This cool kit is out of your imagination. You can not only use it to paint pictures, but also handle your digital photos, even use it to teach digital painting and image processing skills. Wizardbrush's new layer feature is a great improvement. Since you can compose a picture with several independent layers, you'll work just as effectively as the professional.

Wizardbrush comes with many painting tools, including pencil, Magic Wand, paint brush, and Chinese brush. It gives you the power to undo and redo, so do not be afraid of making mistakes. Wizardbrush contains a great number of tutorial record clips. You can easily learn how to draw pictures of different styles. If you are a teacher, you can make tutorial record clips conveniently.

Download Wizardbrush 6.7.4.7 in Softonic

If you fancy designing a new website for yourself, then turn back now, Twisted Brush has not been developed to give clean crisp graphics, and will frustrate you unless you use it for what it was designed for, art. Having established that this is a program for drawing, it follows that the most natural way to sketch anything and in turn to use this software effectively is with a pen and a drawing tablet.

When the program starts, you’re assaulted by the quick-start guide that is designed to gently introduce you to the features. In reality it’s a bunch of screenshots crammed with info bubbles that contain un-detailed information and no links to find out more. That said, how many people stop to read welcome screens anyway?

A lot of effort was put into making TwistedBrush a realistic substitute for actual painting and when you start working with the various brushes you see just how well they interact with the colors to create a convincing portrait. Undoubtedly the greatest strength of this program is the vast selection of brush types and styles that are available to use. From simple fine pens, to wet oil brushes, to progressive 3D designs, you’ll find them all. The beauty of each brush is that they can be used quickly and easily, with stunning effects.

You will also find support for all the major image file formats, including TIFF, PSD, JPG, GIF, and PNG and there is an option to create a script, either to record the steps taken in the painting process, to insert a message, or to insert random dabs of paint, something that doesn’t quite seem to add to the functionality (although any Dadaists out there may disagree about that).

While getting to grips with the program, it seemed that there was one feature that had been unforgettably forgotten, the select tool. After using Photoshop for so long, this seems like a key tool in any imaging software that the TwistedBrush developers have overlooked. Alternatively it could be the very omission of the select tool that sets this program apart with the production process being more of an evolution rather than a construction.

TwistedBrush is a quality painting application that, judging from its interface and features, is aimed at anyone with a drawing tablet. There are tons of great brushes to experiment with but for anyone relying on the lowly mouse and the lack of a selection tool, it may become very frustrating, very quickly.

Download TwistedBrush Pro Studio 15.51 in Softonic

You probably know GIMP already, but now if you have a USB memory device you can take it anywhere with you thanks to Portable GIMP.

The Portable GIMP is a special version of the well-known open source image editing software that has been specifically developed for portable memory devices. The whole installation program and its plug-ins have been packaged to fit your USB stick, so that you can work on your images no matter in which computer you are.

Portable GIMP includes all the graphic editing tools any serious designer or photo editor could ask for. It's true that it takes a while to master the program's interface – especially for those who are not used to multiple-window working environments – but once you get the hang of it Portable GIMP enables you to do pretty much anything you want with your images.

With Portable GIMP you'll have the original GIMP's resources and tools always at hand.

Download Portable GIMP 2.4.6 in Softonic

There are not many drawing applications which are cross platform but Sketsa SVG editor uses SVG as its native file format.

What is SVG you ask? SVG is basically an open standard language for drawing two-dimensional (2D) graphics in XML developed by W3C. SVG therefore benefits from the various XML tools that make it so easy to manipulate, generate, search and edit SVG files. The developers also guarantee that as a result, Sketsa also produces very clean SVG XML code. The editor is basic but has everything you need to produce some impressive results. It features various tools for optimizing content creation and gives you a decent feeling of control over what you are creating. The design tools allow you to select, draw, and edit objects easily. It supports SVG specific shape tools and supports additional illustration tools such as the Pencil tool for free-form shapes and Pen tools for curve shape. You can also transform objects or drawings by rotating, skewing and scaling.

