PhotoDemon: A Fast, Portable, Completely Free Photo Editor and Image Processor

Last updated April 1, 2013

 

  1. Overview
  2. Download
  3. Installation
  4. What PhotoDemon offers
  5. What PhotoDemon does not offer
  6. License and copyright
  7. Support the project
  8. Acknowledgments
PhotoDemon 5.4 provides a bunch of new features, like this detailed shadow/highlight recovery tool.

PhotoDemon 5.4 provides a bunch of new features, like this detailed shadow/highlight recovery tool.

Overview

PhotoDemon is a portable photo editor that focuses on usability and performance.  In addition to standard image processing tools, it also provides:

  • Macro recording.  Record a set of actions, then play back those actions on other images.
  • Batch processing.  Select a saved macro and a folder or list of images, and PhotoDemon will automagically apply that macro to every image.  Similarly, if no macro is specified, the batch conversion tool can be used to rename or format convert a folder or list of images.

PhotoDemon is completely free and fully open-source.  It is released under a BSD license.  If you would like to support the development of PhotoDemon with a small donation ($10 USD recommended), you may do so here.

Download

The latest stable release of PhotoDemon is version 5.4.1. Read about the new features in this version.

Download PhotoDemon v5.4.1 (Zip file – 2.31mb – updated 31 March 2013)

If you are an advanced user, you can download the most recent development build of PhotoDemon, including full source code, from its GitHub page.

PhotoDemon is funded by donations from users like you.
Please consider a small donation to fund development and to help me support my family.
Even $1.00 helps. Thank you!

Installation

PhotoDemon does not provide an installer. It is a portable application, which means you can download it and run it right away. It also means you can copy the program to a flash drive, then use it on any computer – without ever needing to install it. The software does not require admin rights, so you should be able to use it at work, while you travel, or on a public computer if necessary.

PhotoDemon’s only dependencies are the VB6 runtimes, which are included by default in Windows XP through Windows 8. If you attempt to run PhotoDemon and immediately get an error, it’s possible that another program on your computer uninstalled these files by mistake. You can reinstall them using this link from Microsoft (it’s a tiny 1.0mb download): VB6 run-time redistribution pack from Microsoft

While PhotoDemon is designed to run on Windows, you are welcome to try it on OSX or Linux via Wine. (v1.4 or later is recommended.) You can install the VB6 runtimes using winetricks:

./winetricks vb6run

What PhotoDemon Offers

  • True portability.

PhotoDemon is designed to be run as a standalone .exe.  No installer is provided or required.  An INI file is used to store program settings, and if no INI is found, PhotoDemon will generate one for you.  PhotoDemon does not touch the Windows registry, and aside from a temporary file folder – which you can specify in the Preferences menu – it leaves no trace of itself on your hard drive.

  • Powerful macro and batch conversion support.

As mentioned above, PhotoDemon provides full macro support.  Simply hit “Record Macro”, then perform as many actions as you’d like.  When finished, save that macro to the hard drive so you can repeat it at any point in the future.  Macros fully integrate with a built-in batch processing tool – simply choose a saved macro and a folder or list of images, and PhotoDemon will apply that macro to every image automagically.

  • Emphasis on usability.

Most free, open-source image editors are usability nightmares.  PhotoDemon tries not to be.  The interface was built with input from professional designers – not just software engineers – and small touches, like unlimited Undo/Redo, “Fade last effect,” keyboard accelerators, effect previews, mouse wheel and forward-back button support, and descriptive menu icons make PhotoDemon useful to novices and professionals alike.

  • A comprehensive selection of image editing tools and filters.

2D transformations: image resize, crop, rotation, isometric conversion and tiling.  Color tools: image levels, white balance, shadow/highlight recovery, grayscale, sepia, color depth reduction, full-featured histogram (including equalization and stretching).  Filters: blur, sharpen, edge detection, noise removal, vignetting, film grain, and many more.  80+ in the current build – and that’s not including the custom filter tool that allows you to build your own 5×5 convolution filters.

What PhotoDemon Does Not Offer

  • Painting tools.

PhotoDemon does not provide any painting tools. These are coming, but they did not make the cut for version 5.4.

  • Advanced color management (ICC profiles)

    • PhotoDemon operates only in the sRGB space, meaning it ignores embedded non-sRGB ICC profiles.  As a tool designed for consumers and hobbyists, it is unlikely to ever gain ICC profile support.  If color management is integral to your work, PhotoDemon is not the right tool for you.  (Note: if you’re interested in specifics of PhotoDemon’s sRGB use, note that it relies on DIB sections via the Windows GDI – http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/query/ms536845)

    • Compatibility with non-Windows operating systems…probably

    Wine finally added full DIB support in March 2012 (v1.4). Because PhotoDemon relies heavily on DIB sections, it may work on OSX, Linux, BSD, Solaris or Maemo systems with Wine v1.4+ installed.  However, should you choose to go down this route, you are effectively on your own.  PhotoDemon’s developers don’t have the resources to support Wine in any official capacity.

    License and Copyright Information

    PhotoDemon is copyright (c) 2013 by Tanner Helland

    PhotoDemon is released under a BSD license. You may read more about this license at this page. A full copy of the BSD license is included at the bottom of this section.

    Parts of this source code were written by third-parties and may be subject to additional licenses. Documentation within a specific source code file supercedes the BSD license governing this project as a whole.

    Questions regarding licensing should be directed to: www.tannerhelland.com/contact

    Full text of BSD license follows.

    Copyright (c) 2013, Tanner Helland
    All rights reserved.

    Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:

    • Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
    • Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.

    THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS “AS IS” AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

    Support PhotoDemon Development

    PhotoDemon is written and maintained by a single individual (with a family to support). It is provided free-of-charge under an extremely permissive open-source license, and no fees or money will ever be charged for its use.

    That said, donations go a long way toward supporting the development of this powerful image editing tool. If you would like to donate and support PhotoDemon’s development, please visit this donation page.

    While I can’t make any promises, I have been known to give extra attention to feature requests from individuals who donate.

    If you can’t donate money to the project, here are other ways to help:

    • Let me know if you find any bugs. Issues can be submitted via PhotoDemon’s github page or, for non-GitHub users, from this dedicated feedback form. Click “New Issue” in the top-right to submit any bug reports or feature requests.
    • Are you a VB6 fiend? I’m always open to outside bug fixes and feature implementations from fellow programmers.
    • Tell friends, family, and other websites about PhotoDemon. If you frequent a site that has anything to do with photography or digital imaging, email and ask if they’ve tried it.
    • Send me an email and let me know how you use PhotoDemon. I love to hear from users. Even if it’s a single word – “Thanks!” I’d love to hear it. Get in touch here, or by emailing tanner (@t) tannerhelland (dot) com.

    Acknowledgments

    PhotoDemon would not be possible without the following individuals, who have my sincerest thanks for their help:

    Special thanks for past versions included: