Taking photos is the best way to preserve happy moments. A good photo and creative approach can also determine the reception of your marketing message and the overall effectiveness of your content marketing. The vast selection of cameras available on the market encourages experimentation and the pursuit of new photographic challenges, creating inspiring new images for your clients.
Additionally, for some time now, it's been possible to take amazing quality photos with mobile phones. But how can you make your photos look even better?
Popular photo editing programs
It's incredibly rare for a raw photo to be suitable for posting on social media . Whether you want to stash it away or post it on your website or blog , it's important to ensure your photography is aesthetically pleasing and captivating every time you look at it. In this article, we'll present you with the 7 most popular photo editing programs.
Adobe Photoshop CC
A classic of the genre. Even people who know nothing about photo editing have heard of it at least once. Adobe Photoshop CC is an incredibly advanced graphics program that offers enormous possibilities – especially for creative users. Adobe Photoshop CC will appeal to both beginners and advanced users who will fully utilize its potential.
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The possibilities for using this program are numerous. Thanks to this tool, you can not only perform even the most advanced photo retouching, but also implement complex projects with Adobe Photoshop CC. Together with Adobe Illustrator, this program allows you to create modern projects such as 3D visualizations . If you feel that this program exceeds your needs, you can also use another Adobe product – Photoshop Elements.
GIMP
Unlike its predecessor, this program is a free photo editor. However, this fact doesn't affect its usefulness in any way. Thanks to GIMP, users can achieve truly surprising effects on their photos.
GIMP's biggest drawback is its cluttered interface. However, it offers advanced workflows using layers, transparency, and masks, completely free of charge. Getting started with GIMP can be challenging, but don't let that discourage you. Patience and persistence will make using this program a pure pleasure over time.
Corel Paint Shop Pro
This photo editing program is often compared to Adobe's Photoshop. Corel Paint Shop Pro is an advanced photo editor that offers its users a wide range of features. The latest version of this program boasts improved performance, speed, and support for RAW files for the latest camera models.
Unlike the previously mentioned GIMP, this tool has an intuitive interface that allows you to start working on your photos almost immediately. Although it's a paid program, you can download a trial version, allowing you to test its functionality before making a purchase.
Snapseed
Initially designed for iPhone users, the program has since become available for Android as well. Snapseed's unique interface is what truly sets it apart. It's unlike anything seen in Adobe Photoshop CC or Corel Paint Shop Pro. This photo editing app is perfect for both amateur and experienced photographers.
The possibilities offered by Snapseed surprise even professionals. Thanks to its RAW file support, the tool is perfectly suited to professional and advanced photo editing. Users have access to a variety of filters, such as HDR, black and white mode, and retro film. These filters allow you to create impressive images with just a few clicks. An interesting feature is the ability to save settings used during photo editing, allowing you to reuse them in future edits.
Pixlr
Our previous suggestions were aimed at both beginners and advanced photo editing software users. However, if you need something simple, without complex features, you should consider Pixlr. This program is available in two versions: Pixlr X and Pixlr E. They differ primarily in the level of advancement of the tools.
The app is available in a free version, but if you want more features, you can purchase the extended version. Pixlr allows you to perform numerous actions on photos, such as adding pre-made effects or objects, creating collages, retouching photos, cutting, drawing, and much more. The simple and intuitive interface makes photo editing a breeze.
Photopea
Another option is Photopea, a free photo editing program. While its appearance may remind users of Photoshop, this application is designed for non-professionals. It allows for quick photo editing – with just a few clicks, you can print your photo, apply layers or filters, and add text.
Photopea is a web-based application that supports not only RAW files but also those from other programs, such as Adobe Photoshop CC and GIMP. To further simplify workflow, the program has been enhanced with support for actions that streamline user workflows through automation. The latest version of the program includes new tools for distorting and selecting entire objects.
Photor
Fotor is another application that works both in the browser and as a desktop app. Its primary use is photo retouching, so it should appeal to those who take portraits. This program has many features that, while not very advanced, can certainly be used for basic photo editing.
The Fotor app allows you to quickly and easily enhance your subject. Users can also adjust light and shadow, brightness, color, and sharpness. The Beauty tab includes features such as teeth whitening, makeup correction, and eye color change.
Frequently asked questions about photo editing software
Not necessarily. While paid packages from Adobe (Photoshop, Lightroom) or Affinity Photo are the industry standard and offer the most advanced tools, there are many powerful, completely free alternatives on the market that are perfect for the everyday work of a marketer or beginner graphic designer.
Two solutions are most often recommended:
- GIMP: A classic, incredibly powerful open-source program for installation on disk.
- Photopea: A 100% browser-based editor. Its interface and keyboard shortcuts are remarkably similar to Photoshop, and the program easily opens .PSD files.
The absolute leader in this category is Canva. While it's not a classic program for advanced face retouching or photo montage, thanks to thousands of ready-made templates, it allows you to create aesthetic graphics for Facebook, Instagram Stories, or YouTube thumbnails in minutes.
Lightroom is a digital darkroom designed primarily for photographers. This tool allows for developing RAW files, mass color correction, applying presets, and efficiently managing large catalogs of photos from photo shoots.
In such a situation, it's best to rely on browser-based (web-based) tools. The previously mentioned Photopea and Pixlr (available in a simplified X and advanced E versions) are excellent choices. They operate in the cloud, so they only require a stable internet connection to work smoothly.
Yes. Many people, discouraged by the monthly subscription model (as used by companies like Adobe), choose software from the Affinity family (e.g., Affinity Photo). It offers highly advanced and professional features, similar to Photoshop, but only requires a one-time, lifetime license.
Summary
The above article covers the following topics:
- The article presents 7 photo editing programs: professional Adobe Photoshop CC, free GIMP with advanced features, Corel Paint Shop Pro with an intuitive interface, mobile Snapseed with RAW support, simple Pixlr in two versions, web-based Photopea and Fotor for portrait retouching.