Sketsa SVG editor is very basic but for a free application, it packs a powerful punch as an artistic tool and is perhaps best used as something to train on before moving onto something bigger.

Download Sketsa SVG Editor 5.3 in Softonic

Most designers probably know already about the wonders of Adobe Illustrator; if you don’t, welcome to one of the best vector drawing tools in the world.

As with any other Adobe tool, Illustrator feels really complex for first-time users: lots of windows and palettes, toolbars full of unknown icons, many new functions and features to learn… Luckily the program includes a bunch of templates to get you started, as well as a thorough help section where you'll find the answer to all your doubts and problems.

Once you get the knack of it, you'll start realizing just how powerful and versatile Adobe Illustrator can be. Your creativity will be boosted with Illustrator's impressive set of drawing tools, brushes, color processing tools and gradient effects, not to mention the wide array of filters and special effects with which you can add the final touch to your drawing.

Adobe Illustrator is seamlessly integrated with other Adobe tools (like Adobe Bridge), something that makes your work more comfortable and easier if you're already used to working with Adobe apps.

Adobe Illustrator is the reference tool when it comes to vector designing and drawing. It features an impressive set of tools, filters and effects and is perfectly integrated with other Adobe apps.

Download Adobe Illustrator CS3 in Softonic

Due to lossy nature of the JPEG format each editing and subsequent recompression of JPEG images in generic image editors such as Photoshop results in progressive degradation of image quality.

Fortunately, in many cases there is a way to avoid the unnecessary recompression. If all you need is to quickly process a bunch of JPEG photos from the latest vacation - rotate, crop, remove red eye effect, imprint date or comment - you don't have to compromize the quality. Better JPEG is a batch JPEG editor capable of doing all this editing losslessly.

Main features:

• Lossless transformations - rotation, flip
• Lossless crop (free, fixed aspect, fixed size, predefined and user-defined aspects and sizes), composition guidelines (diagonals, golden mean, rule of thirds)
• Highly customizable lossless date/EXIF info/text insertion (position, font, size, color, background, language, format, etc.)
• Advanced lossless red eye removal (anti-aliasing, adjustable size, sensitivity, darkening)
• Copy/paste to external editor and back for local retouching without full recompression
• Batch image processing
• Multi-level undo/redo
• Metadata preservation
• Compression optimization

Download BetterJPEG 2.0.0.2 in Softonic

This logo design software will help you to design professional logo image for printing or the Web in minutes! Choose one of 100+ pre-made logo templates as a start point for your logo project or create a blank logo project and make your own logo from scratch.

AAA Logo has it's own vector-based logo objects library with more then 2000 customizable logo elements. Exactly the same technique to create logo images using pre-designed logo elements is used by almost all professional logo designers to create logos for their clients.

Download AAA Logo Software 2.10 in Softonic

Vextractor is a professional software for converting raster images to vector (vectorizer). Vextractor converts drawings, maps and other images, including logos, black-and-white illustrations from raster to vector format.

The program can save converted raster images to the following vector formats: DXF, WMF, EMF, EPS, AI or SVG. Files of these vector formats can be imported to popular vector graphics applications like AutoCAD, Corel Draw, Adobe Illustrator, and many others.

For the purpose of supporting GIS applications, the program allows saving images to the ArcInfo Shape and MapInfo MID/MIF formats. This software is a perfect replacement for the traditional tracing and digitizing. It can save lots of your time, for it is much quicker to use this program rather than do the tracing by hand or using a digitizer.

Download Vextractor 3.97 in Softonic

There are a myriad of programs out there to manage your photos but some seem to do the job better than others.

