PicMonkey
Last updated
Last updated
Name of Tool | Website URL | Cost | Download or Web-based | 1 sentence description of the tool |
PicMonkey | Free/$5.99 for a Premium Subscription | Web-based | Web-based software used for editing pictures and creating designs. |
Photo editing can be a confusing as well as expensive process, depending on which program you choose to use. The same thing goes with creating flyers, banners and educational handouts for work. PicMonkey is a website that allows amateur editors to create their own content, using web-based editing software. An editor can create flyers for upcoming events, promotional materials to advertise a service or even edit their black sheep uncle out of their Christmas family photo—if that is the type of thing you need to do.
Photo Editing
Because PicMonkey is a web-based application, it does not require the editor to download any software. In order to use the application, one simply needs to go to www.picmonkey.com. I have found that the best way to use the application is to also create a log-in using a Facebook account. The reason for this, is that when linking the application to your Facebook account, it allows PicMonkey to have access to your pictures that you have uploaded on Facebook. This is really convenient, for editing pictures that you have already uploaded online.
However, don’t be turned off, if you do not use social media. PicMonkey allows the user to upload a picture from the computer using the “browse” method that many people are familiar with. Because not everyone uses a social media account, I will show you how to upload a picture from a computer to edit.
When you hover your mouse over the “edit” icon, on the front page, PicMonkey gives several options for what a user can do. I have found the best option is to choose a photo from your personal computer. The “My Hub” option is for users who have paid the subscription price to use PicMonkey. If you were to begin using this product on a normal basis, then paying for a subscription is a good deal. Realistically, a user shouldn’t need to pay for the application if they are only using it once in a while. As I said before, you can also upload a picture from your Facebook profile, if you have linked the two accounts. It really depends on your preference and if you use social media. The “Samples” option is VERY limited and only really used as a demonstration of what the application has to offer in the ways of editing.
Once you click on “computer,” a window pops up, allowing the user to select a picture that they would like to edit. I decided to edit a terrible picture of myself to show the potential of this application. As you can see on the right hand side of my screen capture, there are several options to choose from to edit myself.
Figure 1: A truly terrifying picture of myself
I have already used the “crop” option to take out the two other people in the photo to protect their identities. In order to shave off about 150 more pounds from the picture, I will use the “crop” feature again to edit out more of myself.
Once you choose where the crop best fits, click “apply” to save the changes.
I am not much for picture editing. But, there are so many options on PicMonkey that it really makes for a great time. The best way to learn all of the functions of the photo editor, is to simply test each one of them out. The most editing I have seen on personal photos is the ability of touching up a picture for blemishes. PicMonkey has a multitude of options for touching up a photo and as you can see from the figure below, there is a scroll bar to browse all the different options for photo-editing.
Not everyone’s job calls for the need of photo editing. That said, I decided I wanted to know what I would look like if my hair was the same texture and color as my beard. For that effect, I used the “clone” feature.
Figure 2: My true self.
While in the hands of someone like myself, this application might be just a fun toy for creating funny content for websites. But, if someone were to use it for a photography business, it could really be a useful tool. The photo-editing potion of PicMonkey is not for everyone and it might not be particularly used for everyday business. Photo-editing is not the most useful potion of the application. That is why, I will tell you about using the “design” functions of PicMonkey.
Saving Your Work
PicMonkey does not let you save your work unless you set up and pay for a membership or set up a trial period at the very least. However, I used the “snipping tool” on my computer to snip my picture and save it anyway. If you do not have this tool, you can also screenshot it, and crop it down on MS Paint or even the picture viewer application on your desktop. You might have to get creative here.
Creating a Design
Back on the dashboard of PicMonkey, click on the “design” icon.
The options available in design give an editor the ability to start from scratch with “blank canvas” or use the already completed “templates” that you can edit to fit your purpose. I have decided to use a blank canvas to make an advertisement for my radio show. PicMonkey, gives the editor options for this very thing. I have selected “Facebook Ad Carousel” since we already advertise our show on that site.
First I started off by uploading a picture from my Facebook page, seen to the left. We took this picture right before a show so it seemed right that we use it to advertise.
The second step I used the exposure function to highlight the photo and used adjusted the saturation and temperature of the photo. I don’t know what any of that means, but what I am saying is that I made adjustments to make my photo look cooler.
