An Introduction To Image Editors

An Image editor is a software application that allows images to be edited and also converted to different graphics formats. Image editors typically deal with only bitmapped images such as GIFs, JPEGs and BMPs; however, some editors support both bitmaps and illustrations also called vector graphics. Common functions are manually cropping and resizing the image and using "filters" to adjust brightness, contrast and colors. A myriad of filters are available for special effects.

Image editors can also be defined as a graphics program that provides a variety of special features for altering bit-mapped images. The difference between image editors and paint programs is not always clear-cut, but in general image editors are specialized for modifying bit-mapped images, such as scanned photographs, whereas paint programs are specialized for creating images.

In addition to offering a host of filters and image transformation algorithms, image editors also enable you to create and superimpose layers.

Layers Offer Essential Flexibility

A major difference between a basic image editor and a high-end editor such as Photoshop is the support of layers, which is mandatory in commercial design. Layers enable different parts of an image to be placed in separate, transparent "canvases" that can be moved over and under each other until the desired result is achieved. These types of layer based image editors are the essential ingredient to creating the effects seen in high quality banner and print advertising.