Have you considered using Picsart as one of your top tools for design? While many users love design software like Canva and Adobe Photoshop, there are many better alternatives, and Picsart could be one of them. The truth is everything is digitized these days, and people want to look into the latest apps for more convenience and better design methods.
Although Picsart has been around for over a decade, the app has significantly changed since its launch. Yet, exploring all its capabilities is essential before implementing this tool into your workflow. That way, you can decide whether this tool is for you.
What Is Picsart?
Picsart is a photo editing and digital art app that was first released in 2011. The app is available on smartphones and tablets — you can also use it on desktop. This platform is mainly known for editing pictures.
You can use it to add filters, text and stickers. Users can also draw on their photos using various brushes within the app. It even helps you speed up your editing process by using Generative AI. Over 20 AI features work their magic, whether you need to create a background, a photo or a GIF. The ideas are endless for what you can imagine with Picsart.
There is a large collection of effects to make your photos look unique and interesting. Yet, if you need more than one stock photo for your design, Picsart lets you combine them. It’s a popular tool for all users who like editing photos for fun or work. Moreover, it enables you to take a test run of its features without even signing up.
What Are the Pros and Cons of Picsart?
Picsart has various features that make it a useful app for designers. However, each tool comes with its own drawbacks. To gain a clear picture of whether it will benefit or hinder your design process, learning about its pros and cons will help you decide.
Pros
- Various editing options: The app offers several editing features, from image cropping and resizing to more advanced photo manipulation components.
- Easy to use: Once you get started, it’s easy to dive right into each of its capabilities. Its elements are clearly labeled, making it simple for beginners to use.
- Creative flexibility: With many filters, effects and stickers, you have numerous options to unleash your imagination.
- Design more than photos: Picsart is similar to Canva, where you can create everything from flyers to social media content.
- Design shortcuts: The app offers plenty of time-saving features, such as background removal, AI image generation and batch editing.
Cons
- Performance issues: Some users find the app to run more slowly when using more resource-intensive features, such as drawing.
- In-app purchases: While Picsart has a free version, you must pay an additional monthly subscription to access its advanced features and premium content.
- Limited features in the free version: The app’s free version has numerous features, but the amount of content and templates it provides is limited.
What Are Picsart’s Features and Tools?
Picsart has several useful features that may make it your choice for designing graphics or editing photos.
1. Customize Brush Effects
Picsart has a few brushes to choose from, but it’s limited in options. If you like to draw using your tablet, you can create brushes to add your own touches or make detailed artwork. You can do this using custom shapes or textures and adjust the sizing and opacity. You can also use different blending modes to produce other effects.
2. Generate Art With AI
Like Canva, you can make design even quicker and easier by using AI to assist you. Users can input text prompts, select specific styles, and generate artwork with AI technology. This tool is perfect for exploring new possibilities or adding a new twist to your visual content. Moreover, if you’re a beginner at design, AI can help you bring your ideas to life with a click of a button.
3. Sticker Creator
The sticker maker feature lets you design your own stickers. You can create stickers from your photos or drawings and customize them with text, layers and other effects. This tool is perfect for personalizing images or creating fun visuals for social media projects.
4. Batch Editing
Photo editing can be time-consuming, especially when working on one image at a time. Plus, your pictures can turn out much differently than you wanted when working on a group of photos. Yet, you can save time and ensure consistency across a series of images with Picsart’s batch-editing tool.
5. Numerous Photo Effects
With Picsart, you can get as creative as possible with all its photo effects. From color adjustments to stunning filters, you have various looks to experiment with. This feature makes it perfect for anyone looking for a certain aesthetic or brand style.
6. A Large Stock Photo Library or Upload Your Own
Picsart has various stock photos to choose from, all being high-quality images. Having lots of stock images is a good feature to look for in a graphic design tool, especially when you’re not into taking photos yourself. However, you can work with your own images by uploading them onto the site. Therefore, users have many options to work with, whether from the app or their personal collection.
7. Collage Maker
Picsart lets you combine multiple photos into one. It offers various templates to choose from, including grids and specific themes. It even enables you to freestyle your own arrangements. This feature is perfect for creating photo presentations, mood boards and memory collages.
How the App Caters to Designer’s Creative Needs
Picsart is a helpful tool for all graphic designers who need to whip up something quickly. Like Canva and other online design tools, you have a platform that is simple to use. Designers often need to experiment with ideas, and Picsart allows for fast editing and exploration of concepts. When working with tight deadlines, this can be the tool you need to enhance your creative process.
The app’s numerous filters and magic effects enable designers to create distinctive styles, allowing you to make your work stand out. This is essential, especially when working in the marketing industry. For instance, suppose you need to create visuals for social media — Picsart’s various features allow you to create appealing content that stimulates engagement.
Lastly, a graphic designer’s job is never complete. Maybe you forgot to add a certain piece of text to your graphic, or a collaborator asked for a last-minute change. You can easily return to where you left off within your saved files. Moreover, Picsart lets you design from anywhere, whether you’re near a computer or need to make those changes while on the go through your phone. It’s a convenient app that supports all your graphic design needs.
How Picsart Compares to Other Design Tools
Picsart has various similarities to other online design tools, but considering how they compare can help you decide if this tool is right for your workflow:
- User interface: The platform is user-friendly compared to tools like Adobe Photoshop, which offers more advanced features. It can help you get started more easily when you need more time to learn skills in graphic design.
- Included features: Picsart has many features suitable for quick, creative designs. However, it’s not as in-depth as functionality in more specialized software like Adobe Illustrator or CorelDraw.
- On-the-go design: The platform is primarily a mobile app, offering the convenience of editing wherever you are. While desktop applications are more powerful, they don’t provide the same level of portability.
- Cost: Picsart is more affordable with its free version and $5 per month Plus plan. With other design software like Canva, you can use it for free. However, its Pro plan costs twice as much, starting at $119.99 annually.
- Creative flexibility: For quick, creative edits and social media content, Picsart is highly effective. Yet, tools like Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator are winners for complex, print-quality designs.
- Integration and workflow: Professional tools often provide better integration with other software, which is important in a professional design workflow. While Picsart is versatile, it’s more standalone.
Using Picsart to Create Beautiful Designs
Picsart is a great choice for those needing a basic graphic design and photo-editing tool. It’s perfect for professionals seeking software with numerous creative features and offers quick edits. So, give Picsart a try by exploring its features. Doing so will allow you to see how it can easily enhance your visual projects.
About The Author
Cooper Adwin is the Assistant Editor of Designerly Magazine. With several years of experience as a social media manager for a design company, Cooper particularly enjoys focusing on social and design news and topics that help brands create a seamless social media presence. Outside of Designerly, you can find Cooper playing D&D with friends or curled up with his cat and a good book.