If you are interested in photography then you probably would want to play around with your photos. Most of the photography enthusiasts even want to learn the tools and techniques used in photo editing software. But, if you don’t have professional photo editing software at hand or can’t afford it, you can try out these best photo editors for windows 10.
In this post, we shall be looking at the best free image editing tools.
Adobe Photoshop Elements
Adobe Photoshop Elements is a raster graphics editor for entry-level users. For this, it has most of the features available in the professional version, but in a simplified manner.
The app can create collages, slide shows, calendars, scrapbook pages, and cards. It can also organize, manually or automatically, based on subjects like birthdays, cats, etc. Added to this, it lets the user share pictures via the main social Internet sites, such as Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo, Twitter and more.
This Mac photo editing software lets users make changes varying from quick-one-click fixes to artistic creations.
In brief, Adobe Photoshop Elements is a great tool for those photo enthusiasts that don’t want to get into very technical stuff.
Photos
Photos is a photo management and editing app developed by Apple Inc. Its great characteristics are simplicity and ease of use. Even its name is a beautiful and direct indicator of its usage.
This Mac photo editing software has been available since 2015 for OS X Yosemite 10.10.3, and since 2016 for tvOS v.10.
This app has several easy-to-use editing tools, such as filters and Smart Sliders. In addition, it has the Markup tool, which can add text, shapes, and create sketches and signatures. Other extra tools include Light, used to reveal hidden details; and Revert, used to compare with the original version.
Gravit
Platforms: PC, Mac, Chrome OS, Linux
Gravit is a vector design application created by the makers of Corel Draw. With a host of tools for creating vector art and a self-adjusting interface, Gravit earns its place among the best free graphic design software for Mac and Windows — the tool is also available for ChromeOS and Linux.
Worth noting? When you sign up for a free trial of Gravit you automatically get access to “Pro” features, including the ability to work offline and see version history. However, you lose these features when your trial is up unless you’re willing to pay for a subscription.
Blender
Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux
Blender is an open-source, 3D creation suite that makes it possible for graphic designers to create everything from rigging to animation to rendering and motion tracking. It also provides support for 2D animation and has an active community of users committed to helping Blender improve.
While Blender is a powerful tool, it’s not ideal for beginners — complex menus and a massive amount of design options mean you need to know your way around graphic design basics to make the best use of this tool.
Inkscape
Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux
Its tagline is “draw freely” and Inkscape lives up to that mantra — there’s no cost for this graphic design tool and it packs a host of features for both beginners and experienced marketers.
In addition to cross-platform support and an active community, Inkscape is known for superior vector art options and wide format compatibility. One drawback is that the sluggish controls can frustrate some users if they’re looking to quickly create and publish designs.
SketchUp
Platforms: Windows, Mac
SketchUp offers both free and paid design plans, with its no-cost version still offering substantial advantages for designers. A robust modeling platform, it’s a great tool for creating 2D or 3D designs for furniture or other complex objects.
With an easy-to-use interface and great support, SketchUp is a great tool if you’re looking to create product pages that feature in-depth images and dimensions. Potential drawbacks include limited storage space for free plans and no mobile support.
Gimp
Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux
One of the most popular open-source design tools, Gimp is often compared to its closest for-pay competitor, Photoshop, with users on both sides making passionate arguments for one platform over the other.
Gimp gets high praise as a free design tool for its support of all file formats, ease of digital retouching, and ability to quickly create new designs from scratch. In addition, Gimp features a customizable interface that allows more experienced designers to make use of the tool’s capabilities. Worth noting? Gimp does not support any Photoshop plugins.
Genially
Platform: Windows
Genially makes design easy with a user-friendly interface and robust options that allow designers to create their own artwork from scratch. With this software, you can leverage pre-built templates or add interactive features such as buttons, layers, and hidden text. The free version of Genially has no limits on the number of projects you can create and there are now more than 12,000,000 users worldwide designing with Genially and supporting the community.
There is a caveat, however. While the free version is substantive, some features — such as offline viewing and brand personalization — are reserved for paid plans only.
Paint 3D
Platform: Windows
The classic Microsoft design tool is back, free, and updated to deliver more functionality. While it can’t compete with some of the more robust design tools on our list, Paint 3D comes with realistic textures, 2D cutout creation, and a host of 3D tools and effects.
If you’re a beginner looking for an easy bar to entry for straightforward graphic design, Paint 3D is a great place to start. There’s virtually no learning curve and since it’s made by Microsoft, the tool naturally works well on all Windows 10 devices.
Adobe Photoshop Express
Best for: Mobile photo editing
For the longest time, people tried to find a free version of Photoshop, preferably online. Until one day, Adobe finally heard their prayers and launched Adobe Photoshop Express, a trimmed-down online and mobile version of the industry’s leading software.
Unlike its paid counterpart, Adobe Photoshop Express is not aimed at professional photographers and media creators, but to beginners or those looking for high-quality software for quick edits. This can be easily noted on the features offered and their accessibility.
With Adobe Photoshop Express you’ll be able to access basic image editing actions, such as contrast, perspective, saturation, exposure, and spot removal, as well as selecting preset dynamic effects. While there are not nearly as many tools as in the professional version, they are polished to perfection and offer a great user experience. The Express version of Adobe’s photo editing software also includes a “decorate” category, which allows users to add text and easily create fully customizable collages.
You can edit images that are saved on your device or share them directly from Adobe Creative Cloud, Dropbox, Facebook, or Google Photos. All edits made on Adobe Photoshop Express are non-destructive, meaning you can go back to the original photo at any time.
The + : Advanced filters, minimalist interface, professional results
The – : Only output format available is JPG, runs on Flash, limited tools
Platforms: Web and mobile (iOS, Android, Windows)
Paid version: Adobe Photography, which includes Photoshop and Lightroom, starts at $9.99/month
Canva
- Price: Free
- Paid options:
- Freemium purchases: On the free plan, you have the option to buy premium templates, icons, images, and more for a more custom look.
- Canva for Work for small and medium sized businesses. Starts at $12.95 per team member, per month.
- Canva for Education offers teachers and students special pricing for their entire toolkit.
- Canva for Nonprofits gives eligible nonprofits free access to all Canva for Work features.
- Canva Enterprise offers companies with large design teams their entire toolkit with additional integrations to other platforms. Pricing on demand.
- Noteworthy feature: The free plan will take you pretty far!
- Ease of use: Easy
- Time required to create an infographic: 30 minutes
Canva is a powerful online design tool (and infographic maker) that allows you to create a variety of designs even if you do not have any design knowledge.
Canva provides a huge range of templates for you to pick from based on your exact design need — from birthday cards for a friend to a lesson plan for a class to social media banners, ad graphics, and many more. And of course, infographics.
Since we are looking to make an infographic, let’s take a look at the features Canva offers for you. You can pick from a variety of templates (the templates themselves are free, and some include elements like icons and pictures that you can purchase or replace with your own elements).
Here are some sample templates that Canva offers (all completely customizable):
(Click any of the above to enlarge)
Once you select your template (you can also select a blank canvas to start with), Canva offers a variety of options, including a vast library of elements (some free and some you can purchase). You can also upload your own and add to your image.
Et voila! You have your very own infographic!
Quick video tutorial:https://www.youtube.com/embed/RB2bjq-Wc4Y
Conclusion
While there are certainly many great paid choices out there, there’s no cause to install crappy stock tools into Windows. The free software we’ve shown you will not only alter and edit photos, but also protect your personal information and give you creative control over every shot. For any beginner looking for freedom in their editing software, our recommendation stands: GIMP or Canva.