QuickAdvice: Effects Lets You Add Filters And Frames For Free
Effects (Free) by Ab2labs is one to try if you’re interested in trying out some filters and effects for your photos but don’t want to invest any money right now. You get a dozen filters for free. Of course, there are in-app purchases available if you want more effects, but let’s take a look at what’s in the initial free package.
Open up the app and select (or shoot) a photo. Once you have your photo, you can scroll through thumbnails of your photo with the effect already added. This is a nice touch, because you don’t have to click on each one to get a preview of how your photo will look with that filter. Of course, if you do want a closer look, tap on it for a full-screen preview.
The app does not give a name or description of each filter, but I thought the one that turned all of the blue and purple in the picture into red (see my “Before” and “After” shot above) was especially interesting and surprising. There’s one I liked with sort of a light leak effect, another where a red coloration at the top fades to green at the bottom. You’ll also find the typical black-and-white, sepia, and other color variation effects.
Tap the round arrows icon to revert to your original photo. Once you have the filter you want, choose a frame to complete the look. Tap the “<“ icon to export your creation to your photo library, email, clipboard, Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr.
Be aware that the resolution is lowered in this free, ad-supported app. If you pay to upgrade, you can export higher resolution results. The upgrades also bring more filters and the ability to layer them for mix-and-match effects.
Truthfully, there are better filter apps out there. There are some unique filters here, but none that I thought I would necessarily use every day. If you want a free filter app, try PhotoTreats. If you want to just pay up front for a filter app with nearly endless options, check out FX Photo Studio. Personally, I wouldn’t pay $1.99 or $2.99 for the in-app upgrades in this particular app. But still, if you’re collecting filter apps, why not add this freebie to your collection? It’s fun and easy to use. There’s enough to keep you busy in the initial download to be worth your time.
