1. Photoscape
Photoscape is my favorite photo editing software. Actually, it’s not just a photo editor, it has got a plethora of tools for images. Before using Photoscape, I was of an opinion that it is just another photo editing software. However, I constantly read positive review about Photoscape, so I decided to try it out. Since then, it has become my default photo viewer and editor. Photoscape has got a very simple and easy to use interface. It uses tabs for important functions with one tab reserved for everything offered by Photoscape. I especially like the editor interface. as it helps me do functions like resizing, color adjustment, levels adjustment, sharpening etc with a single click. There is no need to find these options in a huge list of menus like in Photoshop. Another feature that I like about the editor is very simple display of the picture properties. It displays properties like photo dimensions, file name and size right below the image. These are the most common properties that I need while editing my photos. Overall it has been a very good experience with Photoscape and I intend to use it as my default photo editor in the future as well.
2. GIMP
GIMP is a free photo editor often known as the free alternative to Adobe Photoshop. It is open source and has lots and lots of features. It was made for Linux in the beginning but then ported to Windows and Mac too. Although it has many great features, it is still, in my opinion, a bit more complex than other image editors. The greatest feature of GIMP is that its functionality can be extended through plugins.
3. Picasa
Picasa is more of a photo organizer tool from Google but it also consists of a very handy image editor. Although the editor is not very advanced, it contains the most common tools that people usually use with the photo editors. Since it is very easy to use, it is a popular choice among people who don’t have time to learn the complexities of a photo editing software. If you are hosting your photos in Picasa Web, then this is the best tool you can get, since you can sync your photos to the cloud immediately after the editing.
4. Paint.NET
Paint.NET is another free and open source photo editor with some advanced functions. I use Paint.NET where I want to work with layers and level adjustments of the photo. Paint.NET can be compared with GIMP but it does not offer any plugin integration.
5. IrfanView
Irfanview has been my favorite before I switched to Photoscape. I like it because of its simplicity, portability and small size. After using Photoscape, I personally think that besides simplicity, IrfanView is a bit more complex and old in terms of user interface and usability. It does not provide any buttons or tabs of functions to edit the image. Instead it has a menu which contains everything that we need to edit a photo. Although it’s not my default image viewer and editor now, I keep a portable copy of IrfanView in my USB Flash drive among other essential portable software. I hope now it will be easier for you to decide which image editing software you should keep as your default editor. What is your favorite photo editor? Do tell us in the comments. You may also like useful online image editing software and 5 useful alternatives to Photoshop. Image credit: BigStockPhoto
