Favorite Free Photo Browser

I’m always on the lookout for good freeware tools. When I spend time reinstalling windows on someone’s computer, I like to include a variety of freeware that I find useful. Usually some sort of security/anti-virus. A zip utility, and an image browser. Because 99% of people will surf the net, get some kind of archive at some point, and will have images to view or share with others. At first, I was putting on Irfanview, then I migrated to XnView, and then to Faststone Image Viewer.

Each one of these viewers have their own benefits. And I won’t cover that in this post. Instead I’ll focus on an image browser that would be close to the image browsing capabilities of my old favorite, ACDSee. Ok, so after some surfing, I came across this:
Zoner Photo Studio Free

It’s very ACDSee-like in appearance, but offers a few features that even ACDSee lacks! Let’s get on with the mini-review!

MANAGER:

Well this is the Zoner’s manager interface. Zoner offers a dark theme, just like ACDSee. Tree browser and preview pane, with a task list on the right. Let’s compare this to ACDSee 12

As you can see the “manager” mode is very similar, and using them both, I can say that switching back and forth is very easy.

Viewer:

Each viewer mode is configurable, but you can see that once again, they are very similar.

Zoner:

ACDSee 12:

EDITOR:

Let’s compare the editing windows for them.

Zoner:

ACDSee:

 

Some differences here, but alot of the same basic editing is available. Color, B&W, Sepia Tone, Resizing, etc.

Some really nice features are included in the free zoner software. Batch EXIF editing, keyword application and searching. Which is great for those just starting to learn to manage their photos.

Now for the bells and whistles that’s unique to Zoner.

• Sort Photos – Read a group of photos and separate them based on Exif information (like date taken)
• Panoramic Stitching – Stitch together photos horizontal, and vertical panos are supported
• Create 3D images
• Calendar Generator! Really nice feature actually

So, why free? Because Zoner offers 2 other versions of their program, a Home version and a Pro version. You can check out the comparison chart here:

Zoner Comparison Chart

I’ll do a mini-review of the pro version of zoner vs ACDSee Pro at some point. But, if you’re curious, it’s worth checking out.

Tinting & Toning in ACDSee

Everyone has seen dramatic tinted or sepia tones photographs. For users new to ACDSee, this quick tutorial shows you how you can achieve the same effects.

First go into the EDIT mode for your image.

Select "Effects" to find the sepia effect.

The sepia effect is a one click solution that produces acceptable results. (see below)

But we can adjust the effect by going into the "Color" option in the Edit Panel.

Use any of the adjustment options to play around with tint and color of the image. I use the HSL (hue saturation lightness) tab to make small adjustments to the sepia effect. Click Done when you're happy with the changes.

You can further adjust the image by going into the "Exposure" option in the Edit Panel, to change the tone of the image using Levels or the Curves tab. Below are some variations made from the original image.

Remember to always "Save as..." when you're done. Always keep your original. This is a very easy way to make an image artistic. Experiment and enjoy!

Simple Frames in ACDSee

The goal is to create a simple frame that can be done consistently on several images. The following tutorial is limited to square images.

1. Select a square image and go into "Edit Mode". Click on the "effects" menu item.


2. In the Effects menu, select the "Vignette" Tool


3. Create the first frame of the photo. In this case, i'll make it white. When you have the settings you like, click "Done".

• A = I selected white as my color
• B = I chose the rectangular shape
• C = I set the transition zone to 0 (zero)
• D = I set the clear zone to a size i liked. (332)

4. This is a preview of my white frame. (Note: The black edge you see is the background of my window). If you want a simple white frame, you're done, but i'll repeat the process to create a two color border.

5. Select the Vignette Tool again, and change the settings to the following. Click Done when finished.

• A = Black
• B = Rectangular (same as before)
• C = Transition zone set to "0" (zero, same as before)
• D = Clear zone with a number higher than before. (I chose 335 in this case)
  

6. The final image! (the grey is my window background) Save and you're done.