A program for opening photos on a computer. Photo viewers: which is better

21.10.2019

Hello.

Today, in order to view photos and pictures, it is far from necessary to use third-party programs at all (in modern Windows 7/8, the explorer does not do a bad job with this). But not always and not all of its capabilities are enough. Well, for example, can you quickly change the resolution of the picture in it, or view all the properties of the picture at the same time, crop the edges, change the extension?

Not so long ago, I had to face a similar problem: the pictures were archived into an archive and in order to view them, I had to extract it. Everything would be fine, but there were hundreds of archives and packing, unpacking is a very dreary task. It turns out that there are also programs for viewing pictures and photos that can show you images directly in archives without extracting them!

In general, this idea of this post was born - to talk about such user “helpers” for working with photos and pictures (by the way, such programs are often called viewers, from the English. Viewers). So, let's begin…

1. ACDSee

One of the most famous and popular programs for viewing and editing photos and images (by the way, there is both a paid version of the program and a free one).

The possibilities of the program are simply colossal:

Support for RAW images (professional photographers save pictures in them);

All kinds of file editing: photo resizing, trimming edges, rotation, captions for pictures, etc.;

Support for popular cameras and pictures from them (Canon, Nikon, Pentax and Olympus);

Convenient presentation: you can immediately see all the pictures in the folder, their properties, extension, etc.;

Russian language support;

A huge number of supported formats (you can open almost any image: jpg, bmp, raw, png, gif, etc.).

Outcome: if you often work with photos - you should definitely be familiar with this program!

This program combines minimalism with great functionality. The program window is divided (by default) into three areas: on the left is a column with your disks and folders, in the center at the top - thumbnails for files in this folder, and at the bottom is an enlarged view of the image. Very convenient, by the way!

It should be noted that this program has a large number of options: multi-converting images, editing images, changing the extension, resolution, etc.

By the way, there are a couple interesting notes on a blog featuring this program:

Converting photos from one format to another:

Create a PDF file from images:

XnView supports over 500 formats! Even this alone deserves to have this “software” on a PC.

3. IrfanView

One of oldest programs for viewing pictures and photographs, has been leading its history since 2003. Purely in my opinion, this utility used to be more popular than it is now. At the dawn of Windows XP, apart from it and ACDSee, there is nothing to remember ...

Irfan View is minimalist: there is nothing superfluous at all. Nevertheless, the program provides high-quality viewing of all kinds of graphic files (and it supports several hundred different formats), allowing you to scale them from very large to small.

It is impossible not to note the excellent support for plugins (and there are quite a lot of them for this program). You can add, for example, support for viewing video clips, viewing PDF files and DJVU (many books and magazines on the Internet are distributed in this format).

The program does a good job of converting files. Multi-conversion is especially pleasing (in my opinion, this option is implemented better in Irfan View than in many other programs). If there are many photos that need to be compressed, then Irfan View will do it quickly and efficiently! I recommend to get acquainted!

4. FastStone Image Viewer

According to many independent estimates - this free program is one of the best for viewing and working with pictures. Its interface is somewhat reminiscent of ACDSee: convenient, concise, everything is at hand.

FastStone Image Viewer supports all major image files, as well as some RAW. There is also a slideshow function, image editing: cropping, resizing, expanding, hiding red-eye (especially useful when editing photos).

It is impossible not to note the support of the Russian language right out of the box (i.e. automatically after the first launch you will have Russian selected by default, no third-party plug-ins, such as, for example, need to be installed on Irfan View).

And a couple more features that are not available in other similar programs:

Effects (more than a hundred unique effects are implemented in the program, a whole visual library);

Color correction and smoothing (many people note that pictures can look much more attractive when viewed in FastStone Image Viewer).

5.Picasa

This is not only a viewer of various images (and the program supports them in large numbers, more than a hundred), but also an editor, and not a bad one at that!

First of all, the program is distinguished by the ability to create albums from various images, and then burn them to different types media: disks, flash drives, etc. It is very convenient if you need to make several collections from various photos!

There is also a chronology function: all photos can be viewed as they were created (not to be confused with the date of copying to a computer, by which other utilities are sorted).

It is impossible not to mention the possibility of restoring old photos (even black-and-white ones): you can remove scratches from them, carry out color correction, and clean them from “noise”.

The program allows you to apply watermarks to pictures: this is such a small inscription or picture (logo) that protects your photo from copying (or, at least, if it is copied, then everyone will know that it is yours). This feature will be especially useful for site owners where they have to post photos in large numbers.

