image filters

Certain image formats are better suited to particular tasks than others, so if you do a lot of work with digital images it makes sense to have a program that can easily convert between a variety of formats. AVD Batch Converter is definitely not the fanciest file converter we've encountered, but if you need a no-frills way to convert batches of images from one format to another, it can get the job done.

The program's interface is intuitive, if not particularly attractive. Three panes let users navigate to specific directories, view a selected directory's contents, and preview … Read more

Acorn is an easy-to-use but still relatively feature-filled image editor that provides a lower-cost alternative to professional editing programs. With its slimmed-down interface--just a single palette and a document window--Acorn feels much like Apple's iLife applications, but it still provides a full array of editing features, including multiple layers (with masks), vector shapes, filters (such as tilt-shift, plus support for Quartz Composer compositions), blending, gradients, text and drawing tools (including a Brush Designer for custom brushes), and a hex color picker.

What makes this app most appealing is its ease of use and raw speed: Acorn takes full advantage … Read more

Citra FX Photo Effects provides users with a fast option for applying photo filters. With a wide range of options and some neat ways of applying them, this program excels.

We needed a brief visit to the Help file to research what these mysterious command icons meant. With that under our belt, we were scrolling through the drop-down menus and clicking and dragging our options in no time. We were able to apply effects to our images by selecting a specific area and making a circle, square, heart, or free-form shape. The filters and masks we applied to these new … Read more