Introduction
In the course of my years of blogging and being active on social media, I have started using numerous pic-editing apps for my graphics and Instagram posts.
This post would enlist a few of the ones that caught my eye in recent times both in the android and apple marketplace. The order would be from my most frequently used to the rarely used yet still on my phone.
Canva
This is my most favorite app. In fact, on my blog and social media and while organizing tours, I use this almost all the time. Most of graphics on this website are made on Canva.
PROS
The app is quite convenient and all my designs can be accessed on any of my gadgets. Canva stores them in the – Your Designs – category, and I can edit it any time on the go.
The free version has enough templates and fonts and videos for personal and small business uses. It doesn’t store my brand colors, but since I had it written down and I used only a couple of color schemes on this website, it was easier to get them uniform.
It is an absolute fun place to keep exploring and triggers the creative sensibilities while using it.
CONS
The paid version is expensive, and it would be more convenient if you have a team who could share the cost. I haven’t used the paid one even on the trial basis to determine if it would be worth the money. One day I would, then will have a post up on it.
Adobe Spark
I was advised to try it by another bookstagrammer, so with much enthusiasm I downloaded it. It is a good Canva alternative.
PRO
The app could be used without buying a subscription for Photoshop or CC design. I enjoyed playing with it.
The free version had limited templates, but they were easy to use. Many choices for icons, fonts, coloring scheme, where the pic could be downloaded as JPG or PNG, and it allowed resizing so the same pic could be used for any of the social media sites.
Choose the template, add your pic and font and bang! You are done.
CON
But the biggest con was that it came with its own watermark even in the free version, which I felt was unfair. But being Adobe, that’s what it is.
As with every Adobe product, it needs patience to try out the various layers.
The premium upgrade is pretty expensive for me, so I am not so keen to try it.
Pixlr X
Another good web option if you want to transform photos so that one picture could be laid over the other and matched with its edges as you would do with a book cover.
When I used to apply it, I found that it had a bit of a learning curve for me, if I wanted to use things other than the transform option. But this was two years ago, I didn’t have finesse or patience.
PRO
Advanced photo editor with many templates, ,stock pictures and stickers. For some, it was easier to use than Canva. It comes loaded with AI Cut Out tool to remove the unwanted sections in the pic.
CON
The free version is pretty much limited in what it offers.
And it has ads now. So I am not too enthusiastic to try it if the ads are that keen to pop up on my screen.
Pics Art
I like it more for the fonts it provides, with options to choose the language of your choice. The app allows layers on the post where picture over picture could be enmeshed.
PROS
The ease with with which the app could be used. The learning curve is pretty small.
CONS
I bought the paid version because I wanted the background eraser that it promised. It was absolutely a waste of money since it didn’t really erase the background, but gave it a weird sort of blurring as it it were pulling on the neighboring colors giving it a warped look.
The undo button sometimes removes the entire picture rather than the previous edit in the earlier picture.
Magic Eraser Background
This was from the Apple store where the background could be erased well in some of the pictures but sometimes it would be a miss.
The free version allowed only a few edits per day. There are many other apps for erasing the background, but most would prompt to buy the paid version and to make an account. I wasn’t keen on that and didn’t bother to use them after the first installation.
Snapseed
I have used the app for its fonts and some of its basic tools like lightening the image or adding warmth to certain aspects of it.
With Google owning it, it is free and allows a lot of tools. But it is a mobile based app, I couldn’t do much with it once I started blogging via my laptop. But it is a good app to play with if your creative juices start flowing which doesn’t require you to make an account in it to use it.
Desygner
I downloaded the app on my android and made an account, but found it to be too volatile as the screen size wouldn’t move well once I zoomed to edit it.
I kept at it a few more times, but ultimately, just gave up and deleted it. It was a dud for me. Maybe it would work well for you.
GoDaddy or Pixelcut might work for you, but I didn’t try them as they required me to open an account, and after so many trials, I was tired of opening accounts and receiving so many emails from them.
Do you have a favorite pic editor? What do you use for your blog and instagram?
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5 Responses
I use snapseed for most pf editing and picsart to add colored book cover image. I use canva only to make webgraphics, i prefer to click my own image and add some elements or fonts.
I think I have not explored Snapseed completely. I’ve heard good things about it. My phone screen is small, so I don’t enjoy it, I think. Do you directly use it on your phone? or is it your tablet?
In phone only as it is easy to post them on Instagram. if I want them onmy laptop I transfer pics to laptop.
Oh cool. Will try. My phone screen feels too small
Thanks, Shalini, for an extremely helpful post💜 I used Canva to freshen up my blog and it was pretty easy. I canceled after my free trial because it was pricey.