I GOT Sketch Drawer from gotd 01 28 2013. Make good Sketchs from pictures with good detail, but not too good results from poor photos that are faded, I was pleased with results, but don't use it much any more, not being an artist.
Quote from Comment by Ashraf from dotTech — January 28th, 2013 at 3:02 am - Pros
*Turn your digital pictures into sketches easily
*Creates both black and white or color sketches, and has other types you can pick from
*Can batch convert pictures to sketches
*Tons of adjustable options to customize your output sketches
*Can adjust brightness, saturation, and contrast of input images plus rotate, flip, and crop
*Supports JPG/JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP, ICO, TIF, TGA, PCX, and WMF image input formats

Cons
*Program crashed on me multiple times (twice, to be exact)
*Poor, laggy interface
*Claims to be able to take in PSD inputs but it won’t, as per my tests

I didn't have any problems that others mention from last time given away - worked fine.. have great holidays..

Ok Me Again Mark (Australia), Ouialaraison i should have mentioned that's how i new it Sketch Drawer was Unregistrated, with the Help/About, besides You HAVE to close the error box to be able to click on Help/About.
And Fran Thanks, now i know i don't need to be taken away in a white Jacket, as i'm not the only one with this Registered/Unregistered
Problem, you may be right about installing other newer versions, including other SoftOrbits software which may be messing up Their Software Licences?"

Installed the newer version of Sketch Drawer 2.0. Installed Fine and shows "Registered" the Only Drawback is lost of earlier PRO version.
Of Course Photo Retoucher 1.3 still shows as Unregistered, so will have uninstall a little later.
Thanks for your comments Guys. SoftOrbits thanks for the software, but please Fix Registration problems between your own products if?
that's the case??.
Mark (Australia)

I have always used Paint.net for this
Always free
http://www.getpaint.net/

No problems - & when the grand-children come over, Papa is the best, "He can make colouring books of our visits!" This program is great & I am GLAD they re-put the "Word menu" BACK where it belongs - Thank you.

I downloaded this program this morning and it said the activation was successful. However, when I tried it out the pictures had a watermark that said "Unregistered Version" . . . So, I uninstalled it and will attempt to install/register it again.

Not a valid win32 application. I have not been able to use your programs for quite a while now. Too bad. I loved to get your emails and programs.

Win 8.1,.. shows up as unregistered and wouldn't save a file. Restarted,... shows up at the top unregistered, but lets me save the file. Box pops up already registered. Guess its working.

I'm not sure if to download and try this version of Sketch Drawer 2,0, as i have Photo Retoucher 1.3 and Photo To Sketch Converter Pro
. Sketch Converter Pro Displays Sketch Drawer Pro, but the About shows just Sketch Drawer 1.4, So which is it? BUT MAIN PROBLEM with
BOTH software titles is that launching (starting) get an error message the same on both, something like error Already Activated.

BUT both show Unregistered Version, What gives? other words i can't use them. I had this same problem in the past with earlier versions
and after a couple of months of using, they get the same problem. i thought at first it might have been Ccleaner deleting the reg key values, but i keep an eye out for that and to stop it in case it was that causing the problem, but alas i don't know why it happens.
And been GOTD giveaways can't reinstall to fix them. So i guess it will happen again, if i install this version and after a couple of months get the same problem again? Hmmm would i have the same problem if i Bought a licence?

Mark (Australia)

This is good offer, grab it with both hands, the software works fine.For freebie addicts 'FotoSketcher' has been mentioned already, I would like to add a few more :

1.http://www.softpedia.com/get/Multimedia/Graphic/Image-Convertors/Photo-to-Sketch.shtml

2.http://www.softpedia.com/get/Multimedia/Graphic/Graphic-Editors/XnSketch.shtml

3.http://www.softpedia.com/get/Multimedia/Graphic/Graphic-Editors/Photo-Sketch.shtml [Only for Windows 8]

4.A browser extension with lots of effects, including sketches :
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/foto-rulez/odahhdimpaeigjcdbgcnhemlkejclmmk?hl=en

5. Tutorial on how to create a sketch in Photoshop elements or any graphics editor which supports layers:
http://www.techhive.com/article/239837/turn_any_photo_into_a_pencil_sketch.html

X-MAS MONTH FREEBIE BONUS

http://tiny.cc/vbiaqx

Merry X-Mas and cheers!
Thanks GAOTD for a keeper!

Why do we need to provide a name and address when you're sending out the same code to everyone. I got my sister to download this giveaway from a different url and she got exactly the same code as me, I also requested the code using two emails and got the same code. Seems more like netting thousands of email addresses which you can then sell on to other developers and advertisers.


Thanks for the heads up on Fotosketcher; downloaded it and I agree that it's a superior software. That said for free who can complain, today's software is simple to use and does have a place in my photo editing suite.


Thanks to Softorbit's and the giveaway guys for today's giveaway.

