How to Edit Photos with Snapseed
Launch Snapseed., Understand the orientation of the app., Do automatic enhancements., Review your enhancements., Do selective adjustments., Tune your image., Straighten and rotate your image., Crop your image., Enhance your image., Transform your...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Launch Snapseed.
Once launched, you can add a photo to edit from your camera or photo library, or paste an image from your clipboard. -
Step 2: Understand the orientation of the app.
Your photo is located on the right side of the screen with four shortcuts available on the bottom.
Compare will show you the original photo without edits.
Revert will undo all changes.
Save will keep your edited photo.
Share will allow you to distribute this through your social networks and other applications.
On the left side of the screen, you’ll find the available tools for your editing. , Tap the Autocorrect tool.
The photo’s contrast and color will be automatically adjusted.
You can also fine-tune these by tapping on your photo, selecting between contrast and color corrections, and then swiping left or right to manually adjust the values. , Tap and hold the Compare icon to review your edits compared with the original photo.
If you’re unhappy with the changes, you can click on Cancel or Undo.
If you’re content, click on Apply to save your changes.
You will be brought back to the home screen with your photo for any other edits you would want to make. , Tap the Selective Adjust tool.
Click on the Add icon to identify a part of your photo where you would want to manually adjust the color and distribution of light.
Swipe up or down to choose among Brightness, Contrast, and Saturation.
Once you’ve identified the area to be affected and the change you want done, swipe left or right to adjust the values. , Tap the Tune Image tool.
Swipe up or down to choose among Brightness, Ambiance, Contrast, Saturation, Shadows, and Warmth; swipe left or right to adjust the values.
This is a perfect tool to improve the distribution of light and the overall appearance of your photo. , If your photo looks uneven or if you’d like to rotate it by 90° left or right, tap the Straighten & Rotate tool.
Swiping left or right would adjust your photo’s angle between −10° to +10°.
Tapping on the Rotate left or Rotate right icons would rotate your photo by 90° left or 90° right, respectively. , If you want to remove some parts of your photo or create a totally different photo altogether, you can use the Crop tool.
It allows you to recompose your photo and adjust your focal point.
Drag any edge of the rectangle that appears to change the crop rectangle.
Use pinch or zoom gestures to change the crop rectangle while maintaining the same aspect ratio.
Tap on the Ratio icon to change the aspect ratio for your photo.
Tap on the Rotate icon to rotate the crop rectangle by 90°. , Tap the Details tool.
You can activate the Loupe (magnifying glass) and drag it across the part where you would want to increase sharpness.
Swipe left or right to adjust the values. , Tap the Black-and-White tool.
Swipe up or down to choose among Brightness, Contrast, and Grain; swipe left or right to adjust the values.
The Color Filter icon allows you to simulate a piece of colored glass over the lens, which would cause objects of the same color to lighten in the black and white image.
The Presets icon provides easy editing through several available black-and-white filters. , Tap the Vintage Films tool.
Swipe up or down to choose among Brightness, Saturation, Texture Strength, Center Size, and Style Strength; swipe left or right to adjust the values for the enhancement chosen.
The Texture icon provides different texture looks for your image.
The Style icon provides different style options with each style distributing color and light differently.
Play around with the different enhancements and see how your image changes. , Tap the Drama tool.
Swipe up or down to choose between Filter Strength and Saturation; swipe left or right to adjust the values.
Some predefined styles are accessible through the Style icon for easy enhancement. , Tap the HDR Scape tool.
Swipe up or down to choose among Filter Strength, Brightness, Saturation, and Smoothing; swipe left or right to adjust the values.
Tapping on the Style icon would allow you access to certain predefined styles for easy enhancement. , Tap the Grunge tool.
Swipe up or down to choose among Style, Brightness, Contrast, Texture Strength, and Saturation; swipe left or right to adjust the values.
Tap the Texture icon to access some predefined textures for your image.
Tap the Shuffle icon to see random effects applied to your image. , Tap the Center Focus tool.
Swipe up or down to choose among Blur Strength, Outer Brightness, and Inner Brightness; swipe left or right to adjust the values.
Tap the Presets icon to apply some predefined blur styles to your image.
The Strong and Weak icon allows you to apply a strong lens blur or a weak soft‐focus blur. , Tap the Tilt‐Shift tool.
Swipe up or down to choose among Transition, Blur Strength, Brightness, Saturation, and Contrast; swipe left or right to adjust the values.
The Transition enhancement allows you to control the in‐focus and out‐of‐focus areas.
The Style icon allows you to select the shape of your focus. , Tap the Retrolux tool.
Swipe up or down to choose among Brightness, Saturation, Contrast, Style Strength, Scratches, and Light Leaks; swipe left or right to adjust the values.
The Scratches enhancement adds dirt and scratches to your image while the Light Leaks enhancement adds light leaks.
Tap on the Style icon to quickly apply different styles on your image.
The Shuffle icon randomizes styles applied to your image. , Tap the Frames tool.
Pinch and zoom to define the size of the frame.
Different border styles can be access by tapping the Frame icon.
The Options icon allows you to change the format of the cropped image and to add a color tone to the edge of the frame. , Don’t let your efforts be wasted.
Always remember to save your work by tapping on the Save icon. , You can easily share your photo directly from Snapseed.
You can share to your various social networks, such as Google+, Twitter, and Facebook.
You can share your photo via e-mail or directly print from the app. -
Step 3: Do automatic enhancements.
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Step 4: Review your enhancements.
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Step 5: Do selective adjustments.
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Step 6: Tune your image.
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Step 7: Straighten and rotate your image.
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Step 8: Crop your image.
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Step 9: Enhance your image.
