Click. Your photo is ready. Admit it, it can actually be much better. With the help of the right app, you can turn an ordinary photo into a masterpiece. In Google Play and the App Store you will find endless apps to give your photos an artistic touch. We think these are the ten best filter apps.
Tip 01: Prism Photo Editor
From a simple photo to an original work of art? This can be done very easily via Prisma. (iOS and Android, free with in-app purchases). The nice thing about this app is that you don't have to be creative yourself to achieve very nice results. Prisma automates everything. You first take a photo and then you choose one of the many different artistic filters. User friendly? Absolute! Prisma works just as easily as Instagram, for example. Once you have chosen a filter, you can adjust the plate some more. All you have to do is swipe the photo. Swipe left for less effect or right for a little more. You can share the result directly from the app via Instagram or Facebook. Saving is of course also an option.
Tip 02: 1967
If you like the special effects of century-old analog photography, 1967 – Vintage Filters (for iOS, free with in-app purchases) is a must. The app looks very minimalistic and works according to a simple step-by-step plan. An account is not necessary. First you have to indicate whether or not you want to crop your photo, then you swipe left to navigate through the different filters. The filters in this app are also very varied. Tap the bar at the bottom once to see previews. To reduce the effect, just swipe down. Once you're happy with the result, tap the photo twice to save it. You can then share your "nostalgic" photo directly to Instagram, Facebook and Tumblr.
Tip 03: PicsArt
PicsArt (iOS and Android, free with in-app purchases) is also worth installing. The motto of this app is 'Make Awesome Pictures' for a reason. After you have created a free account or logged in via Facebook, you can get started. You can edit an existing photo, create a collage or draw. Very handy is that the app knows the standard formats of well-known social networks, such as a Facebook cover photo. You may be editing photos most of the time. The possibilities are endless here. You can crop, add all kinds of special effects and filters, experiment with stickers, add text (balloons) or frames and so on. Please note: the very best effects are not included in the app by default: you have to pay for this via in-app purchases.
Tip 04: FaceTune 2
Do you want whiter teeth, more even skin, eyes that are just a little more radiant or a little less wrinkles? With FaceTune (iOS: free with in-app purchases, Android: 2.99 euros) it's easy, even without an appointment with a plastic surgeon. It is even possible to laugh harder, narrow or tilt your face, make wrinkles disappear or give a glowing skin a matte finish. Your photos will immediately look a lot more glamorous. Once you're done with your digital makeover, you can also convert the photo to black and white or apply a filter. This easy-to-use app is a must for selfie lovers who love perfection.
Tip 05: Airbrush
Another must-have app for anyone who enjoys taking selfies is Airbrush (iOS and Android, free with in-app purchases). Here you get a preview of a much smoother face in camera mode, even before taking a picture. Once your shot is there, you can customize it to your heart's content: bigger eyes, shorter forehead, narrower nose, or thicker lips? Everything is possible. With the help of the make-up filters, it is even possible to add lipstick or freckles with one tap. Prefer smokey eyes? There is also a filter for that. Afterwards you can crop some more, add a vignette or make the background a bit more blurry. Would you like a general filter on top of the end result? Airbrush is packed with presets with special effects. This is a real girl app.
Tip 06: TouchRetouch
Did you get almost the perfect shot? But is there another disturbing object on it? A tourist, high-voltage cable, pimple or garbage can, for example? With TouchRetouch (iOS: 2.29 euros and Android: 1.99 euros) you can remove that in a tap and a swipe. Call it a digital stain remover. All you have to do is mark the disturbing object with your finger. The app uses the pixels from the nearby area to adjust the background. The app not only works very well, but also delivers very nice results. Once you're done, you can save the image as a copy or immediately post it to Instagram, Facebook, Tumbrl, and Twitter.
Tip 07: Juxtaposer
Do you want to merge two photos into one funny picture? Then you need Juxtaposer (iOS, 3.49 euros). With this you can quite easily create a photo montage of two existing photos. After choosing a foreground and background image, you can remove excess information from your foreground photo. By zooming in and out sufficiently, you can work extremely accurately. It is even possible to work with so-called masks. The result is often a surreal image. It is also nice that you can adjust the contrast, brightness, saturation and color tones for each image. Never edited photos or made photo montages before? The handy tutorial (in English) explains step-by-step how to do it exactly. Once you're done, you can share your creation on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. It is even possible to save your foreground image as a 'stamp' and save it in png format with a transparent background.
Tip 08: Sketch Photo Maker
To make a photo-realistic pencil drawing, you need a lot of drawing talent. Unless you use Sketch Photo Maker (Android, free with in-app purchases). That app takes all the work off your hands. All you have to do is choose a beautiful photo from your photo collection. Then dozens of drawing gnomes get to work and a few seconds later you have a realistic pencil drawing. Would you rather have a drawing made with charcoal, watercolor, colored pencils or crayons? One tap on the button is enough. A small downside is that you cannot change anything yourself. You can save the result or share it directly from the app via Facebook or Instagram.
Tip 09: Face Swap
While we're kidding... Face Swap (Android, free with in-app purchases) is a fun app that lets you paste your face onto someone else's. The result is often hilarious. You also have access to hundreds of stickers and themes to create all kinds of fun portraits. Those stickers are neatly divided into categories like Emojis, Movies&Comics, Animals, Accessories and so on. After you've taken your photo, you can save it or share it on social media. This is really the ideal app if you want to keep your children quiet while you work or you are in a restaurant. By the way, you can not only take nice photos, but also funny videos.
Tip 10: Foodie
Do you like cooking? And do you often post the photos of your creations on social networks such as Instagram or Facebook? Then you need Foodie – Delicious Camera for Food (iOS and Android, free) anyway. This app is packed with filters that make your photos of your own baking, casseroles or cocktails that little bit more delicious. It is very handy that the filters are classified by type of food: cocktails, meat, ice cream, fruit, pasta, etc. This makes it even easier to quickly find the most suitable filters. Of course you determine the strength of the filter yourself. You can then work on the brightness or add radial or linear blur. Bet that your photos will become finger-licking good?