During installation, Sketch Drawer creates a Photo to Sketch Converter shortcut (rename it if your computer is full and your memory already declining, remembering one single name per program is already hard enough!), and then thanks us for having registered… Photo Resizer. The people at SoftOrbits are slightly absent-minded. Even on their site, they don’t seem able to stick to a name for this software. And, among other things, on the “buy now” page
http://www.softorbits.com/photo-to-sketch-converter/order.html

you can have the Pro version with watermarking and batch mode for $ 49,99 while on the “Compare editions” page
http://www.softorbits.com/photo-to-sketch-converter/order-editions.html

it is $79.95 you have to pay for the Pro version with these features. And when SoftOrbits facebook page claims that this new version 2.0 is a “major update”, in the absence of a changelog, you have to take their word for it.

(My humble message to you all developers: please, think of us potential customers, and provide easily accessible and detailed changelogs and information on differences between Lite, Standard, Pro, Business, whatever …)

Whatever its name, this “major update”, which can be done smoothly by installing this version over version 1.4 previously offered here, doesn’t seem to bring any noticeable improvement beside a nicer GUI, although there might be some which I didn’t spot during the quick look I had (is it faster? Previous versions were sometimes veeery slow on my machine, but I can’t compare, now that 1.4 has been erased).

Sketch Drawer Pro/Photo to Sketch Converter, as honestly hinted by both its names, turns photos into sketches and not into paintings, which is a big limitation, but within this niche the numerous settings offer infinite variations and combinations, in B&W or (not always brightly enough to my taste) colored. Still no preview window in this “major update”. When hovering over the 17 presets you see what they do on a default image, but you can only make guesses before clicking “run” on what you will get with your customized settings on your own image. It is a matter of trials and adjustments until you reach what you expect – or give up expecting it.

I personally confirm what has already been mentioned by others each time today’s GOTD has been offered here: the freeware (even for commercial use) Fotosketcher is by far the best in this category. (And this is NOT because the dev’, with whom I have no connections, is my compatriot.) Pleasant GUI: light OR dark background – I know it matters for some – a small preview window in real time with a zoom etc. The program creates a rich variety of pencil, crayon or ink drawings, water or oil paintings, posters, cartoons etc. Very easily, you can improve your source image (luminosity, contrast, etc.), blend the source image and the drawn/painted one in multiple ways, apply drawing/painting effects only on certain parts with a brush, add textures, frames and text, and there is a batch mode. A new version has been issued last october, the dev’ DOES keep a changelog – actually a blog describing the work in progress (on page “news”) and, icing on the cake, you can choose between installable (opt-out the toolbar) and portable:

http://www.fotosketcher.com
As I am an image manipulation addict, I negotiated with my poor stuffed-up computer keeping both a portable fotosketcher and an installed Sketch Drawer/Photo to Sketch Converter, plus the artistic filters included in most of the other graphics softs I have (including the very good ones in my preinstalled Photoshop Elements).

BEST FREE ALTERNATIVES

http://www.fotosketcher.com (also PORTABLE)
http://clipping-path-studio.com/instant-photo-sketch

Enjoy!! ^_^

Dear GOTD users,

we are aware of the problem and the developer is working on it.

For now the registration code will be displayed directly on the registration page.


Sorry for the inconvenience
GOTD team

Got V1.2 a year ago. nice GODT. I had no problem getting the code.

Installed without problems on a Win 8.1.3 Pro 64 bit system. Not regtistered, did not accept my email address.

A Russian company with address, phone&fax from Smolensk. We had a previous version :
July 10, 2014 Sketch Drawer 1.4
Here are the old reviews:
http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/sketch-drawer-1-4/

The .exe is still file version 1.3.0.0 and slightly greater the the .exe from the last GAOTD. Dear programmer, isn't it time to update the fileheader to the actual version?

The interface has been rewritten.

A resizable window opens, you add a photo and with the default option you start to convert it to a pencil sketch. Under options you can change the language and with the presets you have a detailed option to change the sketch drawing process to your impression. A picture on the left shows the effect of the preset (not of the actual picture)

My former opinion is still valid :

The Sketch drawer is a simple to use program. You choose your picture and choose a mode for the drawing process. That’s all, but is much to less for a good result. There is the most important tool missing, a pencil or a brush, where YOU define, which parts of the picture should be altered to a drawing. e,g. keep the eyes nearly original, the face as a color pencil sketch and the surrounding background as a rough and low contras black pen.

And they have removed the watermark feature again, which was included in the previous built.

I have uploaded a result. You know already, what is is. Yes!

http://www1.xup.to/exec/ximg.php?fid=17631695

A simple tool, does what it claims.
I replaced the former version, don't need the watermark feature. Maybe I'll get a key later...

Is this any better than the sketch filters that come with photoshop?

I would like to suggest 'FotoSketcher' as an alternative. It is an effective tool that's not only freeware, but also easy to use. It is available as portable version also.

http://portableapps.com/apps/graphics_pictures/fotosketcher-portable

You can read the full softpedia editorial review of FotoSketcher
at http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/FotoSketcher-Review-116917.shtml

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