14 DAY TRIAL // Applying some cool effects on images for a niftier look is not always reserved to professionals or expensive software. PhotBling and PostworkShop are two programs bent exactly on this task, offering an easy-to-use environment for the average Joe to reach professional looking results with regular pictures.
Both of them have in common the huge amount of filters to choose from and the possibility to create some more on your own with minimum effort.
PostworkShop
[admark=1]If the stack of 350+ filters it encompasses are not enough, you can download at least another 40 of them from the developer’s website free of charge. If you still demand for more, the application gives you the chance to create your own and store them for later use.
The application does wonders by simply applying the effects, but in case the result is not to your taste you can combine multiple filters together until you get what you want. Also, plenty of the effects come with their own settings, so more tweaking can be done to reach the desired look for your image.
PostworkShop can help you process the image into a sketch, render it as a painting created with different techniques and styles; applying different tints to make it appear older than time, or you can for that popular sepia look instead. All this and more is available in the Styles section of the program.
PostworkShop comes in three editions, Basic, Artist (available with a 60% discount) and Pro, the first one being free of charge, while the feature rich Pro has a price tag with $99 written on it (but you can get it at $65 from here).
PhotoBling
PhotoBling comes at the price of $22, but the only limitation of the evaluation version is a nag screen. It is not as rich in options as PostworkShop, but it is a great alternative as well.
With over 100 filter presets available, PhotoBling allows you to turn portraits into sketches or pimp it with different amounts of glitter. You can use it to cast different lighting, to soften the entire picture or cartoonify it, since it is so popular nowadays. Additional possibilities let you adjust the luminosity and contrast of the loaded item.
Add frames, sparks or simply blur the entire image to the amount you want or turn it into a sketch. All this can be achieved through the one-click presets the application makes available. But, just like in the case of PostworkShop, you are not denied the possibility to create your own effects by combining multiple presets together.
Note: Both applications require higher than average amounts of RAM in order to function properly and apply the effects swifter.