Top Tools for Image Customization

CopyPress

March 23, 2017 (Updated: February 28, 2020)

No one wants to read a page that is full of text without an image or two to break it up. There are many great websites you can turn to where you’ll find gorgeous stock photos. However, sometimes a stock photo doesn’t cut it. You might want to crop an image, change its coloring, or make other adjustments so it fits perfectly with your content. The following tools are superstars when it comes to image customization.

Canva

This app will become one of your new best friends for content creation. It has easy-to-use image customization tools that pure beginners can use with ease. Pre-made templates are available for any social media platform, whether you want to create a cool Instagram image or a graphic for your latest blog post. There are tons of nice fonts and other customizable elements to choose from, too. Choose from the huge selection of available stock images, or upload an image of your own.

If you don’t know anything about graphic design, take a look at Canva’s tutorials. You’ll find tips and tricks that will take your imagery to the next level. The basic version of Canva is free, but you can upgrade to unlock more functionality.

Easel.ly

Infographics are among the hottest forms of content. They present information in a format that is easy to digest, and they’re super shareable. Use Easel.ly to create your own infographics. There are bunches of ready-made templates from which you can choose. Customize them with your own colors, shapes, and icons to get your message across in the ideal way. If none of the templates appeal to you, you can start from scratch.

Pixlr

Here is an online image customization tool that caters to your needs, whether you are a designer at heart or you just want to make some quick changes to a stock photo.

Pixlr Editor is the most advanced form of Pixlr. Many of its functions are similar to what you would find in Photoshop. You can use it to create images or perform intricate edits of existing images. It enables you to do things like work in layers, change the shape of objects, and more.
Pixlr Express is less advanced, but it still offers a range of editing options. It’s for folks who might not understand all of the complexities of in-depth image editing.
Pixlr O-matic is super simple. It’s similar to the image editing tools you find on Instagram.

The Pixlr web apps are free to use, but you can buy and download desktop versions as well. A mobile app is even available so you can craft beautiful images on the go.

PicMonkey

This popular tool is easy to use, and it is designed for newbies and artists alike. With PicMonkey, you can explore filters and effects, add text to your images, insert clipart, add picture frames, add textures, and insert themes.

There is also a design function that lets you create items from scratch, whether you want to design new stationery or create a poster or infographic. The collage tool is nice, too; it allows you to combine stock photos — or your own photos — into a striking compilation.

The downside to PicMonkey is that it may not have as many text options as you’d like. You can upgrade to the premium version to get more text effects, though.

Photovisi

This free tool focuses specifically on helping you to create beautiful, attention-grabbing collages. Both abstract and basic collage formats are available, and the collages you create will be ideal for sharing on social media. The themes and backgrounds are great for creating content that caters to different occasions, such as holidays.

BeFunky

Image via BeFunky

This app boasts that it is “the best online photo editor, ever.” Whether or not that is true is a matter of opinion, but there is no denying that BeFunky does offer some great ways to take your stock photos from ordinary to awesome.

Many of the effects available through BeFunky are exclusive to the site. For example, its Cartoonizer is extremely popular, and this effect can be perfect for adding a bit of humor to your photos when circumstances call for it. There are also hundreds of fonts and graphics that could lend your images the pizzazz you’re looking for.

If you’re not satisfied with the quality of the images you’re using, you can use BeFunky’s tools to polish them. Fix lighting, fuzziness, and other problems that that might be downgrading the quality of your content.

Explore BeFunky’s tutorials to learn more about how to get the most out of this tool. If you love BeFunky, you can upgrade to BeFunky Plus.

Fotor

Here is an app that is both robust and simple. It has a wide range of tools that can help you adjust your images so they are to your liking. With Fotor, you can tweak brightness, lighting source, contrast, and more. Stickers are available so you can add extra fun to your images. If you accidentally make a change you don’t like, it’s easy to start over again with the original image. Another great thing about Fotor is that you can share your photos directly to social media after you’re done customizing them.

Perhaps the biggest downside of Fotor is that it lacks a drag and drop option. In order to move your images into the program, you have to browse through your files and then upload the image. It’s a minor extra step, but some users find it inconvenient.

Skitch

Skitch is an easy-to-use screenshot tool that will be valuable for you when your content focuses on apps or other websites. Easily take screenshots, and then use the annotation tools; you can point to things, circle things, blur parts of the image, and insert text. It’s easy to save your screenshot creations into an Evernote folder since Skitch is a product of Evernote.

High-quality images that fit your content and your image are essential for getting your point across. Whether you are customizing stock photos, creating collages or infographics, or showing off screenshots, use the above tools to craft images you can be proud to attach to your content.

Joy Nelson

CopyPress writer