Best Graphic Design and Image Editing Softwares

Graphic design and image editing softwares are the most essential tools for a graphic designer. These softwares let them keep innovative and organized in their graphic designing.Adobe photoshop is one such software that makes the task of designers extremely easy and advanced. Beside Adobe Photoshop, there are numerous other graphic design and image editing softwares available in the market. Some softwares cost a bit and some are available with no cost. Among all, we have compiled 20 best graphic design and image editing softwares, that are showcased in this post.

Best Graphic Design and Image Editing Softwares:

1. FatPaint

Fatpaint is a free, online graphic design software, image editor and custom printed products webshop that assists you in painting & editing bitmap images/photos, writing rich text, making page layout and displaying graphics on products from Zazzle. Furthermore, images can directly be added to the project by searching on Wikimedia, Picasa, Flickr, Google, Yahoo and Bing. The completed project can be saved on Fatpaint’s server or your own computer.

2. Gimp

It is a free software used for  photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. It can also be used as a simple paint program, an online batch processing system,  an image format converter and so on.

3. Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop is the most popular and widely used software for graphic design. The primary functions of Photoshop are photo editing, graphic designing and creating elements for any type of web project.

4. Paint.NET

It is free image and photo editing software that has an spontaneous and advanced user interface.

5. MyPaint

It is a fast, easy and open-source graphics design software for digital painters. It allows you to work on your canvas with less distractions.

6. Blender

This is a 3D animation software for graphic designers which is available free of cost.  This software enables graphic designers to create 3D applications.

7. 5DFLY

This is a robust and brilliant Photo editing software.

8. Pixelmator

It is a fast and powerful image editing software for the Mac operating system , which has spontaneous and stunning graphical user interface.

9. Inkscape

It is an open source vector graphics editor just like Adobe Illustrator.

10. Skitch

It enables users to capture screen shots rapidly  and drag them into email for sharing.  You can even compose images with text and sketches, and share them with your friends.

11. Iconfinder

It provides high quality icons for web designers and developers in an effortless and efficient way.

12. Picnik

This is a free software that enables you to change colors of any image, do editing, add text to an image. Moreover, if you have creative ideas, you can make buttons, banners, and headers for your blog.

13. Artweaver

It enables you to paint creatively by utilizing various painting tools.

14. GraphicConverter

It is an apple photo software for image editing and  graphics conversion.

15. DrawPlus

It is a robust and versatile graphics studio perfectly developed for digital art, illustration, and painting.

16. ArtRage

It is an easy to use, stylish painting package for Windows, Mac OS X, and iPad.

17. Paintshop

It is a powerful Photo-Editing Software for graphic designing.

18. Photoscape

It is a fun and easy photo editing software that enables you to fix and enhance photos.

19. Image Tuner

It is a free software for batch resizing, converting, watermarking and renaming your digital photos and images from and to JPEG, BMP, PNG, TIFF and GIF formats.

20. PhotoFiltre

It allows you to do simple or advanced adjustments to an image.

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How to Restore Deleted Photos & Videos From a Digital Camera

A big advantage of digital cameras is the delete button which erases photos with a simply tap, letting you to choose which pictures you retain. This feature has its dangerous part too, because only one mistake is needed to lose all pictures stored on that memory card. On traditional cameras this would be possible only if you would expose the film to sun, but the simplicity that came with newer technology may have its downsides too.

For instance, what happens when you accidently remove a picture? It is lost forever or there are ways of recovering the file? Luckily, the short answer favors those careless and in the following lines we are going to explain why deleted photos can be recovered from a digital camera and most important, how.

How a digital camera actually works?

These days everybody owns a digital camera and uses it for different reasons, from capturing important family moments to just taking photos of a beautiful landscape. All in all, they represent a better solution than old cameras in many ways, such as the capability of organizing photos much better or the possibility to share pictures via social networking sites.

Practically, a digital camera stores all photos on a flash memory card which can be a SD, CF, Memory Stick, MMC card or other types. They are made by different manufacturers, have different sizes and appearances, but they have the same essence – one very similar to a floppy disk or a hard drive.

