At a time when the visual element is so important, it is worth getting to know different image editing and processing programs. We have compiled the most complete and easy to use free options, even from your smartphone.
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Within the TICs, the most aesthetic part is fundamental, the design. Not only is the content worthwhile, it is essential to show it effectively, in a beautiful and appealing way; and among all the content the images must be quick, direct and simple. With this question we start the search for software that allows us to fulfill the objective of improving the images we use in our “digital life”. Whether in public presentations (such as PowerPoint, Prezi or any other), in programming projects or in text work -it is always good to accompany them with some illustrative images-, it is important to know what to use and how to edit images.
Take a look at our recommendation of the Best Free Programs To Edit Images Or Photos for free.
Every Windows computer comes with a wide variety of basic and simple software installed to perform conventional tasks. Among them, Microsoft Paint is used to edit images in a simple and intuitive way, being for many the chosen one as the first contact when modifying an image. It will not allow us to create very advanced designs as it is tremendously simple, but this is precisely one of its virtues: fast, simple and direct. Those of you with Windows 8 or higher may be interested in downloading Fresh Paint, a new version of the classic Paint with some more features.
For those computers not using Microsoft’s Windows, or for those looking for an open source alternative to Paint, there is Pinta, available on Linux, Mac OS X or Windows which with an equally simple interface offers easy editing, cropping, effects and other adjustments, enough to modify basic aspects of the images. It is free and can be downloaded from the project’s website.
Completely free and with a track record that began in 2004, Paint.NET is an evolution of the original Microsoft Paint, although its development is completely alien to the Redmond-based company. It is very versatile by offering layers, transparencies and also plugins to extend its functionality to infinity; it can be downloaded for free from the project’s website, being available only for Windows systems.
If you want one of the most advanced free image editing programs, then GIMP may be your choice. The well-known program that for many is the most direct competitor of Adobe Photoshop is a perfect choice for users looking for an advanced software with hundreds of professional features, which is the one chosen by many design professionals. More than twenty years of experience guarantee it as a choice that is not easy to use, but about which there is a lot of documentation to learn how to use it and that is not only free – you can download it at gimp.org -, but also multiplatform (Windows, Mac, Linux, others) and it has a GNU license so you can use it freely.
“Take a look at the best free image banks“
In many occasions we prefer to opt for a cloud service, and in this of the image editors there are also alternatives. One of them is Pixlr, an editor that we will run in a browser with simple functions but enough to use in education and that many times can save us in those circumstances where we cannot install software in a computer. It is one of those free programs to edit images that is always convenient to have at hand, that is free and that, for those who prefer it, also has installable applications (Windows, Mac) that can be downloaded from the official website.
And we ended up with Krita, a software more for illustration and design than for editing as such. Interesting to give free rein to the imagination and to set in motion the most creative minds, it has been developed to set in motion artistic concepts, paintings or comic characters and scenarios. Its download is free (Windows, Mac, Linux), it is opensource and its creators have published a lot of documentation to learn how to use it and take full advantage of it.
A free, premium photo editor. De Photo Pos Pro also highlights the possibility of adding plugins to incorporate new features or extension packages. It also allows you to work directly with RAW files, the most commonly used in high-end cameras.
It is not so much an editing software as a package of filters, plugins and other tools to enhance and customize your photos. Nik Collection is a Californian company founded in 1995 that, in 2012, was acquired by Google, which published its services so that anyone can download and use them freely. A very interesting option to look for a new approach to our photographs and images.
Fotor is an image editing platform widely used both by other services (such as Facebook) and on mobile devices, through its specific apps for the different platforms. It allows you to edit images and make simple modifications to photos, although its great strength is the ability to apply filters or create collages in a trivial and direct way.
Although Photoshop has been one of the world’s best-known image editing programs for several decades, the reality is that its use is often restricted to the professional or advanced field. To open up to the general public, Adobe has launched Photoshop Express, a free or online application that offers the essential, but more than sufficient functionality for educational use, of the full Photoshop.
This tool, available for iOS and Android, allows you to retouch photos from any mobile device thanks to its wide range of tools. To select a particular one, the user must move his finger up and down, doing the same process from right to left to define its intensity. Once finished, he can save the editable file (to modify it in the future) or export it to share it through Google+ or email.
With this online solution it is possible to change the look of an image thanks to its editor, which gives the possibility to adjust from its size to its brightness or its color intensity, besides allowing the inclusion of text. It also allows the creation of collages and gifts, which can be exported in multiple formats, including RAW. It is suitable for Windows and MAC.
With its advanced controls, or through its wide variety of special effects, this platform allows you to modify the appearance of an image, as well as crop, resize or rotate it. It saves all edits made, which can also be accessed through the app (available in iOS) and from anywhere. The final result can be exported to social networks or storage platforms.
Both in its web version and in the app, it allows you to retouch any photograph with its design tools and its 10 predefined (and adjustable) filters. It includes a free image and icon bank (which can be enlarged upon payment), as well as a battery of templates with which to adapt the image according to the use you want to make of it. It can be used on iOS devices.
Online editor with which you can make changes to your images thanks to the functionalities and filters that it incorporates. It allows you to crop the photo, resize it, rotate it, change its color (and intensity), even add text and additional drawings. When the design is finished, they can be adapted for sharing on social networks such as Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest.
