Autodesk Pixlr 2.6

Despite boasting well over a million apps, the iTunes Store hosts only a select few titles that really make a difference in each category. As far as photo & video is concerned, the spam level has been skyrocketing since the very beginning of the App Store.

So whenever you stumble upon something like Pixlr Express, it feels like a breath of fresh O2.

Created by professionals with a keen interest in user experience (rather than an eye on profit) Pixlr Express sports a clean, streamlines UI with no ads, no nag screens, no setup or social ties, just three options to select a photo (Camera, Photos, Collage). You just pick an image and start working.

An endless selection of editing options

From adjustments and overlays to effects and annotations, Pixlr has it all. Your screen isn’t cluttered either. Rather, you just select an editing option and boom! all the options appear in a grid view, each ready to be applied and / or downloaded upon request. The effects, for example, aren’t there until you choose to download them. This explains why the app only weighs in at just 13MB when you first download it.

You can crop, rotate and adjust images, give them overlays (fireworks, lights, annotations, stickers), pick a color from anywhere within the photo to set the mood, and use highly customizable borders to achieve professional looking albums made up entirely from your amateurish pictures in the camera roll. You’ll be amazed how easy it is to create impressing collages from just a handful of random pictures, even those blurry ones that you may have considered deleting.

It’s all in the UI

If you thought we’d finished talking about the interface, you’re wrong. These days, smartphone users are no strangers to photo editing apps. Therefore, it’s not the effects that make the difference, but rather the workflow. And Pixlr has it. Big time.

Everything is arranged in such a way that your image just grows and grows, with endless options to either add stuff or undo bad edits. This all-in one app even lets you remove red-eye and whiten teeth, use stylize adjustments such as halftone, watercolor, and pencil, and use lighting effects to add drama, sparkle, or a grunge look. The the intensity and orientation of each effect can be tweaked as well.

The app allows you to share your photos directly with friends via a series of apps, including Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, as well as email and more. If you want to apply any effects, you’ll be able to see what they’ll do to a picture in real time, thanks to the preview powers. These overlay straight from your camera via the Pixlr Live feature, which is a really cool feature to have. You can play around with these by simply choosing what type of layering you want and swiping the screen to move between the various effects.

100% Free

There’s not a single app in the iTunes Store that offers all this versatility for free. Tools like this one generally pack ads, in-app purchases for downloadable items, or other ways to capitalize on the offerings (such as directing the user to other products from the respective developer). Not Pixlr. This app feels just like a sign of good will from the folks at Autodesk. Sooner or later you’ll just want to check out their web site and see what else they have in store. Now that’s advertising!

Add to watchlist:

EditorCapture

• Autodesk SketchBook 3.1.2
• VSCO Cam 4.1
• Photowall 1.1
• Awesome Screenshot for Safari 1.5
• Adobe Color CC 2.1.2

Portable version:

• Autodesk Pixlr for Android