in the plugins folder. It is empty.
Please help!
Hello Lesley,
There are a couple problems you may be running into here! The first potential problem is that the KPT Collection is a 32-bit plugin, meaning that if you installed the 64-bit version of PaintShop Pro 2019, the two would be incompatible. The second is that the KPT collection does not support PaintShop Pro 2019, meaning the program may not recognize the plugin. As the KPT Collection is not seeing active development at this time, we do not currently have a fix for compatibility issues in PaintShop Pro 2019.
Hope this helps,
Discovery Center Team
Help, I recently purchased the upgrade PSP2019Ultimate and downloaded it. I then tried to integrate Mirage, and Essential 6 and aftershot and I cant seem to get them to integrate. I used the file>preferencese>Filelocation and ADDED the file path, but it does not seem to pick those up. It picked up perfectly clear and pic to paint just fine. Also frustrated with the download that randomly places files without a recommendation for default (say to psp folder)
Hello Theresa,
Thanks for getting in touch! As PhotoMirage, Painter Essentials 6, and AfterShot are all dedicated programs, they can not be launched from within PaintShop Pro the way the Perfectly Clear and Pic-to-Paint plugins can. We do appreciate the feedback however, and have passed your comments on to the PaintShop team for their consideration.
Best,
Discovery Center Team
Hello, I just upgraded corel painshop 2018 to 2019 and I am very disappointed. With PShop2018 I bought PerfectlyClearSE v3. After upgrading this plugin is not in PShop2019 instaled and I can not him moved from PShop 2018 – reports as error that plugin is not installed. Before upgrade I read PSshop 2019 whats have contains and I am very angry that what I had, now I have not. I do not understand why during the upgrade to PShop 2019 I lost plugin PerfectlyClearSE. How you deal with this? How to install PerfectlyClearSE to PShop 2019, which I use daily. If I can’t use what I already have, I’ll want to return the money because this is not an upgrade for me but a downgrade. Thank you for your response
Hello Oldrich,
Which version of PaintShop Pro 2019 did you purchase? While the version of Perfectly Clear that comes with PSP 2018 does not launch natively from PSP2019, the Ultimate edition of PSP 2019 comes with an updated version of the Perfectly Clear suite, v3.5 SE.
Hope this helps,
Discovery Center Team
Hi, how can I edit “.dds” file in Paintshop Pro 2019?
Because I’m considering to buy it on Humble Bundle, I want to make sure of this.
Thanks a lot.
Hello A J,
Thanks for getting in touch! Unfortunately PaintShop Pro 2019 does not currently support DDS files, so they would need to be converted to a supported file format prior to editing.
Discovery Center Team
Is DDS ever going to be properly supported in Paint Shop Pro? It is a crucial format for gaming textures, if Corel seriously wants to compete with Photoshop and GIMP, you MUST integrate support for DDS. You’re shooting yourselves in the foot by ignoring the gaming market.
Hello Luke,
Thanks for the feedback! We don’t have anything to report on adding DDS support at this time, but we have passed these comments on to the PaintShop team for their consideration.
Best,
Discovery Center Team
I agree. I will not upgrade until they do support dds files.
I was able to get the Plugin installed. I needed to be running the 64 bit PaintShop Pro version. All is well 🙂
i do not have a file location, i can not put my plugins, in there, dont have it to use
Hello Jean,
You can find your plugin folder (or add a new folder for PaintShop Pro to check) from the File > File Locations menu option! If you don’t have this option under the File menu, you can add it by switching to the Complete workspace under File > Workspace. Once it is added, you can either open the File Locations window to check the directory of your current folder, or use the Add button to add an additional folder for PaintShop Pro to scan for Plugins during launch.
Hope this helps,
Discovery Center Team
I’m a bit lost…
I have no file locations under the preferences tab. I only have file format preferences and file format associations.
I’ve been using psp v9 for years from Jasc and this is my first dip into Corel and it’s taking some getting used to! lol
Hello Claire,
Sounds like you may be in the Essentials workspace! This is a simplified workspace designed primarily for users newer to photoediting. To bring back all the tools and options, navigate to File > Workspace and select Complete! This will switch your interface to the Complete workspace, which will include the File Locations menu option.
Hope this helps,
Discovery Center Team
Hello.
I just purchased paintshop Pro 2019 with the intention of installing the Google Nik Filter collection. I am not reading information that the program no longer allows 3rd party plugins. Is this true?
Hello Corinna,
While we can not guarantee the stability of third-party plugins in PaintShop Pro 2019 beyond those bundled with the Ultimate edition, you are welcome to add them to the program.
Discovery Center Team
Just purchased Paintshop Pro 2019. Right now I am not too happy with it.
How do I load my After Shot in Paintshop Pro 2019 ? I have several programs that I cannot load.
It was easy to do in Paintshop x9. File > Preferences > File Locations. Cannot find anyway to load them. There was no reason to change this?
Hello Hurley,
It sounds like you have the Essentials Workspace active! The File Locations option is available from the Complete workspace, which you can switch to from the File > Workspace menu.
Hope this helps,
Discovery Center Team
This does not work in 2018 there is no “file locations” in the file menu how do you install plugins in 2018 paintshop pro and please stop making these huge changes in paint shop pro interface… especially when there is no instruction on how to set it up
Hello Stephanie,
The File Locations window can be found in PaintShop Pro 2018 by navigating to File > Preferences > File Locations.
Thank you for your feedback!
Discovery Center Team
Hello Stephanie my name is Nixa I had the same problem to me awhile before I figured it out. Click on file scroll all the way down to workspace and make sure you complete is checked then go back and try click on file again and click on preferences you should be able to see file location.
Thanks Nixa, that is exactly what I needed!