When you choose to delete a picture or a video, your digital camera will locate the space allocated and mark that space as available for future usage. The picture is not actually deleted until another image takes its place. So basically, the photo is still there and it is very important to stop taking other pictures or the chances of recovering pictures that have been accidentally deleted will be reduced.

So plug-in your camera or connect the memory card to your laptop’s card reader and use one of the tools presented below:

Asoftech Photo Recovery Software

Asoftech Photo Recovery Software is a specialized program in recovering deleted, formatted or corrupted photos and videos from your digital camera. It supports all memory card types including MMC, Memory Stick, CF Card, SDHC and several file types.

The interface is bright purple, easy to use and even allows a personalized search, limiting file types for better and quicker processes. Users reported that the software showed some problems in recovering movies in .mov format, but for pictures everything functioned smoothly and quick and they were all recovered.

To undelete files, simply launch the program and choose the mounted memory card. After that, specify the save path, click “Start” and all recovered data will show up. From the results page you can also choose only certain photos or videos which you want to save on the personal computer.

A big disadvantage of Asoftech is the price, because even if it’s so good at recovering pictures you will have to pay $29.95 to really use it. The demo version will only find lost pictures and videos on a memory card, but it will not offer the possibility to save them. Also, the compatibility in the demo version is limited to four major file types: JPEG, BMP, GIF and PNG.

PhotoRec

PhotoRec is a powerful application which can recover photos and videos from almost any device. Developers are saying that it recognizes over 390 different file types and it works with every memory disk, hard disk or USB stick that exists on the market.

However, the interface may represent a big disadvantage for some users because the program runs in a DOS box or from a command line, which may not appear so user-friendly. Another problem is that PhotoRec is actually a surrogate program to TestDisk and if you want to get it, you will also have to install TestDisk.

Once you have it, simply open the program and a menu will pop-up with a list of all storage devices that are connected to your computer, including hard-drives, removable drives and mounted cards. Choose the problematic memory stick and select search parameters, which can be for example “Bruteforce” that recovers more fragmented JPEG files or “Low memory” if your computer has crashed during past recoveries.

Next, select the place where you want to save all recovered pictures and wait, because everything else is automated. In case the process takes too much, the program allows you to stop the operations and to resume later.

Besides the Windows version, PhotoRec is available also for Linux and Mac OSX and can be downloaded for free from their official page.

Recuva

In case you deleted photos or videos from a digital camera, Recuva may represent a viable solution. This program is developed by Piriform, the same company which made the famous CCleaner optimization tool. Recuva has a nice interface, user-friendly and a wizard that will guide you through the process of recovering pictures. It can make personalized searches for different file types, specific drives or enable a deep scan that will find pictures even on a damaged memory stick. To do this, just follow this simple guide:

1. Start the application and click “Next” on the “Welcome to the Recuva Wizard” page.
2. Now choose the type of files you want to recover.
3. Choose the location of the memory card from the “File Location” page and click “Next”.
4. The next page allows you to select a deep search option, which is preferred in the case of a corrupted memory stick.
5. Click “Next” and wait until the search finishes. Select the desired pictures and press “Recover” to save them on the computer.

After searching finishes, a list with the found pictures is shown along with their health and other detailed information. Health refers to the fact that the picture was partly overwritten or not. Results can be also shown in a thumbnail view which will might help navigating between various results.

Besides major file types (JPEG, PNG, GIF) the program is able to recover also Nikon RAW and Canon RAW (.CRW) formats, representing a good choice even for pro consumers. The interesting thing about Recuva is that it comes also in a free portable version so that in case you don’t have internet you can move it between the laptop and computer. The free version is fully-featured, while Pro and Business Editions cost $19.95 and $24.95 and they will only add support from developers.

CardRecovery

CardRecovery is an application specially designed to recover files from memory cards used by digital cameras. It supports all main file formats and memory cards, from compact digital cameras (JPEG, PNG) used by common users to DSLR cameras (raw format) used by professionals.

