Installed and registered without problems on a Win 8.1 Pro 64 bit system.

A Chinese company without name&address, digitally signed as Chengdu Pearl Mountain technology. The tested awards exist. The software seems to be on the market since 2011.

This is something quick and nice. Upon start a small not resizable window opens, you can choose between 15 predefined templates, you add a set of your own pictures - and that's it. This program creates a collage without problems - fast and if you are fast in mouse&keyboard than really : In a matter of seconds, this collage software can turn any ordinary photos into impressive collages.

There are some usefull options for spacing and framing, so that you can change the look of the template to your impression.

You can create your own templates. They are stored in .XML format, you either modify an existing template or with more .HTML skills, you define something new.

A nice gimmick. Does what it claims - and is really easy to use.

Test it! I will keep it, maybe I have some use in the future.

Karl  –  10 years ago  –  Vond je deze reactie nuttig? ja | nee (+117)

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CollageIt Pro is a nice app, but if you're going to print the results to hang on the wall, or get something like a canvas print made, for example at Walmart, there are a few things you might want to bear in mind.

First, resolution still matters -- tech has come a long way in getting acceptable results from lower resolution pictures, but there's still no substitute for having lots & lots of pixels. It can be confusing, since a lot of .jpg images &/or software shows you the total pixel count but not the resolution at your chosen print size... The standard for years has been 300 dpi for photos [what you see in magazines] & ~600 dpi for fine art [like you'd see in a fine art magazine or maybe National Geographic] -- what you see on your monitor is 96 dpi, or 72 dpi for a Mac.

If you go for quality you probably also want to use vector art borders & such. Vector graphics store a set of directions rather than actual pixels, so they can be scaled infinitely in both directions, from a postage stamp to the side of a building. When you type text in image editing software it starts as vector graphics, resizable without quality loss until that text is rasterized, or turned into a picture. You'll usually find vector art boarders & such in DTP [publishing apps], including the cheap ones, & often in word processors like Word or WordPerfect.

While there's nothing wrong with downloadable image apps like Pearl Mountain's, they don't normally include vector graphics capabilities, & to keep the downloads smaller, they include lower resolution images. I don't really consider that a negative, but rather just want to maybe avoid some disappointment from setting expectations too high. You'll often get decent -- not high end or pro results. For a free Walmart or drugstore print you'll likely be happy, but you might not want to spend a lot of money on a fairly large print to hang on the wall.

Finally I want to mention the potential minefield that is color calibration. In a nutshell, what you see on your monitor may or may not match what you get out of your printer, & one or both may or may not match what you get when you have a print made. Unless you're doing contract work I personally don't think anyone should worry about it *too much* -- more like keep your eyes open for potential problems.

Your image(s) may contain calibration data, your software may or may not try to alter the image based on that data & your monitor's generic calibration table, your monitor will alter what you see based on the mode you've selected & its electronics [most can't really display every color, & they can't show every shade between black & white], and then there's the printer & its software, which can change things too.

You don't want to sit in a darkened room [yes, ambient light effects what you see as well], staring at a hooded high end monitor, after having calibrated everything using expensive gear. SO you do test prints [same paper & rez but maybe smaller], and maybe alter things a bit, e.g. turn the blue down a couple of notches. And if you're going to have a large print made, maybe order some cheaper, small photo prints so you can judge how the colors will come out.

mike  –  10 years ago  –  Vond je deze reactie nuttig? ja | nee (+67)

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#2 John. GIMP?? Really?? And you reckon today's giveaway is complicated!

Made one of my grand-daughter in a matter of minutes and the result was spectacular. Don't usually go much on collages, but this is so simple and there are plenty of options for the finishing effect, it's got me really sucked in. Collages, here we come!

Thanks GOTD and Pearl Mountain Software.

Springy  –  10 years ago  –  Vond je deze reactie nuttig? ja | nee (+35)

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Same version as previous giveaway 1.9.4 so not worth updating. A good program though for those who don't already have it.

Nigel  –  10 years ago  –  Vond je deze reactie nuttig? ja | nee (+30)

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Funny, but the alternates suggested by John & Andy either aren't of this type, or are inferior. This isn't a mosaic tool Andy, nor a watermark giveaway. If you're trying to out-Giovanni, Giovanni, you should throw in the towel now, I know Giovnni, and you're not him.

Back to CollageIt... If you make collages often, this is a flexible tool with a modest learning curve. It is far better than Picasa's collage feature. Take advantage of its free download today.

Manic Monde  –  10 years ago  –  Vond je deze reactie nuttig? ja | nee (+26)

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