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Step 10: Transform your image to black-and-white.
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Step 11: Create nostalgia in your image.
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Step 12: Add a little drama to your image.
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Step 13: Make your image dreamy.
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Step 14: Apply some texture and wild effects to your image.
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Step 15: Blur your background.
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Step 16: Miniaturize your image.
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Step 17: Bring your image back in time.
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Step 18: Add some borders to your photo.
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Step 19: Save your photo.
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Step 20: Share your photo.
Detailed Guide
Once launched, you can add a photo to edit from your camera or photo library, or paste an image from your clipboard.
Your photo is located on the right side of the screen with four shortcuts available on the bottom.
Compare will show you the original photo without edits.
Revert will undo all changes.
Save will keep your edited photo.
Share will allow you to distribute this through your social networks and other applications.
On the left side of the screen, you’ll find the available tools for your editing. , Tap the Autocorrect tool.
The photo’s contrast and color will be automatically adjusted.
You can also fine-tune these by tapping on your photo, selecting between contrast and color corrections, and then swiping left or right to manually adjust the values. , Tap and hold the Compare icon to review your edits compared with the original photo.
If you’re unhappy with the changes, you can click on Cancel or Undo.
If you’re content, click on Apply to save your changes.
You will be brought back to the home screen with your photo for any other edits you would want to make. , Tap the Selective Adjust tool.
Click on the Add icon to identify a part of your photo where you would want to manually adjust the color and distribution of light.
Swipe up or down to choose among Brightness, Contrast, and Saturation.
Once you’ve identified the area to be affected and the change you want done, swipe left or right to adjust the values. , Tap the Tune Image tool.
Swipe up or down to choose among Brightness, Ambiance, Contrast, Saturation, Shadows, and Warmth; swipe left or right to adjust the values.
This is a perfect tool to improve the distribution of light and the overall appearance of your photo. , If your photo looks uneven or if you’d like to rotate it by 90° left or right, tap the Straighten & Rotate tool.
Swiping left or right would adjust your photo’s angle between −10° to +10°.
Tapping on the Rotate left or Rotate right icons would rotate your photo by 90° left or 90° right, respectively. , If you want to remove some parts of your photo or create a totally different photo altogether, you can use the Crop tool.
It allows you to recompose your photo and adjust your focal point.
Drag any edge of the rectangle that appears to change the crop rectangle.
Use pinch or zoom gestures to change the crop rectangle while maintaining the same aspect ratio.
Tap on the Ratio icon to change the aspect ratio for your photo.
Tap on the Rotate icon to rotate the crop rectangle by 90°. , Tap the Details tool.
You can activate the Loupe (magnifying glass) and drag it across the part where you would want to increase sharpness.
Swipe left or right to adjust the values. , Tap the Black-and-White tool.
Swipe up or down to choose among Brightness, Contrast, and Grain; swipe left or right to adjust the values.
The Color Filter icon allows you to simulate a piece of colored glass over the lens, which would cause objects of the same color to lighten in the black and white image.
The Presets icon provides easy editing through several available black-and-white filters. , Tap the Vintage Films tool.
Swipe up or down to choose among Brightness, Saturation, Texture Strength, Center Size, and Style Strength; swipe left or right to adjust the values for the enhancement chosen.
The Texture icon provides different texture looks for your image.
The Style icon provides different style options with each style distributing color and light differently.
Play around with the different enhancements and see how your image changes. , Tap the Drama tool.
Swipe up or down to choose between Filter Strength and Saturation; swipe left or right to adjust the values.
Some predefined styles are accessible through the Style icon for easy enhancement. , Tap the HDR Scape tool.
Swipe up or down to choose among Filter Strength, Brightness, Saturation, and Smoothing; swipe left or right to adjust the values.
Tapping on the Style icon would allow you access to certain predefined styles for easy enhancement. , Tap the Grunge tool.
Swipe up or down to choose among Style, Brightness, Contrast, Texture Strength, and Saturation; swipe left or right to adjust the values.
Tap the Texture icon to access some predefined textures for your image.
Tap the Shuffle icon to see random effects applied to your image. , Tap the Center Focus tool.
Swipe up or down to choose among Blur Strength, Outer Brightness, and Inner Brightness; swipe left or right to adjust the values.
Tap the Presets icon to apply some predefined blur styles to your image.
The Strong and Weak icon allows you to apply a strong lens blur or a weak soft‐focus blur. , Tap the Tilt‐Shift tool.
Swipe up or down to choose among Transition, Blur Strength, Brightness, Saturation, and Contrast; swipe left or right to adjust the values.
The Transition enhancement allows you to control the in‐focus and out‐of‐focus areas.
The Style icon allows you to select the shape of your focus. , Tap the Retrolux tool.
Swipe up or down to choose among Brightness, Saturation, Contrast, Style Strength, Scratches, and Light Leaks; swipe left or right to adjust the values.
The Scratches enhancement adds dirt and scratches to your image while the Light Leaks enhancement adds light leaks.
Tap on the Style icon to quickly apply different styles on your image.
The Shuffle icon randomizes styles applied to your image. , Tap the Frames tool.
Pinch and zoom to define the size of the frame.
Different border styles can be access by tapping the Frame icon.
The Options icon allows you to change the format of the cropped image and to add a color tone to the edge of the frame. , Don’t let your efforts be wasted.
Always remember to save your work by tapping on the Save icon. , You can easily share your photo directly from Snapseed.
You can share to your various social networks, such as Google+, Twitter, and Facebook.
You can share your photo via e-mail or directly print from the app.
About the Author
Rebecca Rodriguez
Writer and educator with a focus on practical practical skills knowledge.
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