While I have Photoshop on my computer, I instead regularly use a wide variety of free software whenever I edit my digital images for printing.

Other digital photographers who want to go beyond just simple contrast and brightness controls can really benefit from some of these programs, which cost zero compared to Photoshop's $650 or more sticker price.

While Adobe's Photoshop has set the standard for image editing, some of the free software manage to mimic and even surpass some of its features.

At the basic end of the scale sits IrfanView and Picasa. I have previously raved about IrfanView's ease of use and batching features. IrfanView allows you to create a view of all photos in a file, and better yet, batch process all of them.

I regularly use this program to change the name of a series of images that have been given a number by my camera. If I have 20 photos of Paris, I simply use IrfanView to change the name of all of them to "paris1", "paris2", and so on. You can also use the same batching feature to brighten a series of photos at the same time.

Batching is an essential feature of every graphics program, or else you will waste enormous amounts of time doing grunt work, instead of really having fun manipulating your images.

Picasa is similar in terms of editing features, but goes a lot farther in being able to scan your computer and keep track of all the additions you make. It is a great way of seeing exactly what images are on your computer.

Both programs are great if all you want to do is some basic editing, and nothing more. For more sophisticated editing you need software that gives you the ability to create layers and masks, essential features for the professional graphic artist.

A layers feature allows you to superimpose one image with another, while keeping them separate. Thus one layer may be text, another a river. You can decide to turn the text layer on or off, depending on how you want the image to be printed.

Masking allows you to block off an area or feature in an image and either protect it from changes made to the rest of the file, or change only that feature.

Paint.net and "The GIMP" are two of the best such programs. Both are free image and photo editing software that support layers.

Paint.net's useful features include an unlimited number of undos, allowing you to go back if changes you made do not suit the image.

Another useful feature is all the plugins available to simplify the creation of any special effects you may want to use, such as correcting for any barrel distortion in your image.

Need to turn your photo into one that looks like a pencil sketch? Use a plug in.

The GIMP, an open source freebee, makes no bones about being able to mimic PhotoShop. The latest version is a lot better than the earlier ones, drilling down to make it easier for those who do not have a degree in computer science.

Someone has even created a version of GIMP that mirrors PhotoShop's controls, to help people make the switch. GIMP is great and is getting better as the open source community improves on its features.

GIMP has layers, effects, and a bag full of other editing tools. In addition, software creators have created a slew of plug ins. When you need a particular special effect, you simply add on the plug in and change away.

Lastly, I must mention Microsoft's free (for now?) HD View software, which is not an image editor, but a way of putting incredibly large and detailed images, including panoramas, on the internet.

Lots of people have now created gigapixel panoramas using the program. For example on panorama used as an example at http://research.microsoft.com/ivm/HDView.htm weighs in at about 4 gigapixels and is stitched together from 800 individual images.

One can click on the image to see the fine details of the image. Fascinating. You can view the current record holder at http://haltadefinizione.deagostini.it. This is a 9.9 gigapixel image of a church roof fresco by Andrea Pozzo. Amazing. Even if you are not interested in the software, it is worth heading over to see one area of the internet under development.

While you do not have to be that ambitious, HD View allows you to create more modest images to allow visitors to your internet site smooth panning and zooming of your grander scenes.

All of the free programs are easily found by searching the internet. Simply plug the name into your favourite search engine. Enjoy!

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