With free photo editing software, you will be able to modify and add special effects to a picture. If you are having trouble deciding what to download, here are a few tips.

Wide Support for Devices and File Formats
Make sure the application allows for image importing from a scanner or camera. Majority of free programs can do this, but not all do. At the same time, it should have support for various file formats.

If you will post the images on the Web, it must support the jpg format. It should also support the tiff format. This isn’t used on the Web, but it is a good choice for those who want high resolution, high detailed pictures. Other popular graphics formats are gif and bmp.

Basic Editing Features
The free photo editing software should have cropping and resizing capabilities. It must be able to flip and rotate an image. You should be able to do this with the mouse or enter precise figures in a dialog box. Cropping is another important feature. An image correction feature is also necessary.

Colour Adjustments
The photo editing program must allow you to adjust the saturation levels. Almost all these programs will let you adjust the contrast, brightness and intensity.

Other important color adjustment features are sharpness, changing a color and picking a color with an eyedropper tool. You must also be able to convert a colored picture to grayscale or black and white.

Artistic Tools
Even the most basic photo editing apps will have a few paint tools. The more advanced software will have paintbrushes that simulate acrylic paint, oil and other panting techniques. You should also look for features like a cloning tool, smear, smudge, brighten or tint. Some apps will also have drawing tools.

Masks
Masks allow you to isolate a part of the image. Any changes you make will not affect areas outside the mask. Look for editing software with masks of different shapes (square, rectangle, circle, etc). A freehand and paint mask will also come in handy.

Other Features to Look for in Photo Editing Apps
Does the program allow you to insert text? Can you insert graphics? Does it have templates and sample images? Does it have any special effects included? A preview feature will also be nice. Does it support plug ins?

Would you want the program to have some desktop publishing ability? Some programs have the ability to print several images on a single page. Ask yourself if such a feature is necessary.

These are some of the most important elements to consider before you download free photo editing software. Read the product description guide so you will know exactly what you’ll be getting. Do not forget to check the system requirements too.