If you don’t have Photoshop or PaintShop Pro or some other fancy image-editor, and you don’t want to download one of those 100MB free image editors (of which there are a couple good ones), online or Cloud-based Image Editors may be just what you need to spruce up some of those digital images of Fido flipping a Frisbee.
Here are two of the best online photo editors we’ve found:
Aviary
The Phoenix image editor features support for layers, special effects, masks and more. Phoenix allows you to apply effects, filters and work with the many editing tools it offers. Support for layers is unique and gives Aviary a Photoshop feel.
Several other image editing tools are available: Peacock – an effects editor; Talon an online screen capture program; Raven, a vector editor; Falcon for image markup; and Toucan a color editor.
Myna is Aviary’s multitrack audio editor. You can work with the many samples provided or upload your own audio files. If you want to try your hand at creating your own music, give Aviary’s Roc a whirl.
You can do all these things and more by visiting Aviary at http://www.aviary.com/ .
Pixlr
http://pixlr.com/
Pixlr offers you a choice between full-power image editing or a lighter “express” version. They’re both available from Pixlr’s Web site. If you want to use some of the professional features choose Pixlr. If you want to some quick edits, choose Pixlr Express. There are many other image tools available from Pixlr’s Website as well.
Here’s a brief summary of Pixlr from its developers:
“What is Pixlr?
Pixlr is the creator of online cloud-based image tools and utilities. Today we have three applications in our suite: Pixlr Editor, Pixlr Express and Pixlr-o-matic. They are built in Flash and you need to have the Flash plug-in (get flash) to get it to work, however, 98% of all computers have flash so you are probably set. We also provide screengrabbing tools Pixlr Grabber and one click photo sharing imm.io. Pixlr is now part of Autodesk, a global leader in innovative design software and services.
Who needs online tools?
The pixlr services is built for both non-professionals and professional users with editing needs such as editing web images to be posted on social networks like Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, or image sites like Flickr, Fotolog, Photobucket etc.
It’s also widely used by professionals for fixing images for news sites and blogs etc.
How about privacy?
From Flash 10 and later, images are opened direct and local in your browser (i.e. we don’t see them in any way and they don’t leave your computer).
Files that are posted to us via the API or our add-ons are automatically deleted from our servers after 5 minutes…”
There you have it. If Pixlr sounds like your cup of tea, take a trip to www.pixlr.com and see what awaits you in the wonderful world of cloud-based image editing. Nothing to download – except the images you create, of course!
The Runners-up
Runners-up in our cloud-based image editor ratings were: Picnik and Photoshop Express. Check them both out if you like.
Great tips–thanks! Can you recommend a good cloud-based gif editing site?
I use Online Image Editor. It’s easy to use and it’s free.
Thanks Rita! Yes, I use that one, too, but am always looking for others as they seem to disappear. I used to use gifworks.com which was great as you could change colors in gifs but then the site changed formats. I have the same problem with sig making sites. They must be expensive to operate as they always ask for money, then go out of business.
it’s the best free editor out there, I think I’ve tried them all.
Read your note about having a password manager here and once before in Info Ave.
But I ignored it because I was leery of having all of my passwords found in one place.
Now perhaps it seems like a good idea.
Can you give me the name of one you believe to be really good at this time and are there any good ones that are free? Thanks so much! Old saying “you’re the bee’s knees”!!
Can you tell me how to do a mirror image, I bought an external hard drive but don’t know how to perform a mirror image?
THANK YOU!!!!