IDimager Personal Edition is designed for those who deal with a huge quantity of photos on a daily basis and need something ultra powerful and organised. Normally, I only use Picasa to organise my photos because it's simply well integrated with the internet for uploading photos. However, this program comes with all the tools and basic features you need to get yourself organised with your photos. It can import images from a digital camera, browse, organize, catalog, control versions, archive, edit, e-mail, print, find and make slide shows. However, what really impressed me was the ability to publish images to the internet which is not always common in such programs. I wouldn't say it was as well done as with Picasa because it doesn't link to any kind account but it does prepare you very well for uploading by optimising photos into more manageable resolutions for speedy uploads.

This won't really impress professionals but amateur photographers could find that it helps them organise their collection.

Download IDimager Personal Edition 4.1.0.2 in Softonic

Photo Multiconverter is a handy application with which you can easily apply effects and filters to your photos, as well as save them into a wide range of formats.

The program features an easy three-step interface which makes the whole process really simple: choose your photos, apply any effects and finally save them into any of the multiple formats Photo Multiconverter supports.

As for the included filters and effects, you have quite a few to choose from. They're all classified into different categories and can be applied in batches on the same photo by simply enabling or disabling them on the filter list. Also, notice you can zoom in the photo with your wheel mouse while you're working on it in the second step of the process.

When you're done with the editing, move forward to the third step and save your photos. You'll be able to choose the target format, as well as rename the photo so as not to overwrite the original one or to create new versions of it.

Photo Multiconverter is a great choice for a quick, eye-catching retouch in your photos and also to convert them from one format to another.

Download Photo Multiconverter in Softonic

Amazing Photo Editor is powerful and easy to use image processing software used for image processing,viewing and converting. 33 different amazing effects are available within the program to help you transform your graphics and images.

Easy Gif Animation contained in Amazing Photo Editor helps you to create gif animation with photos. You can use it to edit GIF animation and every frame. Besides, it has an AVI and GIF animation converter that can convert AVI animation to GIF animation and convert GIF animation back.

Download Amazing Photo Editor 7.5 in Softonic

Enhancing photos is an essential part of any professional photographer's day and while this is no professional tool by a long stretch, it gives amateurs a chance to add enhance their photos in a professional manner.

Pos Free Photo Editor is a very simple, free and user friendly photo editor that allows you to easily view and enhance your photos. In terms of flexibility, it accepts just about any conceivable format so no conversions are required. There's very little to pick up or learn with the program - most of the learning is done on the job via trial and error with the handy preview function. The enhancements are mainly focused around changing the focus and altering the colours of your photos although you can't shift photos on their axis which is a bit annoying if you've taken a slightly badly angled photo.

What it's really useful for though is creating collages. You can add multiple images to the same sheet meaning you can print them all out on one page. This not only allows you to create some pretty impressive designs but it saves on printing out multiple images on expensive photos and then sticking them together.

Pos Free Photo Editor is a far cry from Photoshop but it's completely free and allows beginners to add simple enhancements and effects that are sure to improve your photos.

Download Pos Free Photo Editor 1.0 in Softonic

Photoshop is the World’s leader in digital imaging software. It has been the industry standard design application for years, and with each new iteration it pulls further ahead of its competitors thanks to its huge user base and professional experience.

When digital photography was in its infancy and image editing wasn’t high on many agendas, Photoshop didn’t stand out much from the alternatives such as Paint Shop Pro. More recently, however, the Adobe team has taken the ascendancy, and since version 7, Photoshop has been all about fulfilling users’ requests and prayers for a top quality graphics package. CS3 can be regarded as version 10 and adds more to the mix for photographers, designers, and video editors.

Having nailed the interface in previous versions, CS3 keeps to the same winning formula, meaning that anyone who has used Photoshop before will immediately feel comfortable. Changes come in the form of Adobe Bridge, a replacement for the file browser, more photography filters and the star of the show, the “Vanishing Point”. This filter lets you edit, clone, and retouch images while keeping the perspective; great!

