During your last vacation, you took a bunch of great photos but, once they were transferred to your computer, you noticed that some of them have imperfections. So you go in search of applications to be able to remedy the thing but you do not know which ones to use? I would say, then, that you hit the right spot at the right time.
If you allow me a few moments of your precious time, I can in fact show you all those that, in my humble opinion, represent the best app to edit photos on PC. There are both for Windows and for macOS and Linux and in most cases they are not even that complicated to use.
You can use it to correct lights, colors and contrast, to apply various effects, adjust blur, sharpness and much more. Then? May I know what are you still standing there? Position yourself comfortably and find the one that suits you best. You will see, in the end, you will be able to say that you are very happy and satisfied with the results you will get!
Free PC photo editing app
We start by app to edit photos on PC available for free. You will find listed below the ones that, in my opinion, represent the best of this type. Put them to the test now and I'm sure you won't regret it.
Photo (Windows 10)
If you are using Windows 10, the first among the apps to edit photos on PC that I recommend you consider is Gallery. This is the application pre-installed on all computers based on the latest operating system from Microsoft, which allows you to view and organize the photos saved on your computer, as well as to make changes of various kinds.
To use it for your purpose, first of all open the photo to be edited, right-clicking on its icon and selecting, from the contextual menu that appears, the items Open with e Gallery.
Once you have opened the image of your interest in the Photos application, click on the button with the pencil and the brush which is located at the top right and, from the menu you see appear, select the item Modification.
At this point, you can proceed by making all the necessary changes to your photo by selecting the tab Settings located at the top and using the tools available on the right: you can change the light, color, correct red eyes, etc.
If you want to apply filters, select the tab filters located at the top, choose the one you prefer from the list on the right and adjust its intensity. If you want, you can also automatically correct the photo by clicking on the icon Magic wand placed at the top, always on the right.
To crop and / or rotate your image, you need to access the tab instead Crop and rotate at the top and use the selection rectangle and the appropriate functions available.
Once the changes are complete, click on the button Save a copy, located at the bottom right, to save the edited image as a copy. If you then want to overwrite the original image, click the button with the arrow adjacent and select the item Save, in the menu that opens.
GIMP (Windows / macOS / Linux)
In an article focusing on what are the best photo editing apps on PC it is practically a must to talk about GIMP. In case you have never heard of it, it is a popular free and open source program that allows you to edit and create images. In short, it is the best free alternative to Photoshop.
It includes many tools, brushes and filters to apply effects to photos and features a multi-part interface that is very convenient to use. It supports all major image formats and is compatible with Windows, macOS and Linux.
To download the program to your PC, visit its website and click on the button first Download x.xx.x placed at the top and then on the one with written on it Download GIMP x.xx.x directly.
Download completed if you are using Windows, april il .exe file obtained and, in the window that is shown to you on the desktop, click on the buttons Yes, OK e Install, then complete the setup by pressing the button end.
Stai using MacOSInstead, open the package .dmg ottenuto e trascina l 'GIMP icon located inside it in the folder Applications from the Mac. Next, facci click destro sopra, select la voce apri from the menu that appears and, in the window that is shown on the desktop, click on the button apri, in such a way as to overcome the restrictions imposed by Apple on non-certified software (an operation that must be performed only at the first start).
Once the main GIMP screen is displayed, open the photo you intend to edit by clicking on the menu Fillet at the top left and selecting the item apri da quest'ultimo.
Therefore, make all the necessary changes to your photo using the program editor, which is structured as follows: in the center you will find the imported photo; at the top the menus to apply filters / corrections of various kinds; on the left there is the bar with all the tools offered by the program, while on the right there is the panel to manage image levels, color channels, paths and view the history of the changes made.
When you have finished editing, save your edited photo by clicking on the menu Fillet and selecting the voice Save from the latter. If you don't want to overwrite the original file, select the option instead Save eat. For more details, you can check out my specific guides on how to use GIMP and how to edit photos with GIMP.
PhotoScape X (Windows/macOS)
Another program that I invite you to consider, if you want to edit your photos from your computer, is PhotoScape X. This is a solution available for both Windows and macOS, which allows you to edit digital images by applying automatic corrections and effects of various kinds. It then allows you to crop them, rotate them and much more. Basically it is free, but eventually it is available in variant For (at a cost of 39,99 euros on Windows and 43,99 euros on macOS) which offers some advanced features.
To download the program to your computer if you are using Windows 10, visit the relevant section of the Microsoft Store, click on the button Get e poi quello starts.
Stai using MacOS, visit the relevant section of the Mac App Store, click the button Get, quindi quello Install and authorizes the download and installation procedure using the Password of your Apple account or through touch ID (if the Mac you are using supports the above technology). Then start the application by clicking on the button apri appeared on the screen.
