WebHints: Image Mechanics: Graphic Converter

WebTune advanced web analysis software.

In order to get anywhere with images on the web, you need an image manipulation tool that can perform at least the following functions:

Read and write GIF and JPEG files.
Crop images and add space to images.
Scale images up and down.
Modify the brightness and the contrast and colour tones.
Convert to a different number of colours.
Edit the colour table.
Basic image editing.

These are the minimum requirements. More features are always handy, but you can get by with just the above. So your first task is to find an image editor that does at least all of the above.

Macintosh

After trawling the Internet, and checking out a number of image editors, I concluded that the best low-cost image editor available (as at December 1995) for the Macintosh is Graphic Converter. It's about US$35 and does all of the above and more.

You can FTP a copy of Graphic Converter from Lemke Software.

PC

I don't have a PC, so I haven't researched PC graphics programs. However, this Graphic Converter page has received so many hits, and I've received so many email messages asking me what "the PC equivalent of Graphics Converter" is that I went and had a look around on the web. I found this review page of PC paint programs which recommends Paint Shop Pro from JASC Inc. It looks good. Check it out.