14 DAY TRIAL // Picture Collage Maker is a graphic application that comes with the right tools for helping you create picture collages using a wide range of templates with different photo layouts and backgrounds, frames, masks, text and cliparts.
You may use it for designing calendars, greeting cards or any project that may include photos and text. Easy printing and emailing options are implemented for helping you share collages with your friends and family.
You can evaluate the program’s features for 30 days and purchase a license for $19.90/€15.67. During the trial period, the tool adds a watermark on the output collage and displays a nag screen upon the start and exit of the utility.
User-friendly interface
A small panel welcomes you when you run the program for the first time. It integrates straightforward features that enable you to create a blank collage, work with a template collage wizard, create a new project using several templates or opt for a grid collage wizard. The two wizards come in handy especially for rookies as they offer an easy-to-follow mode for generating photo collages.
The main GUI of the utility integrates a handy suite of editing features meant to help you tweak the process in detail. The layout is divided into several smart panels that give you quick access to key features of the app, such as Template, Background, Photo, Mask, Frame and Clipart.
In addition, the tool automatically detects and displays all layers included in a photo collage, and lets you bring the selected layer to the front or send it to the back, delete it, and refresh the list with all layers.
The editing environment is clean and allows you to add images by dragging and dropping them on the desired area or double-clicking on a target location in order to use the classical browse function.
There’s also support for a help manual and online tutorials that provide insightful pieces of information about the program’s capabilities.
Creating photo collages with the aid of wizards
The simplest mode for generating photo collages is to follow the step-by-step approach. You may use the template collage wizard for building up a list with the items that you want to include in the album. Plus, you can add the content of an entire folder to the list, remove the selected item or clear the list with just one click, as well as preview each image.
You are given the freedom to choose between various templates. They are grouped in different categories so you can easily select the one that you are interested in, namely Calendar, Collage, Comic, Disk Cover, Frame, Greeting Card, Layout, Photo Book, Poster and Scrapbook. Each template can be previewed.
At the end of the template collage wizard, you can preview what the collage looks like, shuffle the items, as well as set the current photo collage as your wallpaper (center, tile or stretch), export it to an image file (JPG, BMP, GIF, PNG, TIF, PDF or PSD file format) or send it via email using your default client (you may choose the size and alter the photo quality).
The grid collage wizard is designed specifically for giving you the freedom to specify the number of grids you want to include in photo collage, adjust the space and margin parameters, and apply a shadow effect. If you do not want to invest too much time in the editing process, you may opt for activating the automatic mode which makes all the necessary adjustments for you. You can use the same exporting options as the ones integrated in the aforementioned wizard.
Create a blank collage
When it comes to designing a brand-new collage, you need to specify the size, DPI and orientation (landscape or portrait). As soon as you finish with the prior configuration settings, you are faced with the main window of the utility where you can choose between several templates.
The adjustments applied to the collage can be previewed in real time in the working area. What’s more, you can select between several background samples or add a custom picture from your computer. Additional settings enable you to fill in the background with a user-defined color, set the photo opacity, and adjust the image position (tile, center, stretch or stretch and crop).
The application integrates an Explorer-like layout that allows you to navigate throughout your entire computer for items that can be added in the collage.
Masks are used for altering the shape of a particular object and can be sorted by circle, irregular, rectangle or shape category. You can drag a mask and drop it onto the preferred photo.
There’s also support for different frames that you can use for adding a personal touch to your project. They are revealed with the aid of different collections, namely Cartoon, Classic, General or Shape.
A wide range of cliparts can be embedded in your working area. They are organized in different groups: Animal, Baby, CD, Comic, Decoration, Flower, Food, Holiday, Love, Shape, Texture, and Travel. Each project can be saved to a file and imported for future editing options.
Personalize your collage using editing tools
Picture Collage Maker allows you to apply shadow to the selected object and pick the shadow color, smoothness, opacity and alignment.
Furthermore, you can remove the unwanted areas of an image using cropping options, bring objects to the front or send them to the back, rotate pictures to different angles, delete the selected items, work with several alignment tools for positioning objects to the desired location, as well as make object the same width, height or both options.
When you click on an object, the app reveals alignment lines around its perimeter, giving you its accurate and concise position in the photo collage. Plus, you can move the object to any working area using the drag-and-drop support, pull its edges in order to expand or shrink it, as well as use the green circle embedded in the middle of the object for rotating to the desired angle.
You can save the selected object to an image file (e.g. JPG, BMP, GIF), check out an object’s properties and change its position, rotation and opacity, perform basic editing tasks (cut, copy, paste, delete), and stretch the selected object to fit the page.
Last but not least, the program lets you undo or redo your actions, add custom text, which can be altered in terms of font, size, color, background color and alignment, as well as insert a calendar. The calendar can be tweaked by hiding or revealing the year, month, week header and numbers, as well as by modifying the font, color and background (transparent, color or custom image).
Exporting and sharing options
Picture Collage Maker allows you to save the current collage to a picture (e.g. BMP, JPG, GIF, PNG), enter a prefix for the filename, and ask, skip, replace or rename the file in case it exists in the saving directory. Plus, you may set the current collage as your wallpaper and make the application automatically adjust the size to fit the desktop, print it, send it via email, or generate an online collage which can be printed in mugs, posters, t-shirts and bags.
General configuration settings
You can alter the looks of the application by choosing between several skins, show ‘create new project’ dialog and ‘getting started’ tour each time you run the program, disable warning messages for opacity adjustments, templates and successfully exported messages, enable the default photo and text shadow, and back up image resources in project file. Additional templates can be downloaded from the official website of the utility.
The Good
The wizards help you create collages using minimal user interaction while other customization features enable you to create calendars and greeting cards.
The Bad
The application lacks several features which can be found only in the Pro edition that helps you shape objects, color the frames, add multiple pages per project and download add-on templates.
