Can't afford Adobe Photoshop or just want to trial some of the cheaper versions of image-editing software before you buy? Check out the 10 most popular image-editing software downloads from CNET Downloads listed below (some are absolutely free!).
From simple rotation and resizing of images to adding effects to your photos, there's bound to be software that meets your needs.
Note: this list is compiled from Downloads.com and products have not been tested or reviewed by CNET staff.
(Credit: Corel)
Ulead Photo Express
Ulead Photo Express is a photo creativity software for home designed to help users to edit and share digital photos and create photo projects. It allows you to edit and enhance images, browse your photo collection and express your creativity with special effects and photo projects.
The program provides photo management, photo editing, special effects, photo projects, and complete sharing.
Minimum requirements: Windows 2000/XP Licence: free to try Download here
(Credit: Corel)
Corel PhotoImpact
PhotoImpact X3 makes it possible to create photo projects and use one-click photo fixes and digital art tools. Photos can be touched up with ExpressFix editing. You can use customisable project templates to create photo gifts. There are drawing and painting tools, and graphics designed to enhance your video productions.
Aimed at the beginner or the hobbyist, PhotoImpact X3 helps you create graphics for slideshows, videos, DVDs and more.
Minimum requirements: Windows XP/Vista Licence: free to try Download here
(Credit: Adobe)
Adobe Photoshop Elements
Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 software provides tools so you can easily tell great stories with your photos. Whatever your level of editing experience, Elements 6 has a step-by-step editing assistant that helps get you started. It allows you to perform retouching and enhancing thanks to image-selection tools and composing capabilities. Share your stories in photo books, scrapbook pages, slideshows and interactive web galleries.
Minimum requirements: DirectX 9.0 drivers Licence: free to try Download here
(Credit: FastStone Soft)
FastStone Image Viewer
FastStone Image Viewer is an image browser, converter and editor. It has an array of features that include image viewing, management, comparison, red-eye removal, emailing, resizing, cropping and colour adjustments. It has a full-screen mode that provides access to EXIF information, thumbnail browser and major functionalities via hidden toolbars that pop up when your mouse touches the four edges of the screen. Other features include a high-quality magnifier and a musical slideshow with 150+ transitional effects, and there are lossless JPEG transitions, drop shadow effects, image annotation, scanner support, histogram and more. It supports all major graphic formats including BMP, JPEG, JPEG 2000, GIF, PNG, PCX, TIFF, WMF, ICO and TGA.
Minimum requirements: Windows 98/Me/2000/XP/2003 Server/Vista/2008 Server Licence: free Download here
(Credit: Gimp)
GIMP
GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a freely distributed piece of software suitable for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. It can be used as a simple paint program, a photo-retouching program, an online batch-processing system, a mass production image renderer, or an image-format converter. GIMP is modular, expandable and extensible. It is also designed to be augmented with plug-ins and extensions to greatly expand capabilities. The scripting interface allows everything from the simplest task to the most complex image-manipulation procedures to be easily scripted.
Minimum requirements: Windows 2000/XP/Vista Licence: free Download here
(Credit: Irfan Skiljan)
IrfanView
IrfanView is a program that tries to be simple for beginners and powerful for professionals. It's an image viewer and converter that supports many file formats and features. Features include: multi-language support, thumbnail option, painting, slideshow, toolbar skins, fast directory browsing, batch conversion/editing, multipage editing, file search, change colour depth, scanning, cut/crop, IPTC edit, capturing, lossless JPEG operations, effects, ICC support, EXE/SCR creating, many hotkeys, command line options and plug-ins.
Minimum requirements: Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP/2003 Server/Vista Licence: free Download here
(Credit: EpcSoft)
Easy Photo Frame
Easy Photo Frame can frame and add stamps to your photos. It contains over 400 frames and over 500 stamps. It also provides extra functionality, including scanning and printing support, editing tools (crop, resize, rotate), and a couple of image effects (grey, wave, shadow, lens, tile and twist).
Minimum requirements: Windows (all) Licence: free to try Download here
(Credit: Honest Technology)
Honestech Photo Life
If you're after software that simply removes red-eye from your photos then give Honestech Photo Life a try. Simply position the eyes with the red-eye effect in a square with your mouse, and the program will automatically recognise the iris of the eye and remove the red-eye effect.
Minimum requirements: Windows 98/Me/2000/XP, DirectShow 8.1 Licence: free to try Download here
(Credit: ZCStar)
MagicEffect Photo Editor
MagicEffect Photo Editor is an image-editing software designed to add effects onto your digital photo. With a click of the mouse you can add effects such as: Preset, Sketch, Light, Star, Amazing, Dream, Weather, Gradient, Color, Art, Texture, Edge and Frame filters, with each filter all including multiple effects.
Minimum requirements: Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP/2003 Server/Vista Licence: free to try Download here
(Credit: iFoxSoft)
Photo Collage
Photo Collage is a collage maker that is capable of creating photo collages, desktop wallpaper, CD and DVD covers, and miscellaneous web graphics. You can select a favourite photo as background, arrange multiple photos on the paper, then apply operations to them, such as rotating, resizing, adding frame, changing position, and changing overlay order, as well as merging them into a background with mask templates. This collage maker does not reduce a photo's pixels when it resizes and rotates an image, thus ensuring high quality in your printed collage.
Minimum requirements: Windows Licence: free to try Download here
