CNET Editors' review
This image viewer and editor is a longtime favorite among our staff, and with good reason. IrfanView is simple, fast, and free for individual use. Upon installation, the app attempts to install two Google programs, but if you don't want them, you can choose to opt out. The program lets you open and edit images, as well as multiple media formats. You can cut and crop images, apply batch conversions, add, sharpen, or blur effects, create panoramas, and change color modes easily. The program continues to add support for an array of file formats and has plug-in support for most image, video, and sound formats, including MP3, AVI, audio CD, and WMA. The interface is far from fancy but should be easy enough for most users to figure out. An IrfanView Thumbnails shortcut on the desktop offers an Explorer-like file tree that quickly displays all images in a particular folder. Though IrfanView works does what it does well, it's not going to replace a major paint program. IrfanView wraps a nice set of features for an image viewer in a free, compact download.
Publisher's Description
From Irfan Skiljan:
IrfanView is a fast and compact image viewer/converter. It is trying to be simple for beginners and powerful for professionals. Many supported file formats and features. Features include: multi-language support, Thumbnail option, slideshow, fast directory browsing, batch conversion/editing, multipage editing, file search, change color depth, scanning, cut/crop, IPTC edit, capturing, lossless JPG operations, effects (sharpen, blur, Adobe Photoshop filters), EXE/SCR creating, many hotkeys, command line options and plugins.
Version 3.99 introduces a host of updates, including support for PDF export; new Thumbnails option: Load file list from TXT; support for new formats (SIF, PVR, AWD); zooming and scrolling is now possible in slideshow mode.
Note: IrfanView is now bundled with Google Toolbar and Google Desktop Search. Installation of these components is optional.
What's new in this version: Version 3.99 includes unspecified changes and fixes.
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All versions:
4.3 starsout of 3,269 votes
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Current version:
4.0 starsout of 159 votes
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My rating:
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"Great Program"
Version: IrfanView 3.99
Pros
I've been using this program for years (v 3.12). It is very reliable and stable. It has a great number of features for such a small program. When I think what I paid for Photoshop, this free program is easily worth registration and support of the developer.
Cons
None that I can find.
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"Must-Have App~!"
Version: IrfanView 3.99
Pros
This program is one of the first ones I load if I get a new computer, or have to reformat my hard-drive. I really could not do without it at this point. It is so small in size, yet it is capable of everything from fixing red-eye to batch renaming or batch file-type changing hundreds of files without so much as a stutter. And that is just a few aspects of this incredible piece of software. I still cannot believe it is free. It is built so well, it has -never- crashed on me in the 2+ years I have been using it. I wish I could say the same for the rest of my software. Download this!
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"I Have No Complaints, only Gratitude for unlocking gw.dat!"
Version: IrfanView 3.99
Pros
Opens thosands of formats - even those that cannot be read by other media/imaging programs.
Currently I'm working on decoding gw.dat (for Guild Wars). A friend was able to decode information from the file down into a format called: DDS Files.
Now I can get all the skins for GuildWars. :) Thank you InfranView
Cons
Not all that attractive.
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"im trying to lower the size"
Version: IrfanView 3.99
Pros
i would like to lower the size
Cons
i like it all
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"Simple, easy, effective, free what more could one want?"
Version: IrfanView 3.99
Cons
There is nothing about this product that I don't like.
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"Excellent Graphics File Viewer and free!!"
Version: IrfanView 3.99
Pros
It's small and quick. Low overhead when loading, doesn't bog your system down with unnecessary files yet handles large number of graphics formats with ease and renders them very nicely.
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"Great Graphics Program but No Digital Signature?"
Version: IrfanView 3.99
Pros
I've used this for image processing extensively and it really can't be beat for ease of use, versatility, and price ("Free is a very good price," as Mr. Tom Peterson used to say...) It's great for correcting brightness / contrast / gamma problems with photos, and you can do wonders with lackluster pix by tweaking the colors. I've also found to my surprise that after a couple years of messing with color I've learned quite a lot about basic color theory and its application.
Cons
The sharpen function is a bit Draconian and therefore must be used rarely if ever and only with high-resolution images, otherwise you get a lot of noise artifacts that are more harm than good in context of improving a slightly-blurred image. It would be nice if a future rev would add a "micro-sharpen" function that was maybe halfway between the current sharpen function and none at all, or maybe a "smart sharpen" that would extrapolate from context - but that's likely a tall order;
Having just gone through a catastrophic PC crash (likely caused by malware, according to the tech who reinstalled my OS,) I'm a little disgusted that IrfanView is apparently unavailable with a digital signature anywhere. I suppose I'll have to download and install it anyway, but I'd like to feel a bit more comfortable about programs I'm installing.
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"Nice little video imaging program."
Version: IrfanView 3.99
Pros
The good far outway the bad. I enjoy this program.
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"The perfect image viewer / editor"
Version: IrfanView 3.99
Pros
Capable of viewing nearly every multimedia file (images, audio, video) under the sun, basic editing functions including image resizing, powerful automation features like batch resize or rename, small download and install, simple interface, lots of options, totally FREE!
Cons
Interface is slightly dated, won't replace Photoshop or your favorite image editing software.
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"Lots of extra functionality"
Version: IrfanView 3.99
Pros
Does almost everything I want to do with image files. Doesn't hijack extensions.
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