Without going in to too much detail, Photoshop is a program for professionals and as such has a steep learning curve. Anyone who is willing to devote the required time to learn the basics will definitely be rewarded with a much higher degree of control over their images and will also find it easy to tap in to all the great resources throughout the web, be it in the form of tutorials or plug-ins, that will extend the functionality further. The flexibility of the program lets you customize the interface, the brushes, the fill patterns, tool presets, filters, and practically anything else you may find within the software.

With all the power that you get, it’s testament to the Photoshop team that it runs so smoothly on any modern PC, although if you start getting heavy with layers or high resolutions, there will be a noticeable hit to your system’s resources. As you become more accustomed to the operation of the program, you will pick up more efficient habits such as the multitude of keyboard shortcuts. Each one is customizable, and there are key combos for every operation to save you from time spent trawling through menus and toolbars.

Adobe’s Photoshop CS3 is another giant leap forward for digital imaging software and it remains a long way ahead of the chasing pack. It may overwhelm beginners with the sheer quantity of tools and options, but ultimately it will reward anyone that doesn’t mind putting in the ground work to learn the basics. Highly recommended for everyone with time, money and an interest in imaging, particularly photographers and designers.

Download Adobe Photoshop CS3 Extended in Softonic

It's really unbelievable to find free software applications as amazing as Photoscape. But as they say, truth is stranger than fiction. Here you have a really excellent photo editing tool that includes just about everything you need to view, optimize, edit, print and have fun with your photos, all for free.

Photoscape strikes us from the very beginning with an uncommon interface design from which you can choose what you want to do: view pictures, optimize those that didn't come out so well, print several photos on a single page collage-style or perhaps add any of the dozens of filters and special effects included in the program. Other extra tools featured in Photoscape are a file renamer, a color picker, a screen capture tool and even a RAW converter.

We really have nothing negative to say about Photoscape. Just download it, test it, love it and keep it forever. It's free!

Download Photoscape 3.1 in Softonic

The Gimp is the open source reference in image manipulation. This free application will allow you to retouch, author and edit your photos thanks to a wide set of tools.

Let’s quickly go through what you can do with the Gimp. The painting function has the essential clone, airbrush or pencil tools and a powerful gradient and blend tool. You can also create and save your own brushes and patterns for later use. The program lets you manipulate your photos, adding layers, doing Bezier and polygonal selections or setting text. Load and save animations in a frame-as-layer format and batch process all your photos for quick editing. The multi-windowed interface can be moved around to fit your needs and resized according to your desktop space.

What’s more, the Gimp can be expanded with over 100 different plug-ins and extensions available on the Gimp’s website. These apply in majority for layer effects such as render, distort or blur and make a great addition to the ones already present in the program.

While the Gimp is user friendly, the installation process can result a bit hairy. Because the application works under the GTK Runtime Environment, you will have to install this kit to successfully launch the program. The process is fairly lengthy and some error messages tend to pop up, however if you persist, you will be able to install the Gimp properly on your PC

Despite this fairly hazardous installation process, the Gimp is a program we recommend. Whether you’re out of dough or are looking for a free alternative to Photoshop, the Gimp is excellent image manipulation software with all the tools you’d expect. The friendly interface and expandability make this a program of choice.

Download The GIMP 2.4.6 in Softonic

If you are a design professional or need to manipulate images in a very detailed way, then you'll need a program which can zoom in on your images in high definition detail.

Normally, if you try to reveal details in highlighted or shadowed areas using exposure correction (such as levels) you may spoil the parts of the image that you want to leave unchanged. However, the idea behind AKVIS Enhancer is that it intensifies color transition. and strengthens the difference between adjacent pixels having different color gradations. In this way, you can reveal not only details in the shadow but even details in the overexposed and mid tone areas. The program improves detail on an image, no matter what the cause of the blurring as it can detect in detail the underexposed, overexposed and mid tone areas of a photo with uneven exposure. It can bring into focus blurred images and now even supports HDRI technology. The program has three modes - Enhancer, Focus, and HDRI. In the Enhancer and Focus modes you can improve a picture using one single shot; in the HDR mode you need a series of shots but you'll be surprised at how much you can improve your images.