Thirdly, I used the “Comic Heroes” in the “Themes” setting to give my photo a Graphic Novel feel.
For the next step, I added some text to advertise our show. With PicMonkey, you are able to change the angles, sizes, colors and types of fonts on your project. Really, the best way to figure out what you want is to experiment with your options. I used the “Drop Shadow” option to make the text stand out from the rest of the picture. Now the text looks 3D.
As I stated before, am not able to save the picture since I do not pay to use PicMonkey, but I used the “Snipping Tool” function of my PC and simply clipped the project and saved it as a JPEG. Here is the final project.
Figure 3: Final Project
Now we are able to post this picture to social media and advertise for our weekly program. Overall, the project took me about an hour to complete and that is with taking the time to experiment with the different options. However, if someone was to become familiar with PicMonkey, they could make much better projects with less time. There are so many functions of the application. Later on, I will link to some videos that help illustrate more functions of PicMonkey.
A teacher or trainer have some uses for PicMonkey outside of the classroom. I found that I have had to take several pictures to use on my department’s website including my professional profile picture. With this application, I am able to edit my photo to take out my red eyes our get rid of blemishes. PicMonkey is the perfect personal application for photo editing.
PicMonkey is also compatible with making videos and creating overlays for them. An instructor is able to use this function to make their videos more interesting and create content that almost feels as if it is interactive. Since so many students attend classes online, this function gives a student the ability to be more involved in a lecture.
Advertisers can also use PicMonkey to promote events or gain attention to services. Photographers can use it for editing photos for their various projects like weddings, family pictures or graduation announcements. Many teachers are also heavily involved in clubs on campuses. The design portion of PicMonkey is a great way to advertise for club events for students. Teachers may want to create flyers for tutoring or other club events on a campus. Flyers need to catch the eye of students and PicMonkey can help with that.
The most intriguing use of PicMonkey is the ability for trainers or teachers to create content for learning in the classroom or online. I have created slideshows for students and as most people know, presentations can be pretty boring. Especially when the audience might not be well invested as it is. In my demonstration, I made a silly photo of myself with red curly hair using the cloning function of the photo editing. I have seen presentations, where instructors injected humor into learning including memes and comical pictures. This technique can help get the attention of the audience.
There are so many distractions around us that getting the attention of an audience has become more and more difficult. Products like PicMonkey have given a presenter the ability to spice up their presentation while still keeping their information. Ted Talks are always entertaining and a great number of them are visually stimulating while keeping with their learning theme.
Depending on what is being taught in the classroom, PicMonkey can also be used by trainers and teachers to foster group work and collaborations in school projects. Students could work together to make a presentation stand out as well as learn how to communicate more clearly with each other when creating a visual aid.
As I said earlier, students are constantly tasked with collaborations and working together on different projects. Likewise, students create new content all the time. A lot of products that are similar to PicMonkey tend to cost a lot to use and are not always very easy to use. This application gives students the ability to work the same way as a teacher would, and create content that stands out in the classroom. Students involved in clubs and groups on campus also create advertisements for their events and PicMonkey is a great tool for recruiting new members into these events.
There are several YouTube videos available from the official PicMonkey Application that showcase all of the features of the product. Here are a few of the best videos to help in your projects.
This first video, gives a great tutorial on how to add graphics to a video online. Adding graphics to a video helps give your web content a more professional look. I mentioned earlier, that videos with graphics and overlays give the ability for a student to be engaged in a lecture. Overlays also are a great attention getter. PicMonkey allows a bland video to stand out from the rest, depending on how creative you can be.
The second video gives “15 Cool Tips and Tricks” in the Design and Photo-editing functions of PicMonkey. It also helps navigate the overlays that are used in editing content. Admittedly, this can seem intimidating, but videos like this really help with that.
PicMonkey is a great tool to use in the design of blogs. Remember: the best way to get people to invest in a blog or any web content for that matter, is to make your product start out. Here is a video about how to use PicMonkey for blogging.
PicMonkey is a fantastic tool for gaining attention for web content for personal use. As I have said already, many of us take online classes and it is really easy to feel disconnected to our fellow classmates or the instructor. PicMonkey is a free product that allows teachers, trainers and students to interact with each other through visual aids. This tool can keep all parties engaged with each other and foster a more entertaining and creative learning environment—even if the students and teachers aren’t in the same location. What will you create?
