Pixlr is a free, Flash-based online photoediting software by Autodesk. It comes in 3 formats, corresponding to 3 levels of depth of editing ability: Pixlr-o-matic, Pixlr Express and Pixlr Editor. The first two versions are also available as apps for both Android and Apple products, and have an impressive array of filters nested in a few simple menus. Pixlr editor, the “advanced” version of the software, has a robust set of features that mimic those of Adobe Photoshop, including layers, layer styles, a history palette, and adjustments such as curves and levels, as well as several extremely specific filters (for instance, “Hope,” which gives images the now-famous Obama hope poster effect). The Editor boast the ability to save as jpeg, png, bmp, unlayered tiff and Pixlr’s own layered format, pxd. Images can also be hosted via Pixlr’s imm.io service, or sent directly to Facebook, Flickr, or Picasa. As a tool for teaching the concepts behind Photoshop without forking over the money to buy Photoshop, Pixlr is unparalleled in its ease of use.
