CNET Editors' review
Despite its name, FastStone Image Viewer is more than just a program for viewing images. It's also capable of performing a fairly significant number of editing functions, which come packaged in an innovative interface. It's no Photoshop replacement, but we think it's a good choice if you need a way to view images and perform basic editing and correction tasks.
At first glance, the program's interface is a bit cluttered; there are toolbars with lots of buttons across the top, and there are panes where you can navigate to particular directories, view thumbnails of the contents, and view larger previews of individual images. The cool part of FastStone Image Viewer appears when you enter full-screen mode; the image is displayed by itself, but moving your mouse to the edges of the screen brings up a variety of tools and options.
Mouse to the right and the image's metadata appears; to the left, a menu appears with tools for rotating, resizing, and adding text, as well as adjusting colors and adding special effects. Mousing to the top of the screen brings down a thumbnail preview of the current directory, making it easy to select a different image, while at the bottom of the screen there's a toolbar with some of the most basic editing options. We especially liked the program's slideshow feature, which makes it easy to create custom slideshows using your own music.
Although most users should be able to figure FastStone's features out without much assistance, there's a 95-page PDF Help file that offers plenty of guidance. Overall, we were impressed with the variety of features that FastStone Image Viewer combines in an easy-to-use package, and we recommend the program to anyone seeking a basic but well-stocked image editor.
FastStone Image Viewer installs a desktop icon without asking but uninstalls cleanly.
FastStone Image Viewer - View, edit, and manage images - Download Video Previews:Publisher's Description
From FastStone Soft:
FastStone Image Viewer is a fast, stable, user-friendly image browser, converter and editor. It has a nice array of features that include image viewing, management, comparison, red-eye removal, e-mailing, resizing, cropping and color adjustments. Its innovative but intuitive full-screen mode provides quick access to EXIF information, thumbnail browser and major functionalities via hidden toolbars that pop up when your mouse touch the four edges of the screen. Other features include a high quality magnifier and a musical slideshow with 150+ transitional effects, as well as lossless JPEG transitions, drop shadow effects, image annotation, scanner support, histogram... It supports all major graphic formats including BMP, JPEG, JPEG 2000, GIF, PNG, PCX, TIFF, WMF, ICO and TGA.
What's new in this version:
- Now the Batch Rename tool supports all kinds of files if you select "All Files (*.*)" in the file filter list
- Now you can press +/- keys to zoom in/out animated gif files
- Fixed a bug causing the program to lose track of the current folder when it exits from full screen mode
More Products to Consider
-
View and edit most graphics formats simply and quickly.DownloadInstalled
Smart Install -
Edit, enhance, and manipulate your digital photos or graphics.DownloadInstalled
Smart Install -
View, edit, print, or add frames to your photos.DownloadInstalled
Smart Install -
Create and edit photos using layers, effects, and other tools.DownloadInstalled
Smart Install -
Convert images into different formats in a batch mode.DownloadInstalled
Smart Install -
Optimize your images and change their size.DownloadInstalled
Smart Install -
Edit photos, add photo frame, photo effects, collages, and funn...DownloadInstalled
Smart Install -
Optimize your photos and turn them into paintings or funny cari...DownloadInstalled
Smart Install -
Create and alter photos and graphics manually or via scripting.DownloadInstalled
Smart Install -
Organize, edit, and share pictures with this free photo manager...Visit SiteThis download is served from an external site
closeNOTICE: This link will open a connection to a third-party site. CNET cannot ensure the security of software that is hosted on external sites.
Sponsored Products -
Ddownload, edit, manage, save, and share photos.DownloadInstalled
Smart Install -
Process your digital photos and create slide shows for sharing.DownloadInstalled
Smart Install -
Carry out all essential tasks of the photography workflow and d...DownloadInstalled
Smart Install -
View, edit, and manipulate your images.DownloadInstalled
Smart Install -
Create powerful images with a full-featured image editor.Visit SiteThis download is served from an external site
closeNOTICE: This link will open a connection to a third-party site. CNET cannot ensure the security of software that is hosted on external sites.
Sponsored Products -
Take a snapshot of anything on your computer screen.DownloadInstalled
Smart Install -
Browse and view your image and photo collection.DownloadInstalled
Smart Install -
Blend pictures and create single composition of two images.DownloadInstalled
Smart Install -
Capture anything on your PC screen and draw annotation objects.DownloadInstalled
Smart Install -
Make unique collages for memorable occasions with your own phot...DownloadInstalled
Smart Install - One-button Windows printing.Download
This download is served from an external site
closeNOTICE: This link will open a connection to a third-party site. CNET cannot ensure the security of software that is hosted on external sites.
Sponsored ProductsInstalled
Smart Install - Create professional looking icons and cursors.Download
Installed
Smart Install -
Create photo collages from your digital images.DownloadInstalled
Smart Install -
Edit, rename, convert, and print watermarked photos.DownloadInstalled
Smart Install
-
All versions:
4.6 starsout of 1,647 votes
-
Current version:
0 stars Be the first to review this product -
My rating:
Write review
-
"Install needs to be run as admin, else fails"
Version: FastStone Image Viewer 5.0
Pros
Its not too shabby, good bulk rename utility.
Cons
The Program itself - falls over on big folders (directories to olde skool pros) or goes on a 10 hour search and its actually nowhere good as IrfanView.
