Picasa is a popular digital image management program. Basically, it includes three main utilities, each one with very complete functions: editor, library and viewer.

Modify your photos with Picasa

This program’s image editor will let you improve them to make them more pleasant or look more like some aesthetic style you imagine. You should bear in mind that the Picasa functions are oriented to retouching photographs and creating collages, so you won’t be able to use them to draw on the image as you would on a canvas.

The corrections that can be applied to photos are divided in three categories:

• Regularly required retouching. Here you’ll have different tools, the most frequently used ones to correct common errors (“Retouch”, “Straighten”, “Red eyes”, “Automatic color correction” and “Brightness”). With these functions you’ll be able to correct photos that are blurred, out of their frame as well as other problems that are common in trips, parties and other events.

Besides, the program includes a function called parallel editing, that lets you compare photos. The program’s work area is divided into two parts and an image is placed on each side.

These can be two copies of the same picture, one of them without modifications, while the desired changes are applied to the other one, or one can remain fixed while the other part of the screen is used to navigate among the images in a collection.

• Light and color retouching: as its name suggests, here you can get a bit more in-depth in chromatic adjustments. Thus, you’ll be able to precisely manipulate brightness, enhance colors, shadows and temperature.

These controls can be managed by emphasizing the color you want to make stand out and specifying which will make up a shadow. On the other hand, temperature is controlled by increasing or reducing the number of primary colors in the image. Thus, by modifying the amount of green you can make a tendency towards blue or red stand out.

• Useful and fun image processing: this is a menu of effects that is so large that it has been divided into three parts. Each category is more fun than the previous one. With this option, you’ll be able to entertain yourself with your photographs both in the office and at home.

The most fun and impressive effects are in partial black and white, neon, tone, cinemascope and various others. The user can investigate over 36 great possibilities.

Organize all your image files

This aspect of the program makes its excellent interface stand out. Besides, certain cursor movements are combined to affect the photographs. Thus, not at first but over time, the user will handle photographs as if he were conducting a symphonic orchestra in the Bolshoi.

Once the program is installed, it gives the user the option to scan the entire hard disk, or the Desktop and the image folder, looking for photos stored on the PC. Once these are found, they are added to the Picasa environment and organized by folders there.

The user can also decide to organize everything as a list or tree. He can also choose to organize the files by date, size, people on the photographs and much more.

View photos the dynamic way

The last category in this fantastic program is the viewer. Apart from the interface that makes up the library and the editing tools, Picasa adds a lightweight, agile and easy-to-use image viewer to the computer and Windows Explorer, which can easily replace the one that comes with Windows.

This utility lets you zoom and rotate the photographs, select them as favorites (placing them at the top of the library), open them with other applications, and it has a link button to edit the image viewed in Picasa.

In summary, this program is a great option when it comes to choosing a tool to enjoy all the images on your computer, pen drive or camera.

Pros:
• Large number of options
• Lets you conveniently organize, view and edit images
• The image viewer is fast and lightweight

Cons:
• Nothing to report