This program can't turn your photos into a work of art but it can certainly improve those images that have been blurred or are out of focus.

Download AKVIS Enhancer 9.2 in Softonic

Ambereh is a basic drawing application with the advantage of having the possibility of sharing your work while chatting with your co-workers and applying changes that everybody can see.

It's surely not Photoshop, nor even a bad copy of it, but that's not its purpose. It is not a professional photo editor but a tool to share ideas on logos, for example, or simply a kind of dashboard for creative having to work from different locations. Define a local port and connect to a computer in the relative menu at the top of the program's page and start to work on a drawing with other people.

The application can only work with bitmaps and this is really a big limitation considering that this format is not so widely used anymore. The features are just the basic ones you can find in all the other drawing editors such as anti-aliased brush, custom bitmap brushes, opacity control, smudge and blur. Furthermore this program is free and open source.

Ambreh's simplicity makes it an interesting tool for brain-storming sessions with your colleagues as you can make changes to an image that everybody can see live and chat at the same time.

Download Ambereh 1.0 in Softonic

This easy photo editor, despite its scary name, lets you apply a quick retouch to your images in just a few simple steps.

Phantasmagoria is developed in Java, which makes it compatible with all platforms and operating systems. It works in a very simple way: load the picture and select the task you want to do, focusing either on photo improvement or special effects.

As for the first group, Phantasmagoria only features color correction, contrast equalizing and red-eye removal tools, whereas the special effects category includes a wide variety of filters with which you can give your photos a totally different look in a very easy way.

That said, Phantasmagoria has also some flaws, such as the impossibility to preview effects before applying them (not even if you modify some values, which is especially annoying). Also, there's no "undo" option but only a "revert" button that brings the picture back to its original state.

Phantasmagoria features a large variety of effects for a quick photo retouch but unfortunately lacks some basic options (like being able to preview changes or undo options.

Download Phantasmagoria 1.0 in Softonic

Paint.NET is an efficient, small, light photo editor with a minimalistic GUI. It's impressive how it can have so many tools in just 1.8MB of space and it uses less then 55 MB of RAM to run. Although it wouldn't be fair to compare it with Photoshop, it is true that many home users will find Paint.NET perfect for their needs and really easy to use.

Unfortunately, it limits you to edit only one image at a time and there are two major features missing: the magnetic lasso for the selection of objects in a picture and support for Twain-scanners/cameras. That said, the program is constantly updated and you can always find different ways to do things.

A very interesting feature is the possibility to install many different plug-ins that you can choose in the program's forum. You can for example install a shape3D tool, a pack of custom brushes, a motion sharpen plug-in and or silhouette tool.

Paint.NET is a very promising photo editor which is good enough for non professional users. Although it lacks some important functions and limits you to work on one picture at a time, it's useful enough for everyday use.

Download Paint.NET 3.31 in Softonic

There are many graphic editors in the software universe. I bet you can name a few right now. But I also bet you don't know any as original as Context Free Art.

This graphic editor lets you create amazing pictures, designs and abstract art with special written instructions called grammar. Each grammar contains a bunch of lines that look like source code, which the program interprets and transforms into beautiful shapes and figures. You only have to write the appropriate commands, values and variables on the left column, and see the result on the right pane of the program's interface.

The program includes a few examples so that you get an idea of its capabilities. A couple of these examples work as lessons that teach you the basics of writing new grammar to create new designs. Also, there are direct links to the program's forums and official website, where you can find further information about this special way to draw. It may take a while to master, but it's definitely something all users interested in computer assisted design should try.

With Context Free Art you have access to a completely new and very original way of creating abstract designs and beautiful figures.

Download Context Free Art 2.1 in Softonic