LunaPic Online Photo Editor

Introduction to LunaPic

Getting Started

T
he LunaPic Online Photo Editor home page gives you a quick feeling for the overall appearance and functionality of the program as well as the options for uploading photos, images, animations, movies, and more. You will have to scroll the screen up and down to see all the available options. (This is true throughout your usage of the program.)

Because LunaPic does not use Adobe© Flash Player technology, it is not as attractive or sleek as many other online image editing applications. Therefore, for some, it will not seem as intuitive.

The upload area is centered in the middle of the home page, with social network and photo storage areas below. Upload an image and you are ready to go. (Note: File sizes are limited as stated beneath the upload button.)
Primarily, LunaPic is a menu-driven system. All of the tools available from the toolbar to the left of the workspace (where your image loads) are available from the menus; and, in this photo editing application, the menus are easier to use. The toolbar does have pop-up tool tips that tell what each tool does, but I don't believe it has all the available functions that you find on the menubar.

Once you have loaded an image, you will choose a function to perform using either the menu lists or the icons on the toolbar. For many of the functions, options for that function will appear. These may be above or below the image, or both. Until you have used the program enough to remember this layout, it can be quite confusing. For every task performed, you will have the option above the photo to Undo it. Below the image, you will also find a History file with small pictures showing the previous changes to the image. Clicking on any one of them will restore your current image to that version. If you have made a lot of changes, you may see a link that says "See All ## Undos". If so, you can click this link to restore your image to the original version. (The ## will be the number of changes you have made to the original.)

The image above was created very quickly in LunaPic. I removed a couple of weird white spots in the trees using the Zit and Blemish Removal tool, used Normalize to improve the overall color, and then used Blurred Border to create this amazing photo of a beautiful animal.


Photo © guardianstar77, 2012 - All Rights Reserved

User Experience

What Working with LunaPic Is Like

M
y personal opinion is that the Lunapic Online Photo Editor home page, as well as the workspace, needs a serious facelift. It has too much of the appearance and feel of old DOS-based, menu-driven systems. Because it does not use Adobe© Flash Player, it just doesn't compare well in appearance and ease of use with some of the other free online photo editors.

• Ease of Use / Intuitive Interface - Clunky, difficult to use, too much scrolling
• Size of Workspaces - Acceptable
• Attractiveness / Clean Lines - Dull, dated, unappealing
• Excessive Use of Ads - More than desireable; animated ones can be distracting
• Zoom - Magnifying glass on iconbar with options above image; does not hold for use with other tools unless you "make it permanent" - unacceptable for working with small areas such as eyes
• Undo - Seemingly endless levels; revert to original using history file below image
• Redo - Available by selecting previous image from History preview
• Immediate (Live) Preview of Changes - Not for most features; must click Apply to see the effect and this can be very slow
• Full Screen Mode for Editing - No
• Right Click for Additional Options - No
• Keyboard Shortcuts - No

File Management

Where You Can GET and PUT Your Files

I
n the arena of file management, LunaPic Online Photo Editor is a Blue Ribbon winner. Of all the free online photo editing applications I have reviewed, this one offers the widest selection of file formats for both upload and saving of files.

General Information

• Sample Photo for Practice - Yes
• Max File Size - Changes periodically: refer to home page
• Max Resolution - Changes periodically: refer to home page
• Time to load file - Can be slow for larger images, but acceptable

Open / Download

• File Formats - JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP, AVI, MPG, FLV, RM and "many more"
• PC or Laptop - Yes
• Removable Media (flash drive, external hard drive, etc.) - Yes
• Mobile Phone - No
• Social Networks / Photo Storage Sites - Several, including Flickr and Photobucket
• URL (any website) - Yes

Save / Upload / Export

• Files Formats - JPG, PNG, GIF, Optimized GIF, BMP, SWF, MPG
• Save to PC or Laptop - Yes
• Save to Removable Media - Yes
• Save to Mobile Phone - No
• Upload to Social Networks - Several
• Upload to Photo Storage Sites - Yes
• E-mail - No
• Save on Application Host Server - Yes, with registration
• Print - Yes
• Create a Product (similar to Zazzle) - No

