Inserting images into your website allows you to bring stories, products, and information to life. Depending on your website software and domain provider, the process of uploading images can range from simple to very complicated. What can really help in this process is having photo and media editing software that has features that compliment website usage. Lets take a moment to review the tools you can use to edit photo and graphics for your website. In addition, we will list the pros and cons of these software.
Photoshop is the gold standard when it comes to editing images. With an incredible array of 
options available, many people use it as their go to for editing photos and graphics. With the ability to save images to certain pixel sizes, as well as the ability to save in a number of different formats, Photoshop offers near limitless potential. On the downside however, it can be confusing to figure out if you are new to the software and the price is very high.
Exclusively for the Mac and Ipad, Pixelmator offers a straightforward approach to image editing. With a wide range of options from image resizing to a number of savable image types, Pixelator is liked for its straightforward design, and cheap price. However, it should be noted that it has far less options then Photoshop, and has only a few platforms that it can run on.
Pixlr is a photo-editing tool you can use in your browser. While Pixelmator and Photoshop are software, Pixlr advertises itself as quick and easy. With an online and offline option, Pixlr makes up for its limited editing options by doing what it can do very well.
Advertised as a free photo-editing tool, PicMonkey follows Pixlr in being a browser based editor for your photos. While they have a free service, you can also upgrade to their “Royale” service for $33 a year. Regardless, if you need quick editing for your photos when you are on the move, then PicMonkey can help.
Canva takes photo editing to a new level by allowing you to make changes directly on the browser. Turning your mouse into an editing tool, you can click right on the screen to add or remove a variety of elements including pre-loaded images and text. Canva is a fantastic service if you need to get something up on the web quick and you need to add a last little something.
Like Pixelmator, Acorn is specifically for Mac. With a variety of options and clean design, Acorn works to mimic many of the features of Photoshop in a easy to understand and implement way.
Sketch is built for modern graphic designers, and it shows in every fibre of the app. From a flexible workflow with support for Multiple Pages and Artboards. Powerful features like Symbols and Shared Styles are there to make reusing elements quick and easy.
Our favorite program? We love them all 🙂
February 4, 2015 @ 11:57 PM
Very cool post. Will bookmark this bad-boy!
February 5, 2015 @ 12:00 AM
Awesome, Mike! I appreciate that and yes worth keeping handy.
February 5, 2015 @ 7:01 AM
Nice job, Tim – I’m bookmarking it too. There are times when I just don’t feel like going into Photoshop. These are great alternatives for quick edits. Thanks!
February 5, 2015 @ 9:39 PM
Thanks Julie, I’m glad you liked it. Having great tools wherever you might be with our web ready world really helps!