PhotoScape: Great Effects,
Frames & Animated GIFs for Your Photos Free
Using
PhotoScape photo editor, you can make outstanding photos in two mouse
clicks. In this tutorial we will shed light on delicious photo editing
software that lets you add effects, filters and frames to pictures
and make incredible animated GIFs. Plus, don’t forget to check our “Bonus” at the bottom of the
post.
Apart
from adding effects and frames the free image editor offers us a great
spectrum of features: for example, you are welcome to create laughable or
romantic GIFs in the menu Animated GIF. In Page tab you can merge multiple photos into one, in Combine – create a collage and
in Splitter “tear” one photo into
pieces. Try Print,Screen Capture, Rename and RAW (to JPEG) converter for corresponding actions. You can choose the required
procedure at the very beginning or change your mind therefore. Quick menu
buttons at the top will ease your decision.
And Editor seems to be the most
captivating and useful PhotoScape tool. It lets you change photo size, crop,
rotate it and make completely unrecognizable. Here you can add filters, effects
and frames to your photos without reading tones of Photoshop theory.
HOW TO APPLY PHOTOSCAPE FILTERS TO
YOUR PHOTOS
There
are over 50 filters that you can use to tweak your pictures. They all can be
found in Editor > Home > Filters. If you have used any other photo editor (even including
Instagram), you will see that the set of filters is basic: blur, noise,
texture, film editing (cross process), antique photo and others. PhotoScape is
definitely more advanced. Unlike online photo editors, in PhotoScape you can
apply multiple filters to one image at a time. And you are able to revert all
changes! So let’s see how to play with PhotoScape filters:
1.
Open PhotoScape. Go for the Editor tab
of the carousel.
2.
Choose a photo from the PC files catalog in the left menu.
3.
Go to the bottom of the editor and find the Home tab.
4.
Click on the Filter button.
It will open a lengthy list of possible filters such as New film effect,
Vignetting, Blur, Antique photo, Gradient, Jitter, Newsprint, Reflection,
etc. For example, you can turn your pic into black and white for
a vintage look (see the screenshot below). But to mix color scheme,
use the color boxes above the Resize option.
5.
Once you choose desired filter(s) and preview it in Editor,
click the Save button.
Remember, PhotoScape doesn’t replace the original image. It saves your
creatives into additional folder, so you can get back to the initial image if
you don’t like the edited version.
The same
thing can be done with Bright, Color and Contrast.
HOW TO ADD FRAMES TO YOUR PHOTOS
PhotoScape
has a rich collection of photo frames for all events. Some of them are
romantic, some delicate, some funny, some classic. There are even Christmas,
Soccer and Wedding photo frames. Fortunately, all of them are 100% free. No
paid or subscription-based frames. If you adore some frames, add them
to Favorites to have a quick access.
1.
Open PhotoScape. Click on Editor.
2.
Browse the left menu and locate your photo.
3.
Find the No
Frame sign at
the bottom menu. Click it and you’ll get the list of 150+ frames:
Book, Antique, Polaroid photo, Heart, Circle, Clip, Dot, Film, Gradient,
Note, Shadow, Tape, and so on.
4.
You can apply only one photo frame. So make your choice and
click the Save button.
If you don’t like a frame, click on another template or the Undo all button.
HOW TO ADD COOL EFFECTS TO
YOUR PHOTOS
Ok, the previous two features were quite clear. You just need to
use the corresponding buttons to add Frames or Filters. But PhotoScape empowers
you with tons of cool effects that turn your simple pictures into funny collages
or serious slides. Here they are:
·
speech bubbles;
·
stickers;
·
text;
·
symbols & icons;
·
drawing;
·
and it all together!
Follow our step by step guide to apply effects in
PhotoScape:
1.
Start PhotoScape software. Click on Editor.
2.
Use the left menu and locate your photo.
3.
Find the Object tab at
the bottom menu.
4.
Select an effect that you want to try. For instance, let’s start
with stickers, so click the Heart sign (see the screenshot for details).