Workspaces

• Save to LunaPic (with registration)
• Multiple Images - Sort of; allows you to select another image, but it replaces the existing one. From the home page, you can open multiple files for the purpose of making collages and creating animations. (See link beneath Choose Files button)

Basic Features

Working with the Standard Tools

M
ost of the common, basic features of an online photo editor are available with LunaPic. Some functions have tools on the toolbar. All the ones on the toolbar, as well as some others, are available from the menus.

• Crop - Yes
• Copy - Yes
• Resize / Scale - Yes, enter size in pixels or drag selection handles on image
• Flip - Not so named but can be flipped horizontally using Mirror on Adjust menu
• Rotate - Yes; by degrees, clockwise only
• Marquee Selections - Yes, for some tools
• Advanced Selection Tools (lasso, oval, etc.) - Yes, found under the Crop tool
• Increase Canvas Size - Yes

Text Capabilities

Some Good; Some Bad

T
he text function in LunaPic Online Photo Editor is neither the best nor the worst available in the world of free online photo editors. It offers some effects not commonly found, such as the ability to apply a variety of textures (patterns) to the text, but is missing the ability to move or edit the text once an effect has been applied.

When creating text, some of the changes update the preview image immediately. Others can only be seen once the effect has been applied. If it isn't what you wanted, you have to Undo and re-create it. The constant "experimenting" until you get the effect you want can become time-consuming. Some of the fonts, however, are great.

• Range of Fonts - Good, but all are unique to LunaPic; no standard, commonly used options
• Font Preview - No
• Color - Yes
• Size - Yes; type in the point size for the text
• Bold / Italics / Underline - No
• Placement on Image - Yes, drag to position
• Rotation - Yes, by degrees, clockwise only; cannot enter a negative integer for counterclockwise rotation
• Transparency - Yes; makes the background invisible; does not affect opacity of the font although you can choose the option to make the text itself transparent
• Special Effects - Border color helps define the text
• Move / Reposition after De-select - No
• Edit after De-select - No

The above picture is of my amazing middle grandson who is sweet-spirited, compassionate, occasionally devilish, and an off-the-charts genius. Appropriately, I added text to so name him. At the time this picture was made, he had a nasty red sore right between his eyes where his cousin accidentally hit him with a golf club. I removed it using the Zit and Blemish Remover. I also enhanced the overall appearance using the Normalize function.


Photo © guardianstar77, 2012 - All Rights Reserved

Photo / Image Enhancement Tools

Fine Tuning with LunaPic Online Photo Editor

T
he majority of the standard options for enhancing photos are available in LunaPic. In addition, there are a couple of other tools worth mentioning. Mirror flips the image horizontally while Mirror and Copy makes a duplicate of your photo, with the image flipped horizontally and placed beside the original. On some photos, the Normalize function under Adjust also does a very good job of color and light correction.

• Hue / Saturation - Yes
• Contrast / Brightness - Yes
• Color Balance / Correction / Enhancement - Yes
• Levels - No
• Curves - No
• Exposure - Yes
• Desaturate - Has B&W image option
• Blur - Yes
• Noise - No
• Sharpen - Yes

The photo above is a picture of my two sons taken when they were very small, which was more than 30 years ago. It was taken with a regular-film camera, printed professionally and stored for many years. It had begun to fade with age so I scanned it to preserve what was left of it as it is one of my favorite photos. Using several of the photo enhancement tools within LunaPic, I was able to produce this very nice version of that photo. Below is a small version of the original scanned image before editing in LunaPic.



Photo © guardianstar77, 2012 - All Rights Reserved

Common Add-On Features

L
unaPic is missing most of the add-on features common in free online image editors. It does have a couple of others that are not usually found, such as Blend Two Images and Photo Spread, that are very cool. The Buttonize option puts a nice, beveled edge around your image. And, I love the Blurred Border!

