Drawtools

by Yan Matusevich on 4/6/11 11:44 PM

Tested version: 1.4
Latest version: 1.4
Requires Android: from 1.5

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Summary

As camera phones have been gradually improving over time, taking picture with our Android devices is becoming more fun. Even the most basic snapshots can be edited in just a couple of clicks. Here’s another editing apps called Drawtools. Find out if it’s worth your precious time in today’s test.

Features & Use

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Judging from the description of Drawtools the app is easy to use, user-friendly and void of clutter. That’s the basic concept behind the entire app, but does it have a negative effect on functionality? Well, sort of. Drawtools isn’t a Photoshop replacement (not even of the mobile versions), but rather an assortment of interesting and cute effects that can be used quickly and hassle-free. In the top of the screen, you’ll find the following icons:

Take a photo: Opens up your phone’s default camera app
Open a picture: Open up the gallery to a select a picture to edit
Select an effect
Undo
Show grid
Share your picture

The effects included in Drawtools are pretty impressive. You can mirror the image, flip it upside down, add a film negative effect, pop art, use different artistic filters, alter the shape, add watermarks, change the contrast and brightness….The list can go on for a while, but I think you get the point.

For every effect, you can preview what it will look like on a default picture of Mona Lisa. That gives you a good idea of what each effect does. Although I would’ve preferred to see a live preview of each specific picture, it’s not really that big of a deal. In any case, you can repair any damage done by simply pressing the undo button.

Pressing the menu button on your device opens up two buttons: one designed to configure the grid view and another to save the picture. I didn’t really see the point of using the grid view because it doesn’t allow you to move anything around. At least, it’s possible to share your pictures via Bluetooth, email, Facebook or Picasa with your friends.

Bottom Line:
With Drawtools you can quickly and easily add interesting and creative effects to your regular pictures. Even though the app is supposed to be simply, I wish they could added a couple more features. I don’t see why they couldn’t add zoom and crop features.

Screen & Controls

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Given the apps’ limited funtions, Drawtools is very easy to use. The icons used to mark different buttons are always very straightforward. While I managed to understand that I needed to press the folder button to open a picture, I couldn’t for the life of me figure out that the Google calendar symbol stood for opening the grid view. I mean, come on guys, how hard can it be to make some simple icons? Not only is it confusing, it’s just downright embarrassing.

Speed & Stability

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At least in this section, there isn’t anything to complain about except for the fact that some filters take a while to load. Obviously, that’s not a problem with Drawtools itself, but the image size of the picture being used.

Price/Performance Ratio

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Drawtools is available for free from the AndroidPIT App Center. There may be better free alternatives out there, but the app does boast a couple of really great filters.

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