Free photo viewer and editor
Imagine Photo Viewer is a multimedia application for desktop computers. This free and simple photo-viewer allows users to browse images on their PC without the bloat of bigger graphic suites. Moreover, unlike the default Windows Photo Viewer, it offers a bunch of tools to do picture editing tasks, including resizing, cropping, flipping, and rotating.
However, while Imagine Photo Viewer is a better option than the default image viewer, it still lags behind professional photography apps. It has limited editing features and can only undo the last action. Moreover, it is a bit slow when editing large images.
The good
Imagine Photo Viewer is primarily an image viewer that lets you browse images saved on your computer. If you have any vacation photos or other life moments that you would like to view, this program can help you. It works with all sorts of image files, including PNG, BMP, JPG, and GIF. With this, you don’t have to convert your files to open them.
Unlike the default PC image viewer, this program features comes with the standard editing tools. With this, once you have opened your image, you will have the option to enhance them using the same app. The editing function is surprisingly effective. You can resize any picture, crop unwanted parts, and even adjust the brightness. The app expands these with simple effects, such as sepia, black and white, and oil painting filters.
Imagine Photo Viewer further extends its capabilities by adding a sharing option. Once you are finished editing your picture, you can share them with the world. It works with Flickr, Picasa, Twitpic, and ImageShack, allowing you to post your enhanced pictures from within the program. Something else to note is that the app is lightweight, which means you won’t use too many resources while you are using it.
The bad
Imagine Photo Viewer offers a simple viewing tool with a few helpful extra features. This is why it is easy to understand why it outperforms the default windows viewer. However, this does not mean that the app can compete with professional-grade tools. As mentioned, there are drawbacks to the app that can be a deal-breaker for some users.
The biggest issue lies in its editing functions. Whenever you hit the edit button, things start to get a little hectic. For one, tools, while effective, are limited to basic ones. You cannot perform advanced enhancements that you can do with software like Photoshop and Affinity Photo. It also has a limited undo function, which means you can only give your latest change a retry.
Additionally, modifying pictures with large sizes can cause a highly noticeable drag in performance. Using a computer with high specs can solve this matter, but with low-end PCs, this can be a huge problem. These situations can even cause crashes, rendering the entire edit function useless. Finally, while it can open almost any type of file, certain formats can be a little painful to open.
The verdict
Taking things into consideration, Imagine Photo Viewer is an app that you can try if you are looking for a simple tool to view your images. It works on all types of files and comes with a few nifty functions. However, if you want a free alternative to professional photo editors, look for something better. This app’s editing tools are limited to the standard ones. Moreover, this feature is prone to crashes that it is basically useless.
