PHOTOSCAPE X
Is PhotoScape X a fantastic freebie? We take a look at everything it has to offer
SRP: Free OS: Windows 10 and above, Mac OS X 10.10 and above
Free software can often be a mixed bag. Sure, there’s a lot of really great stuff out there that can really enrich your editing needs, but sometimes these downloads are missing some of the editing essentials needed for a complete package.
PhotoScape X positions itself as a free piece of software that sits somewhere between Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements in terms of tools and skill level. It’s simple enough to navigate with Viewer and Editor panels to begin with, which displays your files before you are able to go ahead and make adjustments to them.
The editing tools themselves vary in quality. Some of them like HDR and Miniature are unnecessarily powerful to the point where you really don’t need them on full strength, while the Colour section delivers excellent effects to help alter the tone and contrast. Either way, there’s a huge array of tools on offer.
Where PhotoScape X perhaps excels is in the Film section. Here you’ll find some goodquality filters for one-click fixes. Whether you use them as a final flourish or you want to build on them is up to you – they are versatile to your needs and are arguably the highlight of the program.
For a free program, there’s a hell of a lot to play with in PhotoScape X, but if you upgrade to the paid Pro version you’ll unlock even more options. Whether you want to take that plunge or not, there’s something for everyone with this free download.