• Red Eye Reduction - Yes; it works, but you have to repeat it several times for each eye, which is obnoxious as you have to reselect the tool from the menu each time and the zoom tool doesn't work in conjunction with the red-eye reduction
• Frames / Borders - Yes; several options under different menu items; none of them are great, but some are acceptable and unique
• Shapes - Yes, limited and found under the Pencil and Paintbrush tools
• Stickers / Stamps - No, with the exception of one called Censored Box
• Talk Bubbles - No
• Polaroid - Yes, but there are no options for how it will look
• Collage - Yes
• Face-in-a-Hole - Yes, but the only choice is paper money

The image shown here was created by adding two images and using the Blend Two Images function. I then applied the Glass Tile effect (which is under Draw), and applied a beveled edge using the Buttonize option. I think it produced a very intriguing image.


Photos Courtesy of morgueFile

Common Filters / Effects

Sprucing Up Your Photos

A
lthough LunaPic has some extremely good animation effects (which we will discuss shortly), the more common filters and effects are either non-existent or very poor. I think this is because the program was written more for social network sites (particularly MySpace) than for those who want to create serious art projects with their photos.

One of the nicest effects, called Glass Tiles, is on the Draw menu. I have no idea why it's on that menu, but it is one that can greatly enhance an image as it makes the photo appear as if it is being seen through a multi-paned glass window.

• Kaleidoscope - Yes, but no options
• Liquid Waves / Waves - No
• Ripple - No
• Water Ripple - No
• Twirl / Swirl - No
• Edge Detection - No
• Lighting Effects - No
• Lens Flare - Yes, but no options
• Sphere - No
• Emboss - Yes
• Pixelate - Yes
• Textures - Yes, but limited to a few presets
• Terrain / Bump Map - No

Advanced Photo Editing Features

To Enlighten Graphics Artists and Illustrators

L
unaPic Online Photo Editor is devoid of most of the advanced features commonly used by graphics artists, illustrators and designers. There is no support at all for layers, the pen tool is missing entirely, and the Pencil and Paintbrush tools are too seriously limited for graphics use or illustration.

• Pixel-Based / Bitmap Editing - No
• 16-Bit Support - No
• CMYK Color Space - No
• Range of Brushes - Limited; can select type (freehand, rectangle, etc.), size and color, but not opacity settings
• Range of Shapes - Shapes available as option on Pencil and Paintbrush tools
• Pen Tool - No
• Layers - No
• Tablet Support - No

Animation

Blue Ribbon Quality

E
asy animation is the area where LunaPic shines. Along with the tools for creating your own animations from scratch, there is an impressive list of preset animation effects that work beautifully.

For the animated cube seen here, I selected the Rotating Cube option from the Animation menu. You will be prompted to load three images. This may take a few minutes, depending on the size of the images you have selected. However, it is certainly worth the wait. This one features my three youngest grandchildren. Some of the other available options are excellent for making slideshows and other animated scenarios.


And, some of them just create really beautiful pictures with a single mouse click. In this image, I simply chose a gorgeous sunset photo and selected the Reflecting Water option to create this absolutely fabulous image of the beautiful sunset reflecting off a body of water!



Original Photos © guardianstar77, 2012 - All Rights Reserved
Sunset Photo Courtesy of morgueFile

3D Transformations within LunaPic

Sorry - These Tools Don't Exist

O
ther than the static 3D cube on the Effects menu and the Rotating Cube found on the Animation menu, there are no 3D transformation tools available in LunaPic. You can create drop shadows for a bit of a 3D effect and the Buttonize tool will create a nice, crisp beveled edge, but that's about it. When adding borders, some of them have the option to make the border look 3D. As for true 3D object creation, however, there are no tools.

