Top Photo Editing Software for PC
Need to edit photos every now and then, but you’re done with simple mobile apps and online tools? Then it’s time to arm yourself with a powerful tool that you can trust with any of your pictures! There are tons of photo editors on the Internet, we know. That is why we decided to write an article about the leaders of this industry and share the pros and cons of each software to help you decide whether it suits you or not. By the way, if you’re more into portrait photography, choose your “fighter” from this list of 20 best portrait editing software. Now let’s get down to the top 3 photo editors for PC.
Adobe Photoshop
We couldn’t write this post without mentioning the mighty Adobe Photoshop. Photoshop has become synonymous with photo editing and is one of the best programs commonly used by professional photographers and graphic designers. And here’s why it gained such popularity around the world.
First of all, there is a rich set of tools for selecting, cutting, recoloring, and so on. What’s more, Photoshop has a bunch of blend and masking modes, gradients, and textures to make use of. Apart from having all the bells and whistles for professional work, the photo editor also supports a great number of file formats: JPEG, PNG, TIFF, WebP, BMP, Cineon, DICOM, HEIF/HEIC, and more. The software is compatible with both Windows and macOS, but you’ll need a large amount of memory to run this program.
+ big set of tools
+ lots of blend modes
+ RAW format available
– costly subscription
– steep learning curve
Adobe Lightroom
Photoshop’s little brother, Adobe Lightroom, is also a well-known photo editor. The software allows you to sync the changes in just a few clicks which, together with a built-in file management system, makes Lightroom more suitable for batch photo editing than Photoshop. A majority of users choose this software since it’s also a non-destructive photo editor – it doesn’t alter the pixels and only changes how the picture’s copy from the catalog is displayed.
So what can you do with this software? It allows you to change the perspective, crop the picture, fix colors, apply local adjustments, remove unwanted objects, retouch a portrait, and so on. In Lightroom, you can also save the changes you make as a preset and apply them to other photos.
+ presets available
+ RAW file support
+ quick steps syncing
– no layers
– expensive subscription
GIMP
Adobe products are the default choice for so many enthusiasts and creative professionals. But they are by no means the only choice. GIMP is a noteworthy Photoshop competitor that you can use absolutely for free. This software is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux and takes up very little space. As for features, GIMP offers similar functionality as Photoshop. It lets you adjust color tones, change the background of a picture, apply gradients, blur and sharpen images, resize photos, etc. The software also recognizes PSD files, so you can open and edit them without paying for the costly Photoshop subscription.8
However, for some tasks, you’ll need to install an additional plug-in, e.g., GIMP for editing multiple images at once, Lensfun for correcting lens distortion, and so on. You will also have to download a plug-in for editing RAW files.
+ free to use
+ plug-in support
+ lightweight software
– clunky interface
Conclusion
Let’s sum up. If you don’t like using layers while editing, appreciate cataloging systems, tend to tweak images in bulks, and prefer non-destructive photo editors – then Lightroom will be the best choice for you. Want a free and open-source program offering a powerful toolkit? Then GIMP is the software you should try. But to edit photos of any format, use a complete suite of tools, and have full control over the process, download Photoshop. What’s more, Adobe products have mobile apps, so you can also bounce between the mobile and desktop versions of the photo editors, but GIMP only works on a computer.
Now you’re ready to pick a suitable photo editor. If you still struggle to choose one from many, don’t hesitate to download all of them on your PC and check out their functions during the free trial. Believe us, once you sit down to edit your photos, you won’t feel like getting up till the end of the day. So go ahead, have fun, and take your art to a new level today!