The interface speaks for itself because everything is placed where it should be and the three step wizard will guide you through a very simple process. All you have to do is to enter the location of the memory card, choose the camera brand (optional) and the destination folder where to put recovered pictures.

Everything else is automated and to browse through pictures you will have to wait until the whole process is finished. Developers are saying that for an 8 GB SDHC card you will have to wait approximately 14 minutes to complete a full search. The program also offers a thumbnail preview, only for JPEG pictures and unfortunately, it will show only six pictures on a page which can be a little bit discouraging when you are searching for a particular photo between hundreds of photos.

Besides the Windows version, CardRecovery is also available for Mac OSX and can be tried before purchase. Developers offer a free version which will scan memory sticks and find lost pictures, but for the ability to save them, you will have to pay $39.

SoftAmbulance Photo Undelete

SoftAmbulance Photo Undelete is a powerful tool specialized in recovering and repairing deleted or corrupted photos / videos. It can restore images directly from a wide range of digital cameras, so that you will not need to pull out the memory card and use it through a card reader.This application is also able to recover pictures and videos from hard disk drives, DVD’s, CD’s and Blue Ray disks. Formats like JPEG, TIFF, PNG, BMP and RAW are all supported along with other dozens of different file types.

The interface of the program is very simple and light because this program has implemented an intuitive, easy-to-use wizard which will guide you through all processes. Just select the desired device, press scan and it will locate all deleted or corrupted photos and show previews of them, so that you can choose which one should be saved.

If the memory stick is corrupted or damaged, SA Photo Undelete has the option of deep scanning, sector by sector, which will find any available pictures in no-time.The program also comes with a free evaluation copy which allows only previewing search results, while recovering will cost $44.9.

EaseUS Card Recovery Wizard

Another interesting option is EaseUS Card Recovery Wizard which is a card recovery program that retrieves deleted photos, videos and audio files from any flash memory cards, USB or SD cards used by cameras and phones.

Connect the memory card to your computer and open the software which has two modes: Deleted File Recovery and Deep Scan. While the first is for recovering all deleted photos or videos from a memory card, the second is used to recover from damaged or inaccessible storage devices. When the scanning is over, you can choose which pictures or videos should be saved. Easy and reliable, EaseUS Card Recovery Wizard can be purchased for $39.95.

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Best Software and Apps for Home Decoration

few centuries ago, we used to focus on buying a house that has enough space and is structured in a way that allows us to live together with our families in a comfortable place. Nowadays, the focus has moved from basic needs to much more complex ones – we need our homes to look perfect, we try to improve them every day, we care about the art behind our furniture and want to send a message through the accessories we use.

No matter if you choose to ask a specialist for some help or you prefer to use your own creativity and skills, decorating your house will always be lots of fun. However, everyone needs a little bit of inspiration to make sure that the result will be perfect. We recommend using a few apps that suit your needs, and the following list is here to offer some idea of tools to choose from.

MyDeco 3D Room Planner

No matter if you want to use existing plans or load your own, this program will let you add doors, walls, windows and many others from the gallery. Choosing the models and colors that you like, you can see how any room in the house would look in 3D.

This will allow you to get an idea of what you’d like to do before you get started and buy your furniture or accessories. The greatest thing about My Deco 3D Room Planner is that it is free and can be used directly on your PC, laptop or tablet if you use Windows or Mac.

Design My Room

A much more realistic tool to use when designing your favorite room is called Design My Room. This one lets you choose from a wide variety of ceiling, flooring and furniture – you can select different colors, models and patterns. Once you’re finished making it look the way you want, you can also print or email the results and save your project.

Design My Room is a free tool that can be used on any PC or laptop. It doesn’t come with any mobile apps for now, but it can be opened directly into the browser on any device with a good broadband connection and a large enough screen. By letting you choose between bedrooms, kitchens, livingrooms and many others, this program also shows you different styles that vary from casual to traditional or eclectic.

IKEA Home Planner

Similar to the previous programs, but only focused on IKEA products, this planner is free to use directly in your web browser. It lets you select out of a large database of chairs, beds, tablets, bookshelves and many others to add to a room that you’ll see in 3D.

