Dolphy, The best package is PhotoShop. It is expensive unless you get it bundled with a scanner, or go with the "light" edition. Being able to do things on layers is very useful, and the unlimited undo is great for stepping back if you really don't like the direction your texture is taking. PS6 and now 7 have some vector utilities so you can also get some of the benefits of Illustrator, without having to buy an additional program. There are people here who swear by Paint Shop Pro, which is less expensive, but may be a better value if you are not a graphic arts professional. I do not have it, so someone else can extoll its merits. The other thing I'd recommend is that you search in free stuff here for SnowSultan. He has done "seam guides" for the figures which will help you align your maps. Carolly