PicMonkey is a free photo editing website that I use to create visuals for my blog posts. Today, I’m going to share easy tricks and tips to adding some jazz to your images.
First off, why should you edit your photos at all?
Whether it’s for blogging or personal use, photo editing can give images a more professional look and allow you to add your personal touch. Best of all, it’s simpler to do than most people think. With a few clicks and drags, you can transform an average photo into something special.
Why should you use PicMonkey?
Unlike other photo editing software like Photoshop, which can be pricey and complicated to master, I found PicMonkey to be easy to learn while still providing a variety of quality editing tools for free. Not only is the interface user-friendly, it is also constantly updated with new features. PicMonkey can be used for basic editing, adding filters, text, touch-ups, making collages and much and much more.
I will not be going every single feature in detail, but I will equip you with enough information to try it out for yourself. So without further ado, let’s begin!
Where to Start
The name of the website is: www.picmonkey.com
You’ll be taken to a home screen similar to the one above. Click on Edit, select your image or one of their preexisting images and you’ll be taken to the editing interface.
I’ve chosen this photo of my writing at enjoying some Starbucks (mhm) I’m going to be showing my typical process with editing.
The Basics
The editor defaults to the Basic Edits section, where you can find the standard tools of the trade.
Auto Adjust will automatically adjust the image to what it thinks looks best. It’s good if you’re lazy, but for any project, the more effort you put in, the better it looks.
Crop is like any other crop tool. However, it has the added feature of being able to select specific dimensions such as 4×6 or 8×10. This is useful if you’re planning to print your photo at a studio.
Canvas Color is not recommended because it will completely replace your image with a solid color. It should be used in Design (found on home screen) where you start off with a blank canvas.
Rotate allows you to straighten any slanted images and also flip them clockwise/counterclockwise.
Exposure will need to be adjusted on most photos. Common cases are images being too dark or overexposed. Use exposure to make sure you have the perfect lighting.
Colors adjusts saturation and temperature (how blue or orange the images are) It also has an added feature of Neutral Picker where it will balance the picture if your colors are off.
Sharpen is useful to sharpen an image that is slightly out-of-focus. Be wary though, because if you adjust it too much, it can turn out to be scratchy and unnatural.
Resize is useful for resizing images without losing quality.
The Fun (Filters)
On most camera apps, you’ll have filters that will add an effect to your image. Well, PicMonkey has an abundance of them for you to experiment with.
There’s too many to go into depth about what they do, but the visuals should give you an idea.
I should mention that some features are Royale, indicated by a small white crown. This means that in order to use these features without a PicMonkey watermark, you must pay a small fee. I personally don’t use them because there are already enough features to meet my needs, but if you’re interested: http://www.picmonkey.com/#register
I played around with different effects, but decided on a combination of Black and White + Dusk. Since it was a bit dark, I made some tweaks in Exposure to fit my taste.
The Cool (Textures)
In Textures, you’ll be able to overlay images on top of each other to create interesting effects. The two above were created using Space and Light Trails. If those don’t satisfy you, you also have the option of using Your Own textures, which is what I did.
I scoured the web for some photos and found an awesome one that fit my idea. With a bit more fine-tuning, this was the final product:
Other Goodies (Text, Overlays & Frames)
We have a finished piece, but I didn’t get to showcase the other cool features that I often use for my blog posts. 
PicMonkey already has a collection of stylish fonts and it allows you to use the ones downloaded onto your computer as well. My go-to’s are Tall Dark and Handsome and Amantic Small Caps.
Clicking on the butterfly icon will take you to Overlays, but I like to think of them as stickers. There you’ll find an assortment of objects ranging from facial hair to banners that you can insert into your design.
Lastly, there is the Frames section where like a real photo, you can frame your masterpiece. My favorite is Museum Matte.
Using a mixture of techniques, I was able to create the header photo for this blog.
Conclusion
I hope you learned something new today and apply it to your lives. It’s all about exploring – you’re encouraged to play around with the different tools. For beginners and veterans alike, there’s always fresh ideas to try out in PicMonkey.
I didn’t get to cover every single thing, so I may write another post in the future covering other topics. If you do have questions, feel free to comment below or search online. Remember: photo editing can be a lot of fun.
Resources
There’s a great “Top 10 Tutorials Made By You” posted by PicMonkey, where bloggers like us share their unique spin on how to use PicMonkey.
How-To’s: http://www.picmonkey.com/blog/category/how-to/
Tutorials: http://www.picmonkey.com/blog/category/tutorials/
Website: http://www.picmonkey.com/