Summary
Faststone has always had a faulty install routine.
Just downloading and trying to run the install always fails, files can't be read etc.
The trick is to locate the actual install file; rt click and choose 'Run as Administrator' - then it will install in seconds.
Moaners:
You mean you use an Admin a/c as a normal account?
It'll end in tears. Proven.
Always use a standard a/c and keep the Admin for serious work to avoid nasty boys with with greasy hands, nasty viral codes and bad habits. They shall not have hot chocolate before bedtime.
Bad boys. -
"Great. but...."
Version: FastStone Image Viewer 5.0
Pros
Does almost everything very well. As an all-in-1 image browsing app it's hard to beat! Wonderous built in functions in an almost perfect and impressive browsing window.
Cons
It has always had 1 image problem all version past and present. It cannot recognize certain 256x256 icons created by some of the best icon editors available to man. If the icon holds multiple sizes the issue still exists and has existed since it's inception. Yes, that long. How the programmers cannot know this is an incredible mind blower, as it's programmed so well and every other editor or viewer does not have this one single deal breaking issue.
Summary
If you don't create or manipulate icons this program is top notch. The single flaw cost this 1 star. A shame as it has many excellent tools and is quite the browser.
-
"Not trying to be Photoshop. Good!"
Version: FastStone Image Viewer 5.0
Pros
Easy to use, simple interface, not cluttered
Used for simple tidy up of family photos. Crop, rotate, color correction etc. Which is all that most people want.Cons
Can't think of any.
-
"Always excellent!"
Version: FastStone Image Viewer 5.0
Pros
Fast, clean, intuitive
Cons
Can't think of anything.
Summary
I always install FS Image Viewer on every system I've used. It is my first choice for managing, scanning, viewing, cropping, re-sizing, healing and more. I love it and have used it for many years.
-
"Underrated but Excellent !!"
Version: FastStone Image Viewer 4.9
Pros
• Quick opening
• Easy full screen viewing
• Lots of useful tools in one full screen view (One can access almost all the tools from one browsing window without even obstructing the picture)
• 2 click copy/move into pre-selected that folder (very useful to sort out large quantity of image)
• Clean, adware free installation for a free program (Good!)Cons
• Lacks retouch tools. (See Picasa, Cyberlink Photodirector etc.)
• Sharing pictures to social networkSummary
Overall this is an outstanding application. Recommended !
Developers should consider adding some retouch tools, brushes, sample frames and collage tools. -
"A superb image editor and file organiser."
Version: FastStone Image Viewer 4.9
Pros
FastStone offers a very comprehensive set of photo editing tools. But the thing I like most about it, is the very well thought out GUI, menus and right-click context options. It makes the software very quick to learn and fast to use. For example, when you use the software to organise your photos or videos, you can pre select your source and destination folders, and tell the software whether you want to move or copy the files. That doesn't sound like much, but if you are working through a large quantity of files, it stops you having to constantly hold down the SHIFT key when dropping files into folders. You can even change the colours that FastStone uses to highlight your selections, to make them easier to identify.
The actual photo editing window is also very well thought out, with the photos presented in full screen, and the editing tools only sliding into view as you move the mouse pointer to the very edges of the screen.Cons
Haven't found any so far.
Summary
An excellent piece of software. Very useful for either editing your photos, or organising your photo/video files.
-
"great free program"
Version: FastStone Image Viewer 4.9
Pros
Has all the tools you need.
Cons
No cons at all.
Summary
fast, simply and complete program for show and work with my photos.
-
"Easy to learn & use"
Version: FastStone Image Viewer 4.9
Pros
Ready to use, meets all my editing needs!
Cons
None that I can find?
Summary
Instead of paying for 'very costly' software, this is totally free.
Of course, we can always pay a lot of money to own.....? ;-0) -
"Great But STILL No Unicode Character Support!"
Version: FastStone Image Viewer 4.9
Pros
1. It's not just an image viewer; it has many image editing/adjusting tools that work very well.
I actually rarely have to open Photoshop when I have FastStone Image Viewer installed because it can do most the cropping, resizing, converting and adjusting that I would normally do in Photoshop.
2. It's free!
3. The installer doesn't currently try to install any toolbars or anything.Cons
STILL no unicode character support.
It's still not possible to open files in FastStone Image Viewer if there are unicode characters in the file name (such as the characters used in various non-English languages).
This has been the case for years now. I don't know why they're refusing to fix this problem.
IrfanView has a settings option for enabling unicode support so IrfanView is currently my default image viewer.
Also, a minor gripe:
The default viewing mode for viewing images is "Full Screen" when it should be "Windowed View". I think many new users are turned off by the "Full Screen" view and aren't sure how to change the default setting.Summary
FastStone Image Viewer is great image viewer & editor but it STILL NEEDS UNICODE CHARACTER SUPPORT.
-
"Great free program!"
Version: FastStone Image Viewer 4.9
Pros
FastStone doesn't update the free version often, but when it does, it just keeps getting better and better. I'm not a professional photographer, but as a rank amateur, FastStone offers me almost all that I need. I've been using it for years, and will continue to do so.
Cons
The only thing missing for me is a dedicated feature to delete the wrinkles from my face!
Summary
Fast, free, and fully functional. What more could you ask for?
