14 DAY TRIAL // Sometimes, editing images to make them look better is enough for most users, but creating a nice cover or a photo album that hints at the content inside is equally important. This can be achieved through applications designed to make image collages.
Collagerator has been specifically developed for this purpose and to provide users an easy way to assemble multiple pictures on a single sheet.
At the moment, the developer lists it as being in beta stage of development and offers it free of charge. However, there is no clear information about the application’s price or whether it will maintain the freebie status once it reaches a stable release.
Getting the application on the system is far from being a tough task as the entire procedure is standard and there are no third-party applications to be aware of being pushed on the system.
Looks are not impressive, but Collagerator features an intuitive interface that does not require any special skills for handling. The main screen allows you to start creating a new collage from scratch as well as open previously saved projects that still need attention before completion.
Beginning a new project is carried out in an assisted manner that does not allow room for mistakes. You start by choosing one of the five themes at your disposal.
Although it may look like there is little to pick from, there are customization options that increase the possibilities. For each of the themes, Collagerator provides different sizes and orientation for the output result.
It can create a collage that would fit perfectly as a postcard or a wallet as well as various other sizes. Additional preset sizes include iPhone and iPad retina screen or the regular dimensions used for pictures. Alternatively, you can customize the settings and save them as your own preset option.
Loading up the images in the project is done through drag and drop; a few seconds later, the files are imported and integrated into the selected theme.
Each item can be further arranged and resized to fit the page. However, not all themes permit free moving of the items; with some of them you can change the position of an image only to replace another or you cannot resize or turn them at all.
Photo Drop is the most flexible of all themes as it allows overlapping the images (with the possibility to send them back or bring them to foreground), turning them to different angles as well as resizing them.
Some customization options for the collage are available in the application window. These refer to coloring the background (solid or gradient) as well as enabling a white frame for each photo.
Additionally, there is the possibility to enable shadows and define their distance, color, angle and blur radius. All modifications are previewed in real time, so you know exactly what the result looks like before saving the project.
Collagerator is not difficult to work with; functions are intuitive and even if the theme and photos have been picked, you can change your mind at whim; the same goes for the page setup, only that in this case, you won’t be able to select a different preset but provide custom values.
If you decide to rotate the pictures using the mouse, you will notice that the image rotates only to an about 45-degree angle left/right. However, a 90-degree rotation is possible from the list of images in the right hand part of the application window.
Collagerator is extremely easy to use, but from what we’ve noticed during tests, it can also gulp up a good deal of system resources. On the up side, this happens only upon importing images.
In our case, on a Core2Duo system, it required more than 87% CPU and about 97MB of RAM to complete the task. On a more powerful machine, though, its impact on overall performance should be well within acceptable limits.
This application is not for professionals, but it offers a simple way to create stunning collage projects. Larger projects requiring more time for completion can be saved for a later time. And there are no hidden settings or functions and all you have to do is drop the pics and arrange them for a better fit.
Even if it is promoted as a beta version, we encountered no problems during our tests and all projects were carried out as expected.