Ok, how about finding a cheaper alternative? There are lots of image editing programs out there, but if you’re looking for a quick, easy, and free solution (or cheap, depending on which version you select), you might give Aviary’s image editor called Phoenix a try. It’s a browser based image editor that looks and works kind of like a very slimmed down Photoshop. You can see a sample of what’s possible here.

The thing I like about Phoenix is that you can tell a client “Go to this website and edit your images.” There’s nothing to install, no licenses to buy, it’s an easy way to get your clients editing images quickly.

Oh, be sure to check out the other Aviary image tools too. They’re quite impressive for web-based apps.