I'm briefly back;

Can I do everything in paint shop pro XI.II working entirely in RAW and if my goal is only photo "painting", do I need to?

RAW is not a workspace. It is the format that the file is stored in by your camera. In the case of RAW, the data represents the digital values of the elements of the camera's sensor array. That RAW data has not even been translateinto corresponding RGB color values yet. This conversion is done when you inport the RAW file into an image editing program. Once you import a RAW image into your editing software (in your case PSP), it is no longer RAW - it is bit mapped data. After you are finished editing the image you will need to save the file in another file format like tif, jpg, or native PSP. Please forgive me if I have misinterpreted your question.
Regards, Murray

I'm under the impression that editing in the RAW format allows you to maintain the best quality of picures, esp. if large prints are your goal. I'm also under the impession that photoshop allows you to do this. You seem to be saying that once the picture is downloaded into the editing software it is converted to their format. Am I right or wrong?

Sometimes my closet light is burned out.

Mr. Mondy is correct. Camera RAW is a file format that is intended to be edited in a RAW editing program. Low end point and shoot cameras do not have RAW capability as a rule. The primary use of RAW format is to allow the correction of photos after the fact. Such things as opening or closing F stops, changing the white point, temperature etc. They are primarily global corrections to improve the shot or create special effects.

RAW files are not opened directly in Photoshop or PSP, but require a separate pixel editor such as Adobe Camera Raw (which ships with Photoshop). Once opened in Camera RAW it can then be opened directly into Photoshop or saved as JPG, TIFF etc for further editing in other standard digital editing or paint programs.

I don't know about PSP, but RAW files cannot be opened directly in Photoshop, but must be translated by a program such as Camera Raw first.

If your goal is to paint photos you don't need a RAW editor unless your source file is in RAW or DNG file format. If you are using RAW or DNG format files as the source for your painting, then you need a RAW module or stand alone program to access them so that you can then save them as JPG, TIFF or other file format that your paint program will open.

To add to the confusion. I understand that Photoshop CS3's RAW module will now open TIFF and JPEG into the RAW editor. Someone with the beta correct me if I'm wrong.

check out the help file within psp. i believe you can load them directly. this became true with psp 10, i think it was. just be prepared for a little setup work.

According to this support page for Corel Paint Shop Pro,
http://support.corel.com/scripts/rightnow.cfg/php.exe/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=760177

Camera raw formats supported by Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo
(listings in bold are new for version 11.11):

* Canon EOS-1D Mark II, 10D, 20D, Rebel, Rebel XT, 300D, 350D, Kiss, Kiss n, D30, D60
* PowerShot G3, S30, S40, S50, S60, Pro1
* Fuji FinePix F700, S5000Z, S7000Z
* Kodak DCS 720X, DCS 760C, DCS 760M
* Konica Minolta DiMAGE 5, 7, 7Hi, 7i, DiMAGE A1, A2, Maxxum7D/Dynax7D, Dynax5D
* Nikon Coolpix 8800, D1H, D1X, D2H, D50, D70, D70s, D100, D200
* Olympus C-5050, C-5060, C-8080, E-1, E-10, E-20
* Pentax *ist D
* Sony DSCF828, DSC-R1, DSC-V3

Additional cameras may be supported in future product updates.

Snapfire Plus and Paint Shop Pro Photo XI support many popular digital camera Raw file formats. NOTE: The free Snapfire product does not offer support for digital camera raw files. Snapfire Plus SE will offer digital camera raw file support while the premium features are still enabled. Once the program expires to the basic free Snapfire program, there will be no digital camera raw file support.

I'm briefly back;

Can I do everything in paint shop pro XI.II working entirely in RAW and if my goal is only photo "painting", do I need to?Generally speaking the workflow in converting a photo into "art" involves manipulating an image with some sort of combination of tools (brushes, smudge, clone, etc.), plugins, filters, specialty programs, e.g., Painter, Gertrudis, etc. that "mangle the original pixels" to the degree that the result "looks painted" (simplified, fewer details and colors, applying a specific color scheme, perhaps simulated brushstrokes, etc.) -- not like a photo.

As a "digital painting" there is much less of a need to retain sharp detail or be able to manipulate variables like "white balance" like one might need for an image intended as a "traditional photo." There's no significant benefit I'm aware of for maintaining .raw throughout the artifying process.

Thanks people, I was asking the question because I thought that the more precise your editing job, the better your image will turn out even after the "painting" process.

Am still leaning toward Gertrudis. How do they do that artifact free enlarging? Do they convert to vector or what?

Although for painting tools (smudge, etc.) you're out of luck, Photoshop CS3 can place raw files as a smartobject, which can then use filters in a nondestructive and stackable fashion.

But while this is "interesting", I'd agree with everyone else that it's not particularly "useful". It sounds like TIF is your best choice (the raw file would serve as your source backup).