The free online image editor Picnik is an effective web application that allows users to upload and adjust their digital photos. The website also offers a paid for service with more features, but the free version will cover many users' needs and certainly serve as an introduction to the service.
The adjustments offered by Picnik are primarily global that affect the whole image, though many of the more artistic tools offered through the Create screen can be applied to specific parts of a photo. The application is well suited for complete beginners looking for a simple option to improve the appearance of their digital photos, before sharing them with friends. That said, there is still plenty to interest more creative users who want to produce more artistic images.
Highlights of Picnik
Picnik is a well presented free online image editor with a number of exciting features.
- No registration required, though registered users can reopen up to five recent photos
- Clear and logical interface
- Many tools with basic and advanced options
- In context help and information explains tools when selected
- One click auto fix for your photos
- Good selection of easy to use image effects
- Add text, doodles and frames to images
- Save directly to a range of photo sharing and social networking sites
Why Use Picnik
Online image editors may not be for everyone, particularly those regularly working with images in a professional context, however they are very flexible. You never need to worry about having to update software as you access the application through your normal web browser. You can also use them on any computer that has an internet connection which fits in very neatly with the more mobile world that we now live in.
While the free version of Picnik has some limitations, I've used it quite successfully for adjusting photos and the limitations may even make it more user friendly for less experienced users. It has sufficient power to make natural looking edits to correct exposure problems, while offering creative features to takes photos to a new level.
The ability to access photos from and save them to users' photo sharing and social networking sites makes Picnik very convenient. For such users who already do so much through various websites, making their image adjustments online may seem much more natural than using software that has to be installed on a specific machine, particularly with the potential licensing and cost implications.
Some Limitations of Picnik
Being an online application, Picnik is absolutely dependent on a reliable internet connection, so this won't suit users with slow connections who want to work on reasonably large photos.
While the Premium version offers a few more powerful adjustment tools, this is a tool aimed at consumers rather than professionals and users shouldn't expect to be producing the same type of creative effects that might be achieved with Photoshop or GIMP. Also, while many of the Effects allow users to paint the effect onto specific parts of a photo, there isn't a way to make precise selections to constrain the areas that are adjusted.
Help and Support
While using the Edit screen, when a tool is selected, a concise information box offering advice on how to use the tool is displayed which is very useful for new users.
Within the Home screen you'll find a link to the help center which offers a comprehensive range of articles covering most aspects of using Picnik's various tools. There is also a link to the Forum that cover subjects such as How do I...? and Troubleshooting that appear to be regularly monitored by Picnik staff. Finally there is a handy beginner's guide that can take a complete newbie from the very basics through to all of the more advanced features of the application.
If you'd like to try out Picnik for yourself, click here to go to the Picnik free online image editor.