How to Use PicMonkey for Photo Editing and Creative Designs (printable tags and DIY projects)

Learning How to Use PicMonkey for Photo Editing and Other Creative Fun!

Photo editing software has made life so much easier for professional photographers and those who need to edit photos on a regular basis. There are many online photo editing services available for people who may need to edit a photo or make gift tags for a special occasion. My fave online photo editing service is PicMonkey. Keep reading if you are interested in learning how to use PicMonkey.

Those who signed up to use the photo editing service are offered two options. One is the free subscription (where I started) and the other is a paid or Royale subscription (what I use now). UPDATE: there is no longer a free version of PicMonkey. But the basic plan starts as low as $5.99 a month and I think totally worth it! See all the plans here.

With PicMonkey, users can edit or touch up a photograph and also design labels, tags, banners, and an array of many other creatives with this photo editing service. You can also create a collage from a series of photographs that you have stored on your computer or on an online site.

Editing a photo is easy with PicMonkey all you need to do is upload an image that you wish to alter or use one of their samples on the top right hand side. In this example, I have chosen to use one of their images which can be found on the top right side of the application.

As you can see there are basic editing tools on the side for you to use. The first one is the cropping tool. This can be used to cut out the part of the picture that you wish to use. Next is the magic wand. This one is for applying specific details to the image. The next one is the touch up tool. This is great for changing facial features, altering eye shapes, and many other things.

Here is the image I chose as an example-

Next we have the Tt or text tool. This is for adding verbiage to your image. For example, if you wanted to add text inside a bubble you would use this tool. Following the text tool, we have the butterfly icon. This icon is used to add an overlay to your image or collage. Several different types of overlays are available. This is the tool to use if you want to add a banner or shape around your text. You can also add cute graphics or choose “your own” to add another pic saved on your computer.

Here are some editing features that I used to alter the sample photo: Applied Eyeliner in this photo and also used the touch up tool to add a different color to one side of the image so you could see the changes made.

The picture frame is self-explanatory. It will permit you to add a frame around your image. As you can see in the example, I used the craft cut out to add a ridged frame around the photo. Once you have the option open, you can choose different color options for the inner frame and the outer frame as well.

The next icon which looks like a textured mat is for adding textures to the image. In this example, I used the paper texture and applied it to the background of the dog photo. The picture above has had the paper texture applied.

And lastly, we have the apple icon. Clicking this icon will pull up several different creative themes, such as ghouls and ghosts, birds, trees, lined paper, and many other background visual effects to add to your photograph or collage. Seasonal backgrounds and icons can also be found in this section.

Once you have done all the editing of the initial photo (highlighting, changing eye color, adding textures, text, or anything else) click SAVE to save the image to your computer. Make sure you give it an appropriate name for easy access. Then CLOSE OUT THE PROGRAM.

Now we are going to make a collage or invitation. What you need to do is go back to PicMonkey and open the program once again. Once it is open, click on the collage tab located at the top of the page. A page with three boxes enclosed in one frame will appear. Now on the left side of the panel, you can choose which type of layout you wish. If you want 6, 8, or 15 boxes, you choose it now. Then the amount of blank frames will appear.

Then you click on add photos on the left part of the screen. I used the original dog sample for this. Once I chose the photo I just clicked and dragged it into place. You can add as many images as you would like. Afterwards click edit located at the top of the application.

Once in editing format, you can add text or other design elements to personalize your collage or invitation. In this example I added the topic title, “Come to My Pet Party”, the bird overlays, and the date. After you have your collage or invitation personalized as you see fit. Click the save button and save it to your computer.

As mentioned previously, PicMonkey offers several plan options for its users. The basic subscription plan starts as low as $5.99 a month. If you want to try Free for 7 days, sign up here. Then you can see if you want to upgrade. See all the plans and their options here.

At one time, PicMonkey’s text option only allowed you to use their fonts. The service has now been improved in which any font found online or on your computer can be uploaded and utilized. So if you were making a Star Wars invitation, you could find a “Star Wars” font to go with your theme. So cool!

All in all, PicMonkey is a great online photo editing service. It is easy to use and easy to understand. Try it out and see for yourself just what a great program this really is.

I use this program almost daily for Mission to Save. Below are a few of the things I have created: post title images, Pinterest friendly recipe images, printable gift tags (just import the square image into a Word type document and repeat the image as many times as fits on the page) and more!