You can move the camera around, zoom in and out to see more of the room and the measurements, as well as available colors for each product will be shown to the left. This is a tool to use in your browser, and you’ll only need a good internet connection and Windows XP or Mac OS X 10.6/higher.

The Home Renovator

Did you ever dream of entirely renovating your house? Many people want to change the feel of a room or gain more free space by changing their furniture and replace a few things with smaller accessories. However, for those of you who want a complete change, The Home Renovator might be the best tool you can get.

It is also free and can be used on mostly any PC or Mac. Launched by Drywall, this tool will let you all the measurements of your room and answer a couple of questions about the ceiling type and furniture you want to use. By adapting the offer to your specific needs and requirements, this is an amazing source of inspiration that you can access here.

Homestyler

The Youtube video above summarizes everything that you can do using this tool. Launched by Autodesk, this one can be used on your PC or Mac, but it also comes with mobile apps. There’s one for iOS and another one for Android, but more applications are expected to be available soon.

By taking a photo of your own room, you can see it in 3D and start changing various aspects, such as ceiling, furniture, mirrors, flooring, etc. You’ll have plenty of items to choose from, and you can also get inspired by browsing through the existing pics, comment and like them just as you’d do on a social media network.

Sweet Home 3D

Your home, sweet home is now much more than just a dream you wanted to make reality. This is now possible thanks to a program called Sweet Home 3D. It’s an online software, and you can use it on any computer that uses Mac or Windows. It is a free one that you can use by only creating an account.

This way, all of your projects will be automatically saved to your profile. Sweet Home 3Dcomes with a furniture catalog, a floor plan that shows you all details in 2D, a 3D pane option and an area where you can see the details of each piece of furniture – measurements, colors, etc. By switching from one mode to the other, you can see the room from different angles and make better decisions before chancing the look of your home.

Houzz

If you didn’t hear of Houzz yet, then you should definitely give it a try and take a look at their website. This is a free app that can be used on iOS and Android as long as you have version 7.0 of the first one or version 2.3 of the second one.

To put it shortly, Houzz comes with plenty of ideas and photos that will inspire you. They are organized into categories, so it’s pretty easy to look exactly for what you want, and the keywords will also guide you a lot. This one can be downloaded from iTunes or Google Play, where you can also find out a lot more about its features.

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Mont Blanc First Ascent: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

On August 8, 1786, two Frenchmen made history.

Michael Gabriel Paccard and Jacques Balmat became the first people to ascend the summit of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps and one of the most sought-after climbs in the entire world. Now, 229 years after the pair reached the summit, unofficially sparking modern mountaineering, the accomplishment is being celebrated in the August 8 Google Doodle.

Here’s what you need to know:

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1. Frenchmen Michael Gabriel Paccard & Jacques Balmat Were the First to Reach the Top in 1786

Nearly 20,000 climbers and tourists climb Mont Blanc annually and the area surrounding the mountain has become a major tourist area for both Italy and France. (Getty)

After hundreds of failed attempts by dozens of aspiring mountaineers, Frenchmen Michael Gabriel Paccard and Jacques Balmat made history when they became the first people to reach the summit of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps. The mountain rises 15,711 feet above sea level and is ranked No. 11 in the world in topographic prominence. The pair, who lived in the town at the base of the mountain in Chamonix, ascended the summit on August 8, 1786, climbing the mountain from the Chamonix valley.

The accomplishment was, and still is, considered historic and a watershed moment in mountaineering. Eric Shipton, a British Himalayan mountaineer, described the feat, writing in his book Mountain Conquest:

Theirs was an astounding achievement of courage and determination, one of the greatest in the annals of mountaineering. It was accomplished by men who were not only on unexplored ground but on a route that all the guides believed to be impossible.

Now, the summit is ascended by an averaged of nearly 20,000 mountaineers and tourists every year. Since the early 21st century, administration of the mountain is shared between the towns of Courmayeur, in Italy, and Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, in France.

