XnSketch

With social networks flourishing while greatly enhancing communication and file sharing, users worldwide catch a trend to upload various photos to express feelings. From simple selfies to drawings and completely altered images, applications like XnSketch are the proper workstation for image processing and enhancement.

The application comes in a conveniently small package, with the plus of requiring no installation to properly function. This means that you can easily store it on a removable drive and quickly enhance photos on any computer, because of the low resource consumption.

The whole process is incredibly simple, quick and intuitive. You can either load image files from a dedicated menu or drag them over the main window. What's more, the application supports a staggering amount of formats, such as common JPG or PNG, as well as ICO, MIF, PCX, PIC, PRC, GIF.

As soon as the image loads, it is automatically transformed according to the selected presets. The application applies a few effects, making your picture look like a sketch, drawing, oil painting or more. The list of effects is decent, each with a set of dedicated customization options.

Regardless of your choice, color settings like brightness, contrast, gamma, exposure and saturation can easily be adjusted using corresponding sliders, with more settings becoming available depending on the selected preset.

Unfortunately, you need to spend some time adjusting sliders each time in case default values don't really suit your taste. This is because the application does not support save options for palette options, which is a pity since it would have made the whole process even easier and practical.

All things considered, we reach the conclusion that XnSketch is highly recommended for enthusiasts that work on a daily basis with pictures of all kinds. It lets you completely alter images, with results resembling hand drawings, sketches, halftones and a lot more presets. Even though customization is slightly limited, it still manages to live up to expectations through its simplicity.