TopTenREVIEWS

By Derek Hardman

Like Splashup, piZap relies fairly heavy on Flash for its operational needs, which can be heavy on bandwidth consumption and difficult to access with certain browsers. Flash and browser configurations aside, piZap comes up lacking again when it comes to other site features, offering only a handful of photo filters and effects, a bare-bones paint and image design palette and an unnecessarily large helping of visual embellishments, stickers and other add-ons that do very little for the average online image editing program user that is likely looking to reduce red-eye and perhaps adjust levels for optimal effect.

PiZap Screenshots

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Editing Features:

piZap aims to affect the playful and fun atmosphere of Picnik, but fails to balance its fun elements (countless embellishments, stickers and other add-ons) with the functionality that keeps users coming back for practical purposes. Its offers only a handful of filters and effects, all of which can only be implemented and managed with difficulty and a paint/image design feature set that is reduced to a paintbrush/wand alone.

Import/Export:

Only image files saved to one’s computer can be imported or exported with piZap, making it necessary to re-upload finished photos and images to other photosharing and social networking sites.

Ease of Use:

piZap is easy to use by virtue of its simplicity and limited range. Aside from potential browser issues, however, the program is smooth running and straightforward in its use and processes. The same, however, cannot be said of effects and filters, which, the hue/saturation adjustment feature in particular, are difficult—bordering on impossible—to use with efficacy.

Help/Support:

Aside from email information, piZap offers no resources to users to troubleshoot technical issues or facilitate program comprehension and proficiency.

Summary:

Like most online image editing programs reviewed on this site, piZap, too, has its strengths, functions and potential niche amongst digital photo hobbyists, photo sharing site users and social networkers. That strength is apparent from the homepage, namely the innovative, modern embellishments, stickers and add-ons that range from simple holiday and other themes to contemporary pop culture and politics. piZap might not be the go-to online image editing program for everyday users, but when it comes to humorous collages and contemporary, relevant stickers, piZap is in a class of its own.