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FastStone Image Viewer for Windows

  • Free

  • In English
  • V 7.8
  • 4.2

    (1217)
  • Security Status

Dinkar Kamat
Dinkar KamatUpdated 3 months ago

Powerful free image viewing suite with additional editing options

FastStone Image Viewer's name is slightly misleading, as it is both an image viewer for photographies and an editor. While it can't compete with the nifty features in leading image-editing suites, it's viewing options are top notch.

Image viewing and editing

FastStone Image Viewer comes with a great range of image viewing options. First off, there is the standard file browser that displays thumbnails of your images with a preview window for the file that is currently selected. The program also offers an option to check out individual pictures in full-screen mode and as a slideshow with different background effects, as well as the ability to zoom and magnify your photos.

Other options include the ability to compare up to four images side by side so you can decide which ones you want to keep, as well as tag your images (with location) and view EXIF information (camera settings and scene data).

However, FastStone Image Viewer goes beyond simply displaying images. You can perform quick edits to really bring out the best in your pics, such as adding a stylish frame that acts as a mask to reduce the sharp edges or adding borders, watermarks, and sketch and oil painting effects.

Or, if you happen to be working with 3D, FastStone Image Viewer also offers a very effective bump map option that will serve you well for texturing. There are also the standard tools for resizing, cropping, brightness/darkness adjustment, sharpness/blur, grayscale and red-eye removal, as well as more advanced tools for adjusting levels, curves, and lighting.

Other features include batch converting into PDF, JPG, PNG and TIFF files and the option to take screen captures and add text, lines, and shapes in the Draw Board menu. FastStone Image Viewer also supports touch interface input.

Over-complicated layout

FastStone Image Viewer's interface looks a bit outdated and it's much too busy. It's not immediately obvious what all the buttons at the top of the screen do and it over complicates the layout. But the drop-down menus are well organized and logical, which makes it much easier to access the options you need.

When you are viewing your images in full-screen mode you can still access the different tools by hovering your mouse over the four corners of the screen, which is a useful trick and helps make the program more user-friendly. Or you can right click on the screen to get some basic navigation and editing options.

You can change the skin of FastStone Image Viewer if you prefer a different style (MacX, Windows XP, Windows Classic etc).

Stick to image viewing

There's healthy competition in the image viewer arena and FastStone Image Viewer offers plenty of great features in a fairly easy-to-use (if not very attractive) package. However, the program seems to be having an identity crisis and can't quite decide if it's an image editor or viewer. If FastStone Image Viewer sticks to developing its range of great options for viewing images then it will remain a top choice to download. The portable version can be found on the developer's website. Finally, if you are looking for more free alternatives to this program, we recommend you to download IrfanView or XnView.

FastStone Image Viewer is an image browser, viewer, converter and editor with an easy-to-use interface and a nice array of features that include resizing, renaming, cropping, color adjustments and more. It also includes an intuitive full-screen mode that provides quick access to EXIF information and thumbnail browser via hidden toolbars that emerge when you touch the edge of your screen with the mouse.

Other features include a high quality magnifier and built-in slideshow with 150+ transitional effects, as well as lossless JPEG transitions, drop shadow effects, image frames, scanner support, histogram and much more. It supports all major graphic formats including BMP, JPEG, JPEG 2000, GIF, PNG, PCX, TIFF, WMF, ICO and TGA.

PROS

  • Batch convert images to many formats
  • Good effects available to apply to images
  • Selection of modes with which to view files
  • Free

CONS

  • Cluttered user interface
  • Difficult to understand what all the buttons do
  • Not available for other platforms such as Linux or Android

Program available in other languages


FastStone Image Viewer for PC

  • Free

  • In English
  • V 7.8
  • 4.2

    (1217)
  • Security Status


User reviews about FastStone Image Viewer

  • ConsciousClay

    by ConsciousClay

    It's okay. But it has a clunky UI and poor performance.

  • Anonymous

    by Anonymous

    I prefer the portable version .
    the windows version is alright but i wish i could get it for android mac or linux too. also irfanview is a good  More

  • Anonymous

    by Anonymous

    IT LOOKS FANTASTIC TO ME..
    well I just got here and havent had a chance to see all is in store for me.

  • Anonymous

    by Anonymous

    SHOW HIDDEN FILES AND FOLDERS.
    THE VERSION 5.4, THE PROBLEM OF THIS VERSION , IT CAN NOT READ HIDDEN FOLDERS AND FILES THAT CAUSE BY A VIRUSES U More

  • Anonymous

    by Anonymous

    a very good software.
    It's truly a very good software to search all formats of images from the hard disk drive.

  • Anonymous

    by Anonymous

    COOL.
    That's a good picture viewer! Now i can view TGA files! Thanks FS!
    <3
    Pros: i can view TGA and another picture files< More


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Laws concerning the use of this software vary from country to country. We do not encourage or condone the use of this program if it is in violation of these laws.