Now that, regardless of the operating system used, you see the main window of PhotoScape X on the screen, access the program editor by clicking on the item Editor which is located at the top. Then, open the image you are interested in taking action, selecting it using the file manager visible on the left.
After completing the above steps, you can finally proceed with editing the photo, using the tools available on the screen. More precisely, by pressing the button Modification, at the top right, you can access the tools and functions to resize the photo, apply effects, transformations, etc.
Instead, the other buttons available: Color, Film, Luce, Frame, Inserisci e Instruments, which are always located at the top right, allow, respectively, to adjust the color, to apply filters, to intervene on the brightness, to apply frames, to insert geometric shapes, texts and other elements and to exploit tools for painting, drawing and so on.
And if you only need to crop your photo, I inform you that you can do it using the commands you find by accessing the tab Cut out, located at the top left. By going to the tab Batchinstead, you can edit multiple images at the same time. If this may interest you, I also inform you that by accessing the cards Collage e Combines, you can create photo collages and combine multiple images together.
In all cases, once the changes are complete, click on the button Save that you find in the lower right part of the program window and specify the position and format you want to assign to the final file.
Photo (macOS)
I use a Mac, none of the apps to edit photos on PC that I have already suggested convinced you in a particular way and would you then like me to recommend you some alternatives? If so, I suggest you rely on the use of Gallery, the default application of MacOS to view, manage and edit photos save on your computer, which integrates various functions to perform basic photo editing operations.
To use Photos for your purpose, start the application by selecting the relevant one icon (Quella with il multicolored flower) that you find in Launchpad. In the window that you see appear on the desk, then locate the photo you are interested in going to act and double-click on it. If the photo of your interest is not already present in the Photo library, you can import it by dragging it into the program window or by going to the menu File> Import, top left.
Next, click the button Modification located at the top right and use the tools and functions available on the right to modify the chosen photo: you can adjust the color, definition, sharpness, etc. To automatically fix the photo, just click the button with the Magic wand which is always at the top right.
If you then want to apply filters to the photo, click on the tab filters placed at the top and select the one you prefer from the list on the right, while to crop or straighten the image access the tab Cut out and use the selection rectangle and the tools always available on the right. To rotate the image, instead, click on the button with the square and the arrow found at the top of the screen.
When you have finished making changes, save your changes by clicking on the button end that you find in the upper right part of the window.
Other apps to edit photos on PC
In addition to the apps to edit photos on PC that I have already told you, there are other solutions of this type that you can consider using. Specifically, I am also referring to slightly more advanced and paid degree programs. If this interests you, then below you will find a list of additional software that you can consider using.
- XnConvert (Windows / macOS / Linux) - zero-cost and multi-platform software, which allows you to edit photos in batches, allowing you to cut them, rotate them, apply watermarks, change their colors and much more.
- Photoshop (Windows / macOS) - is the software par excellence when it comes to photo editing. It is, in fact, the famous Adobe program to intervene on digital photos in multiple formats through the many tools made available, including filters, corrections, adding shades and much more. It also allows you to remove defects in photos, create panoramas, HDR photos etc. It is paid (individually it costs 24,39 euros / month, or it is possible to subscribe to the Creative Cloud package, also including other company software, with prices starting from 12,19 euros / month). Eventually, however, it can be downloaded as a free trial version that works for 7 days. For more details, read my guides on how to download Photoshop for free and how to use Photoshop.
- CorelDRAW Graphics Suite (Windows / macOS) - this is a renowned professional suite for graphics and photo editing. It includes tons of tools to make all sorts of changes to photos and to create new images. It is paid (it costs 719 euros one-off or 349 euros / year), but it is possible to test its features for free for 15 days. For more details, you can read my post on how to download CorelDRAW for free.
- Affinity Photo (Windows / macOS) - working professional photo editing software. It includes many advanced editing tools, through which you can edit your photos down to the smallest detail. It supports batch processing, 360 ° image editing, RAW processing and much more. It is paid (costs 54,99 euros), but you can try it for free for 90 days.
- Paint .Net (Windows) - free program for Windows OS only that was born as a revised and corrected version of the classic Paint but which, contrary to what one might think, is not produced by Microsoft. Over time, it has become a computer photo editing software that is particularly popular with those who need to make basic image edits. In fact, it allows you to adjust colors, contrast and brightness, correct defects and apply filters. Considering its functions, it is also an excellent app to edit face photos for free on PC.
- Pixelmator Pro (macOS) - very powerful application specific to Mac, which includes a wide range of tools to modify photos by applying various effects, adding text, removing accessory elements, etc. It is paid (costs 43,99 euros).
