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How to edit photos with Pixlr for Google Drive

Pixlr Editor is a Web-based graphics editor that's a lot like Photoshop. With the release of Google Drive, you can now use Pixlr right from your Google Drive account.

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Ed Rhee
Ed Rhee, a freelance writer based in the San Francisco Bay Area, is an IT veteran turned stay-at-home-dad of two girls. He focuses on Android devices and applications while maintaining a review blog at techdadreview.com.
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Ed Rhee
Pixlr Editor Chrome app

Pixlr Editor is a free Web-based alternative to Photoshop that can be used from any Flash-enabled browser. Coinciding with the release of Google Drive, Pixlr announced that its Chrome apps work with Google Drive as an integrated app. Here's how to get it up and running on your account:

Step 1: From your Chrome browser, install Pixlr Editor or Pixlr Express from the Chrome Web Store.

Step 2: From your Google Drive account, right-click on an image, then go to Open with > Pixlr Editor.

Open Google Drive image with Pixlr Editor
Screenshot by Ed Rhee/CNET

Step 3: When prompted for permissions, click the "Allow access" button to let Pixlr integrate with your Google Drive account.

Grant Pixlr Editor permissions to Google Drive
Screenshot by Ed Rhee/CNET

Step 4: After your image is finished loading into Pixlr, edit your photo as you please, then log out when you're done.

Pixlr Editor via Google Drive
Click to enlarge. Screenshot by Ed Rhee/CNET

That's it. If you change your mind and want to remove the Pixlr app integration, go to the gears icon in the upper-right-hand corner, then choose "Manage apps." You'll be able to remove your third-party apps from there.