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2. Horace Bénédict de Saussure Had Offered a Financial Reward to Anyone Who Could Complete the Ascent

In 2011, construction began on “Refuge du Goûter” at the Dôme du Goûter on the way to the summit of Mont Blanc. The site is a breaking point for climbers moving up the mountain. (Getty)

In 1760, the Swiss aristocrat and physicist, considered by many to be the founder of alpinism, first visited Chamonix, offering a reward to the first man who could reach the summit of Mont Blanc. He had previously tried to scale the mountain himself, approaching on the Italian side, making two unsuccessful attempts between 1774 and 1785.

Saussure is featured as part of a large bronze statue, erected in 1887, with Balmat in Chamonix’s main square, prominently leaving Paccard out. The reason? The original ascent of Mont Blanc was grossly misreported immediately after it occurred after Marc-Theodore Bourrit, another Alpine traveler who had failed to find a route to the summit, downgraded the role Paccard played in the historic feat.

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3. Paccard Later Married Balmat’s Sister

Paccard and Balmat are frequently credited with sparking modern mountaineering techniques after their successful ascent of Mont Blanc. (Getty)

Although their names are forever connected in the history books, Paccard and Balmat were joined away from the mountain and the texts when Paccard married his climbing partner’s sister.

Following their daring exploits on the mountain, the pair both settled into career paths that only occasionally included death-defying actions. Paccard, who practiced medicine prior to the Mont Blanc ascent, returned to his medical practice and also focused on an interest in botany and minerals.

Balmat, after collecting the reward money that Horace-Bénédict de Saussure had originally offered, returned to the mountain with his benefactor guiding the Swiss aristocrat on his own climb in 1787. He also published his own account of his climbs, Jacques Balmat or The First Ascent of Mont Blanc: A True Story, but was criticized for romanticizing the tales. Balmat died in 1834 when he fell off a cliff prospecting for gold in the Sixt valley.

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4. Marie Paradis Was the First Woman to Reach the Summit

After her own successful climb, Paradis made it her mission to help other explorers, even leaving refreshments for them when they returned to the ground. (Getty)

Paradis, a former maidservant, etched her own name in the history books in 1808 when she became the first woman to climb Mont Blanc, joined by guide Jacques Balmat.

It was not an easy ascent for Paradis who was in such poor condition by the time the climbing party reached the summit that she actually had difficulty speaking and, reportedly, could not see the view from the peak. Still, Paradis looked every part the mountaineer in a self-designed outfit that weighed just over 14 pounds. In 1809 she recorded her experience on the mountain in a “graphic and picturesque” account in Le Bland.

After her daring exploits, Paradis was known as “Maria de Mont Blanc” and was heavily featured in Mark Twain’s novel A Tramp Abroad.

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5. Mont Blanc Is Still Considered One of the Most Dangerous Climbs in the Alps

Mont Blanc is the tallest mountain in Europe but many climbers do not consider it, from a technical standpoint, the most difficult peak to climb. Some climbing companies even call the ascent a “long walk” and tout its ease of access for relatively in-experienced mountaineers.

Still, Mont Blanc is one of the most dangerous peaks in the entire world. In 2012, 11 people died in two separate incidents, just days apart, and, according to The Atlantic, there are over 100 hiker fatalities each year. In other words, more people have perished in the Mont Blanc range than in any decade of climbing in the Alaskan mountain ranges.

Why? What’s different? The biggest problem, it seems, is that Mont Blanc is too popular for its own good. Aidan Loehr, an American climbing guide explained it:

That ‘production line’ mentality tends to permeate to everyone else around those people. One person makes a bad decision and everyone else assumes it must be safe and follows. With Mont Blanc, there’s also the fact that so many thousands of people have managed to climb it that it kind of dumbs down the challenge, in many people’s minds. But the truth is, it’s a really big mountain, and most of the people who climb it don’t even know or understand what the dangers are.

In that same report by The Atlantic, the magazine counted 28 climbers caught in a July 12, 2012 avalanche and suggests that at any given time there are dozens of people on the mountain. That is an astounding number for any mountain and the toll those humans, and their feet, take on the environment of the peak opens them up to disaster.

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