I think that the presented programs will be enough for most tasks of the "average" user. And if not, then, most likely, there is nothing to advise except Adobe Photoshop ...

By the way, perhaps many will be interested in how to make an online photo frame or a beautiful text:

That's all, good luck viewing the photo!

Modern development of computer technology has led to the fact that graphic images with the use of specific formats is becoming more and more. This is especially strong due to the fact that each manufacturer of cameras (especially SLRs) tries to take photos in their own format (although universal formats are also present). And sometimes the question is, choose and download image viewers, is very important. To date, there are a fairly large number of programs that allow you not only to view, but also edit graphic files and objects. For now, we will focus only on viewers. In the modern computer world, there are a great many of them, as well as file formats with which they can work. Among the most common formats are JPEG, TIFF, GIF, PNG, BMP, ICO and some others. If you look, built-in viewers for graphic images are available in any operating system. Even if we take into account even such file manager such as FAR, which to a certain extent resemble Norton Commander, it also has a graphics preview function, despite the fact that it is a kind of add-on in the form of a DOS system for Windows. The latest operating systems of the Windows family have a built-in program that opens graphic images by default. However, it is worth noting that the previewer from Microsoft, may not work with all types of images. In this case, it is much more convenient to use special programs that recognize maximum amount formats. It's no secret that each camera manufacturer, in addition to the usual standard JPEG format, can use its own file format to save photos in the camera's memory or on a removable card in order to reduce the size of the saved file and save disk space. When viewing such images, most likely, you will have to use the device on which this photo was taken. Converting an image from a private to a public format can take quite a long time. This is where programs come to the rescue that are able to recognize an image, even if this file has a different extension. Such programs allow you to view graphic files even if they are renamed. Let's say in some Commander you changed the file extension from .JPG to .TXT. The program will not detect the difference between the formats, although the system will indicate that the latter is, after all, a text file (although, in fact, it does not belong to such). You can download such programs for viewing images on our website. It seems that the use of a standard graphic viewer Windows files becomes more and more irrelevant. On our website you can download free programs to view images.

The image viewer in Windows 7 is installed with the system and does not need to be additional setting. To start viewing the image, you just need to double-click the left mouse button on the photo icon. An application window will open in front of you and the desired picture will be shown.

The program window has basic tools that allow you to manage settings and set basic parameters for the image.

If you wish, you can zoom in or out on the photo using the mouse wheel or the magnifying glass icon at the bottom left of the screen. Click on the zoom icon and select the area you want to zoom in with the left mouse button. To zoom out, click on the arrow next to the magnifying glass icon and select "Zoom Out", then select the desired area in the same way with the left mouse button.

To move to the next picture in the pictures folder, click on the right arrow. To view the previous picture, click on the left arrow. The central button allows you to start playing a slideshow of the images available in the catalog in full screen. To print a picture, use the "Print" button at the top of the program window. If you want to delete a picture, use the button in the form of a cross in the lower right part of the program window. Confirm the delete operation by clicking on the "Yes" button in the dialog box that appears.

Opening through alternative programs

You can view Windows 7 photos through alternative photo viewer apps. Their advantage is the possibility of using more a wide range tools for viewing and editing. Among the most multifunctional programs we can note Picasa, ACDSee, FastStone Image Viewer, XnView, IrfanView.

Programs can scan the file system for photos, and then sort them into categories, apply filters, change colors and create small slideshows.

Study the proposed programs and download them to your computer by visiting the official website of the developer. Run the file you received for installation. Complete the installation by following the instructions in the app. After completing the procedure, right-click on the photo you want to view, then click "Open With". Select the program you installed from the list, and then click OK. You can start viewing and editing the image.

Windows Photo Viewer

This is a standard Windows 7 program that is installed with operating system. Also, it's the easiest one to find. Its functionality is minimal:

view images of all formats;
automatic display of photos in the form of a slide show;
increase and decrease;
Rotate a photo 360 degrees.

He can't do anything else. Although why do you need more if its only function is to view pictures. And he does great with it. It is also worth noting that this Windows 7 image viewer, due to its simplicity, consumes a minimum amount of RAM, so it starts up quickly and runs like clockwork.

Paint

The well-known standard drawing tool for PC. Most often, it is with her that children begin their acquaintance with the computer. However, in combination, it is a good Windows image viewer for almost all common formats.

