Freeware

Snipshot: Streamlined Image Editing Online

Developer: Treefly
Version: N/A
Price: Free
Operating Systems: Linux, Mac OS X, Windows (Web Browser Required)
Check out Snipshot.

The Perfect Way to Clean Up Photos in a Snap

I wrote a review for Picnik, one of the leading online image editors, during Software Battle’s “Art + Design” week where I discussed how amazing it was to see so many features from an online image editor. All of those features are nice for those looking to replace high powered software like Photoshop Elements for their photo editing tasks - but what if I need something to just clean up a shot in a jiff. There’s simply no need for a lot of major tools to just improve the contrast or the brightness of an image - and that’s exactly where Snipshot comes into play.

Snipshot is one hell of a streamlined image editor. After all, it only has a handful of features that help out with just a couple of photo editing tasks. But that’s fine - because any more would be overkill for this slick little web application.

It’s important to keep in mind that Snipshot is not some program designed for professionals or people who are trying to make a name for themselves on Flickr or deviantArt - but for those who just want to spruce up their photos quickly for emailing or to save their snapshots to their hard drive.

So what features does Snipshot provide us with? To begin with, it’s a snap to open an image directly from my computer, which is always a good start to any photo editing service like this. If you’re looking to test it out and you’re not comfortable with using your own image, you can always use the stock image provided by the website. Also, there are extensions for all of the common web browsers out there to quickly and easily import pictures directly from the web.

Once the picture has been opened, there are just five tools to choose from: resize, crop, enhance, adjust, and rotate. These are packed with an undo button and an option to open another picture or save the current photo. Alas, there is no redo button although keyboard commands (Ctrl Z or Cmd Z) do work - but it’s still nice to have a button for those who are not comfortable with shortcuts.

I found myself using the adjust, crop, and enhance tools almost exclusively. Adjust allows you to tweak several options, including contrast, size, hue and sharpness. All of the commands are extremely snappy and only take a few seconds to do some major tweaks. Not as quick as Photoshop [review] or Picasa [review] - but certainly fast enough.

The enhance command works like a charm and really provides some nice improvements to the photo. While the adjust menu is still superior, most people won’t have a problem editing their pictures by simply clicking enhance and save.

Other cool stuff includes a free API, large file support (up to 10 MB), and non destructive editing.

Aside from the lack of a redo button, I really can’t say anything bad about Snipshot. It fills its niche well and does not try to compete directly with some of the big boys like Picnik [review] and Fauxto. Absolutely perfect for quickly editing family photos or snapshots of eBay items. Well worth a visit.

Try Snipshot for Yourself.

- Eric Norton

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