Noticeably Missing Features

What You WON'T Find in LunaPic

W
e have already covered most of the missing components of LunaPic . These include the common adds-ons, common effects and filters and advanced photo enhancement features.

For me, the most noticeably missing feature is the ability to select objects (such as text) for editing, resizing and placement after the effect has been applied. Many of the popular free online photo editing applications available today do include this capability, so it is disappointing that you cannot do this within LunaPic.

Unique Additional Features of LunaPic

Cool Things You WILL Find

L
unaPic is missing many of the basic functions that commonly are found in other free online photo editors. However, it does have some non-standard features that deserve mentioning.

• Upload from Webcam - In all the research I have done, LunaPic is the only photo editing application I have found so far that allows upload from a Webcam.


• File Formats - The list of file formats that LunaPic can upload and save are truly above and beyond the norm.


• Animation - Extremely Good presets as well as the ability to create your own animations from scratch. I am not an animator so I really didn't test the "from scratch" options, but I spent a lot of time with the presets, and some of them are really outstanding.


• Blurred Border - I have not found this effect in any other free online image editing application, and it is one of my favorite looks.

Environment of LunaPic

General Things You Need to Know

L
unaPic's general environment is pretty standard for free online photo editing applications. It is actually used as the interface application on several other websites, such as MyTheme. It has been around a long time and hasn't changed much since the first time I used it.

• Registration Required - No


• Premium / Pro Upgrade Available - No


• Plug-Ins (manageable within program) - No


• Frequency of Updates - Doesn't appear to have been updated at all since the first time I ever used it, although the animation capabilities may have been added more recently


• Terms of Use - I could find no published Terms of Use / Service for LunaPic, including any rights you may be granting them if you choose to store your photos on their server.

Link to LunaPic Online Photo Editor

Training and Support

What Help Is Available

T
here is a fair amount of Training and Support for LunaPic. Inside the application itself are some helpful links as well as a Contact Us option. You can also find a few good external tutorials.

• Help Menu Available within Application - Yes


• FAQ / Knowledge Base / Tutorials within Application - There are actually two menus that offer help and training. Under the Help menu, there are several links for FAQs, Bug Report, Contact Us and more.


• Forums / Blogs / Community Groups - The LunaPic forum link is found on the Help menu.


• Internal Training / Tutorials - Under the Tutorials menu, you will find links for several tutorials (some of which link to forum posts) that are worth reading / watching.


• External Training / Tutorials - There are a few YouTube videos. Most of these focus on using specific tools within the application, such as Blend Two Images and Make Transparent Text.

Summary of LunaPic Online Photo Editor

The Big Picture

Overall, I find LunaPic to be an old and very dated application that is missing a lot of the functionality and usability of some of its competitors in the field of free online photo editors. As a tool for day-to-day use as a photo editor, it would not be my choice. However, if I wanted to create animations or wanted to enhance my existing photos with some dramatic, easy-to-use animation effects, I would certainly want to be familiar with this application!

Tiger Photo Courtesy of morgueFile

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Why I Wrote about LunaPic

Meet the Author

guardianstar77 is a writer, graphics design artist, nature enthusiast and lover of everything that resembles a horse. She lives in Central Arkansas and shares her life with a husband of over 40 years, 2 sons, and 5 fabulous grandchildren. guardianstar77 is not domesticated, finding that spending time doing almost anything else beats doing housework. Her passions include recycling, frugal living, feeding the hungry, old-fashioned vintage everything, nature, reading, writing, flea markets and yard sales, Christmas, mystical creatures, carousels, and artwork filled with glorious earthy colors.

guardianstar77 is a devout Christian, a staunch conservative, a passionate American, and a defender of capitalism. Although she is, by her own definition, somewhat of a "professional hermit crab", guardianstar77 is deeply loyal to her family and those she chooses to have as friends. When not pursuing writing and artistic goals, she spends her time deepening those relationships.

guardianstar77 is a long-standing member of Squidoo, and she shares her royalties with many Squidoo charities. View all my lenses!