In addition to multiple drawing features, it has a very useful function of rotating and reflecting the image horizontally and diagonally. In addition, it can be used to save a graphic element in a different format.

Free

- FastStone Image Viewer. A very common image viewer, it has an intuitive interface and is easy to use. Everything is in plain sight, almost all tool buttons are clear at a glance, the folder tree will help you find photos without leaving the program, thumbnails of pictures are shown.

In addition, the utility is notable for its great functionality for editing and small processing of photos, as well as the ability to view them in full screen mode. In the same mode, you can edit using the pop-up toolbar.

A distinctive feature of the program is the function of collective renaming of files, it is called "Batch conversion \ rename". For more convenient viewing, you can create a slideshow with quite interesting settings (show in random order, use effects and music, compress photos, etc.).

- picasa. Also a very famous image viewer. It has both a simple and sophisticated design. When you open a picture, the editing panel immediately opens using filters (auto-correction of light, retouching, remove red eyes, etc.). In addition, you can experiment with colors, brightness and contrast.

As in the previous program, there is a function slide show creation with the addition of a variety of effects, transitions and music. However, the main feature of Picasa is not in this. She is famous for being able to find certain person on a photo or group pictures with a certain personality.

An excellent utility for familiarization with graphic files. It has a stylish modern design. Supports a lot of well-known and not so image formats. It can be controlled using hot keys, and it is also possible to make a caption for the photo in it. In addition, with its help, any picture can easily become wallpaper on your desktop.

This utility does not contain any major editing features. However, it differs somewhat from its relatives in that it does not need to be installed, and it is not case bound. Therefore, you can safely carry it on a USB flash drive and use it to view different kind Images.

Program from Microsoft Office

The world-famous Microsoft Office software package is installed on almost every computer. It includes a large number of office utilities, among which there is also an image viewer. It's called Microsoft Office Picture Manager.

Its functionality is small, but it is enough for viewing photos and editing them a little. With it, you can:

flip or rotate the image;
crop or change resolution;
adjust color, brightness and contrast;
remove the red-eye effect, etc.

This utility is able to open graphic elements of many formats. The only caveat is that the software package license from Microsoft is paid, and it costs a lot. But you can find a hacked office on torrents (however, it is highly undesirable to do this, since a rather large fine threatens to use pirated programs).

Which is better to choose?

Of course, it is impossible to definitely say which is the best image viewer. It all depends on the preferences of the user, what features he wants to see and what to do with the photo. But we can definitely say that it is useful to have a couple of different programs. For example, you can use the standard utility for simple viewing and Paint for minimal editing and resaving, and additionally install FastStone Image Viewer for advanced action with graphic files.

We have analyzed the most popular free "viewers" with options for editing, cataloging graphic files, and their paid counterparts. We gave each a fair assessment and considered typical situations, the convenience of using different software for specific purposes. Conclusions suggest themselves.

If all you need is to watch photos and pictures downloaded from the Internet in full screen, install one of the trinity IrfanView, FastStone Image Viewer, Universal Viewer. This software is absolutely free, instantly opens files, conveniently scales. In addition, FastStone Image Viewer supports batch renaming, file conversion, IrfanView's advantage in creating photo albums, Universal Viewer also supports playback of audio, video, screenshots in any format.

In the nomination of the best photo viewer for the home, FastStone Image Viewer and XnView are confidently leading. On their side, support for a large number of formats, the presence of all the simple functions of editing, converting. Well, if you become a happy owner of an operating system Windows systems 10 and do not even need primitive image editing on a computer, the built-in Windows image and photo file viewer will help out.

For semi-professional use, in fact, two applications XnView and Picasa are suitable. The latter will especially please group administrators in in social networks, because it allows you to easily create collages and can synchronize photos on different devices using account Google. The only serious contender for the title professional software in our selection - this is ACDSee. There is cataloging, processing, cloud synchronization between different copies of the application and other options for specialists, but the price of a licensed copy bites.

STDU Viewer stands apart, because it serves to read e-books and edit-protected documentation in PDF, Djvu and other similar formats. The choice is yours, and the download link can always be found above. Also, the review did not include quite interesting applications Zoner Photo Studio and Ashampoo Photo Commander Free. The fact is that their functionality goes far beyond the standard weaver and includes, for example, tools for capturing the screen (creating screenshots), overlaying watermarks, and compiling slideshows. Read our other reviews, for sure, you will be interested