I decided to procrastinte   play this morning with some photos.  I photographed a hummingbird at the feeder the other day and wanted to show the original and then the cropping of the photo.  I tend to use Photoshop Elements to edit but I did not like the collage maker that it has.

I went online and found this list of photo collage software, The 14 Best photo collage maker tools on a site called Creative Bloq.

Here is a link to the list:

 

 

 

 

I have used Instagram’s Layout (which is only available for iphone) and Picasa with my Google account, but had not tried any other the others.  I went to the websites of the software that worked with PC.  (there are several that only work with mac or ios ) Some required registration.

I tried out Photo Collage.net 

From their home page:
Add photos without uploading
Create online photo collages
Save and Share Collages
Works on PCs, tablets and smart phone (ios and Androis)
Free form and template collages
Create Facebook, Google+ or Twitter Covers and header collages
No registration needed.
I found it easy to use and navigate. It has a FAQ swction and a video tutorial available.
It steps you through your choices above the blank canvas.  You cannot choose your template until you have added your photos which I did not like as much. It is web based so no need to download it to my computer.

It has a selection of backgrounds you can use or choose one of your own.

I also tried Fotor

It has more features and a sleek look.

You can make a collage, edit a photo and design a card.

It is web based and also available for ios and Android

They have a section titled online editing made fun and simple which is helpful and informative.

At the bottom of the home page it has a menu that pulls down information as you scroll over each square.  This gives you information about their effects, textures, filters and more.  More includes: Photo editing, Photo collage, HDR, Beauty retouching, photo cards and Cover Maker – do it yourself cover photos and banners.

The only issue I had with making a collage on Fotor was when I added a photo it would not let me reduce the size of the photo to fit into the section of collage that I had chosen.  Other wise it has many fun features and is easy to use. Also – it asked me to register for free,  when I attempted to make a Facebook template.  Registration was easy and it did not ask for any personal information other than my email address.

Then I tried Photovisi

When I clicked on the Start Creating button, the page it took me too had options but I never got anything to respond when I clicked on them.

So I went back to the home page and there are examples of collages on the page.  they all run together and I scrolled until I found one similar to those I had been using on the other sites.  It never loaded.  Then I saw a small line of text stating if I was having trouble to go back to the old version of Photovisi. (I did not know I was on the new version)  So I clicked that and Voila!

Going to this other version of Photovisi took the collage format with it.  I added my four photos.  It did not allow me to adjust the size of the photos other than increasing or decreasing the photo which made it either overlap the other photos or left a background space.  Once I gathered the phtos that fit the spaces, I went to save the photo. To get the collage with out the water mark, a pop up comes up and states for $1.99 you can gt this collage with out the water mark.  The water mark appears in the lower right hand corner of the collage.  So far this is my least favorite site. not because of the water mark but the site was confusing and not easy to navigate.  This is also web based.

Next on the list is Pearl Mountain Collageit

There is a free version and an advanced version to buy.  The free version must be down loaded.  Cnet gave it 4.5 stars but I chose not to download it at this time.  I prefer the web based programs.

Next up is Ribbet

From the website:

• Fix your photos in a single click
• Fine-tune your results with advanced controls
• Crop, resize, and rotate in real-time
• Tons of special effects, from artsy to fun
• Astoundingly fast, right in your browser
• Awesome fonts and top-quality type tool
• Pond-fulls of shapes from hand-picked designers
• Works on Mac, Windows, and Linux
• No download, installation or sign-up required

It has a fun frog them and an appealing layout. It has editing and collage functions and I noticed across the top of the page , there are links to something called MILK (a site to create and buy photo books, cards and prints) , Zazzle (create t-shirts, mugs and much more), their Blog and Forums.

Using the Collage function, I picked a similar format and added photos.  It would not let me load multiple photos because I had not registered.  If I register it will allow me to upload up to 100 photos at a time.  No sizing of the photo except for zooming in.  I am not sure if there are more options with the premium version.  Once the collage was finished it brought up an editing page.  This was  nice and the edit applied to the entire collage.

Over all it was easy but not a site I will be using often.

Next is a site called BeFunky

This is a photo editing, photo effects and collage maker.  The site is easy to navigate and it asks if you want a tour when you explore a new feature.  I found a collage format like the one I have been using.  It was easy to add photos and switch between editing and he collage.  It did not allow me to decrease the photo size in the frame much like the other applications.  Easy to save to my computer too with choices of size and quality.  There are effect and other tools, some are locked unless you buy a subscription. $4.95/month or $24.95/year.  Has a similar feel to the Photoshop elements 13  that I use not but with more features. This one was fun.

There was one other PC site called Shape Collage.  I did not try it as it must be downloaded.

Last but not least is PiZap.  I used it quiet a bit because of it’s simplicity.  I just wanted to arrange the photos to show the progression of some photos I was editing.  It was fun, not perfect and accomplished what I wanted.  I also like the choices of backgrounds they have to chose from. Then I started making several other collages because it was just that easy.  PiZap Free had all I needed for the project I wanted to do.  It has photo editing, A MEME maker and ability to make Facebook and Twitter covers or your own custom cover. Be aware that most of these have free and premium aspects which I found myself wanting to click on premium options several times although the free ones were pretty good too.  There is a 30 day free trial fo rthe premium or $3.99/month, $29.99/yesar or $69.99 for a life time subscription.

Over all I liked PiZap for it’s simplicity, Befunky  because it feels like Photoshop Elements when I navigate but has better features and options on the creative front and Fotor , also for it’s creative features.

One more:

I found this one online after the fact.  It is a site called PicMonkey.

Its features include:

• Photo Editor
• Touch Up
• Design
• Collage
• Photo Effects
• Facebook Cover
• Photo Text
• Online Card Maker
• Resize Image

It has a premium level called Royale.  They have a 30 day free trial.  It was simple to use.  I just used the collage maker and none of the editing software.

 

I hope you found this helpful.  Please let me know if you use any of these sites and your opinions.

Melyna