5.
Select an effect type like animation, makeup, real picture,
sign, number, logo, stamp, etc. I usedAnimation for the image below.
6.
To save changes as usual click the Save button.
That’s it. All you need is your imagination to invent a cool effect for a
picture.
HOW TO MAKE ANIMATED GIFS OUT OF
YOUR PHOTOS
If you
prefer to use desktop software to online GIF makers,
then PhotoScape can be your best help. Visit Animated GIF section and turn your
images into motion pictures. Here’s how to do it quickly:
1.
Launch PhotoScape software. Click on Animated
GIF (AniGif).
2.
Click the Add button
on the right to add several images that you plan to turn into GIF.
3.
Use the Change
time button to define how long each photo will be
displayed.
4.
Click Web browser preview to see the possible result. Edit if
necessary.
5.
If you are happy with your animated short GIF movie, then click
the Save button.
Today, we’ve examined top PhotoScape features. Here’s overall
rating:
THE GOOD:
·
This software is completely free.
·
Besides, it is definitely quick-to-work and user-friendly.
·
All the effects look natural and true-to-life.
·
You can reach the required effects in one or two clicks as all
the filters have auto levels.
·
If your desire is to tune the filter yourself or you are an
experienced photo artist, you can both tune the amount bу gradient moving or
just type the number you need.
·
It is possible to redo and undo a single action or all of them.
THE BAD:
·
Even though this photo editor is much easier than Photoshop, it
requires some background photo knowledge for more rapid usage.
·
Using the Hue filter
you won’t find proposed colors, so this usage will appear sophisticated.
·
Using every filter, if you are not satisfied with the result you
can “initialize” it to start. But if you suddenly change your mind, there will
be no way back.
BONUS! 5 HIDDEN PHOTOSCAPE FEATURES
Photoscape has 5 secret features for photo editing which you
don’t pay attention to. Let’s uncover them.
COLOR PICKER
Color Picker will help you apply a definite color while
painting. You can pick the required shade from any place on your
screen. To do this:
1.
Open the Color Picker.
2.
Click on the icon in the top left corner.
3.
Drag it into the required area.
4.
Hold ALT and
click on the color you want to pick.
5.
To save it to the board, click on the icon near the palette. But
be aware, that only 3 colors are available for saving.
RAW CONVERTER
Raw is a series of formats, used by most high-quality cameras
(.CR2, .CRW, .NEF, .NRW). They provide you with better quality than
JPEG. But sometimes image viewers don’t support RAW format. In this case
you’d better turn to PhotoScape image converter. Here’s how to convert RAW to
JPEG in PhotoScape:
1.
Open Raw Converter and
add the required files.
2.
Look, you can alter White Balance and some other properties of the pic.
3.
Click the Convert button
and save the outcome in the folder. The source photos won’t be replaced.
SCREEN CAPTURE
Actually,
screen capture is the default function of your PC. You can use different apps andsoftware for making screenshots and PhotoScape is one of them.
After
clicking on Screen Capture, you will face the
window with options. This window will remain above all the others. Now you
choose to capture full screen or a part of it. You can also set the destination
of your screenshot and copy it to the clipboard or open directly in
PhotoScape Editor. If
the shot is lost, you are always welcome to repeat it.
SPLITTER
Splitter, as the name tell us,
divides your pic into pieces. Set the number of columns and rows and
PhotoScape will put a grid above the image. Or you can set the
properties of every square and fit the pieces into them. The last step is to
choose the destination folder or save the image in the default folder.
PAPER PRINT
Paper
Print is a texture that resembles a school notebook, a schedule or
music sheets. Select the sample, choose color and size and send it to your
local printer.
All in all, PhotoScape seems to be a perfect alternative to Photoshop,
but for less tempted users. So to say, if you are not a professional
photographer , you won’t regret downloading this freeware.
You are sure to be thrilled to discover lots of filters,
magically change home-made photos into professional once and hear your friends’
WOWs and OHs. Aren’t you?