Gridditor for iOS review: A cool way to edit images, but missing key features

Gridditor is an image effects app that smartly uses a gridlike interface to let you swipe through the intensity of each filter, but it's lacking some features found in other apps from this genre.

8.1

Gridditor for iOS

The Good

<b>Gridditor</b> has an intuitive interface for picking and blending effects, letting you view previews for each effect. The app produces great-looking results.

The Bad

Beyond the interface, you don't get the extras like frames, labels, and textures found in other apps from this category.

The Bottom Line

Gridditor offers a great way to pick and blend effects with an easy-to-use interface, but it doesn't have all the features we've come to expect from other apps in this genre.

Like other photo effects apps, you can snap a fresh picture with your iPhone camera or choose one from your photo library. In Gridditor, the photo you use will be the focal point and you can choose four effects (from 22 total) in each cardinal direction. As you swipe farther out in one direction, the filter for that side gets stronger. With this interface, it means you can easily blend effects and know just how much you're getting from each effect.

For more fine-tuning, when you find an effect you like, you can touch the check mark in the lower-right corner to make the effected image your focal point. Now you'll be able to experiment with a new set of effects in each direction (including Focused, Focused Color, and Focused Contrast) that use your originally chosen effect as the starting point.

Use Gridditor to find effects (pictures)

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See all photos

When you're finished, the app uses the standard iOS 6 sharing button setup so you can save to your Camera Roll, send through e-mail, post to Twitter or Facebook, and more. But you also have the option to perform further edits in supported apps. On my iPhone, PhotoToaster shows up as an option for export.

Even though I really like this interface for adding effects to images, the app is a little lacking in other areas. With other apps you have the option to add frames and labels, which -- while not totally necessary -- can add a little more style to the overall look. The app also doesn't have a lot of textures, but it does have a crumpled paper effect that looks realistic. I imagine as the app evolves we'll see some of these features added, but for now the effect grid is the main thrust of the app.

With that said, Gridditor is a unique way to play with your photos and the self-explanatory nature of the interface will be easy to understand for just about any user. If you like photo effects and want a new way of jazzing up your images, Gridditor is a good choice.