You don't need expensive software at all to perform common photo edits. Crop a photo, boost the contrast, add text or a frame, increase the saturation or remove red-eye? This can also all be done in the browser.
Tip 01: Ribbet
Maybe you remember the online photo tool Picnik? Google pulled the plug on this service in early 2013. Ribbet uses the same platform and has similar functionalities. On the home page you can choose Edit a Photo (edit photo) or Create a Collage (make a collage). You don't need an account to edit one photo. If you want to load several photos at the same time, this is necessary.
Once your photo is open, you can Basic Edits perform all kinds of basic operations such as cropping, rotating, adjusting the exposure, sharpening or resizing. With the buttons at the top of the bar you can use special effects and filters, add text, put stickers on your photo, use frames or retouch portraits, among other things. Please note that some features require a Premium account. It's still free, but requires registration. Once registered, you will have access to more professional tools such as push and hold, levels and curves and so on. Ready to edit? Then you can download the photo in its original resolution in jpg or png format. Printing or exporting to Picasa, Flickr or Facebook is also possible. Do you use Google Chrome as a browser? Then you can also install Ribbet as a Chrome extension.
Tip 02: Pixlr
Pixlr is available in Dutch and the interface is most similar to that of Photoshop. After opening an image, you can go all out with the tool bar on the left. Erasing, stamping, the wet finger effect, the patch tool… Photoshop users will recognize the immediately.
Also useful is that you can work with layers in Pixlr and have access to a history window. There are even a lot of filters available like Gaussian Blur, Vignette, imitate HDR, halftone and unsharp mask. Once you are happy with the result, you can save the plate in jpg, png and tiff format. Do you want to save the image layered? This is not possible in psd but in the Pixlr-specific pxd format. You can also publish the photo directly on popular services such as Facebook, Flickr or Picasa. Pixlr Editor is the ideal tool for beginners and advanced users. Are you really not into photo editing at all and want an interface that's even simpler? Then you should give Pixlr Express a try.
Tip 03: PS Express Editor
Adobe also has an online version of its popular photo editing suite. Surf to this website and click Start the Editor to open Photoshop Express Editor. In the next window, choose a photo on your hard drive and click Upload Photo. Note that Adobe only allows jpg and jpeg images of a maximum of 16 megapixels. below edit you will find a lot of basic editing, customization options and effects. Everything works very intuitively.
Very handy is that at the top you always see different previews of the effect you want to use. You can manually fine-tune with the slider below those previews. Use the View Originalbutton at the bottom center to quickly return to the original photo. Want to embellish the image with text (balloons), stickers or frames? Then click in the top left corner decoration. Then you can let yourself go. The stickers and frames are nice, but the range is not very extensive. Once you're done, click at the bottom right Done and you can save the image in jpg format on your hard drive. There is no compatibility with cloud services or social networks.
Fine print
Not everyone is eager to upload private photos to all kinds of services for privacy reasons. To find out what a certain tool can do with your photos, you are required to read the fine print or the FAQs and terms and conditions. The only drawback is that those legal texts often change. In any case, the services we have tested all declare that uploaded images will not be made public.
Tip 04: Photobucket
Another good tool to edit photos online is Photobucket. Go to this website and use the Click to Selectbutton to upload a photo. With the icons at the top of the bar you can enhance the image, pour it with a special effect and possibly crop or rotate it. Through Focus you can use a tilt-shift effect if you want. Be sure to use the arrow button on the far right to view the other functions. Especially for portrait photos, there are buttons to remove red eyes and whiten teeth. Adding text or even drawing on photos is also possible with Photobucket.
If you register for free with the service - and that can be done quickly with the help of your Facebook account - you also get a so-called bucket to store your photos online. Are you done editing? Then you can publish your photo directly on social networks, email it, embed it on your website or blog and so on. You can of course also save it to your hard drive. It is even possible to order prints. The only downside of Photobucket is that the window to edit your photos is rather small. This makes Photobucket less suitable for very detailed photo editing, unless you don't mind having to zoom in and out every time.
