One thing is sure when it comes to the iOS App Store, and that is the fact that there is no shortage of photo-editing apps. The competition in this particular segment of the App Store is stronger than ever, making developers push even harder to create uniquely designed apps. As you are about to see, Prisma is one of those apps.
The term “iPhoneography” appeared sometimes after the iPhone 4 launched. If you are a long-term iOS user, you are well-aware by what kind of revolution in photography this smartphone brought. Ever since the iPhone 4, Apple has continued to greatly improve the camera specs on the iPhone, which brings up to the current generation. In case you own the iPhone 6s Plus, there is no reason to go out and buy a standalone digital camera. As we reported earlier, it seems like a dual-lens camera system is coming with this year’s iPhone model, which only signalizes Apple’s commitment to smartphone photography.
Having a capable smartphone with a decent camera is as important as having a quality photo editor. The iOS App Store offers a wide range of serious photo editors, where some of them can be compared with desktop-grade solutions. Even though none of these apps will replace Photoshop, it is always fun to play around with different filters. In case you are a big fan of filters, continue reading to learn more about Prisma.
UI Design and Performance
Prisma comes with a very barebones interface, which is very user-friendly and easy to use. Even though most photo editors decide to go with dark backgrounds, Prisma features lots of white all over the screen. The thin and light icons go well with the overall iOS aesthetics, and they are easily recognizable.
The app is incredibly easy to use, even if this is the first time you deal with a photo editor. You can take a new picture or import an existing one, and you’ll be immediately greeted with a nicely designed interface that brings over 30 preloaded filters. Simply tap on them to try out different styles, and adjust their opacity.
When it comes to performance, I have to say that Prisma seemed a bit slow at times, even though I tested it on my iPhone 6s. Users of older iPhone can expect to wait about 5 seconds for each filter to load, which is actually understandable considering how “heavy” they are. Other than that, I haven’t encountered a single performance issue and the app ran fine.
Tools & Features
As mentioned before, you have two ways to get an image into the app. You can snap a new photo within the app or import one from your Photo Library. However, Prisma turns everything into a 1:1 square crop, which means that you can’t import the full portrait or landscape images. Still, there are some workarounds for this problem, but they require you to do some photo editing. For example, you can add white backgrounds, but this will lower your photo’s resolution in the long-run.
If you decide to snap a new photo with Prisma, you will have the square viewfinder in the top half of the screen, where you can toggle the flash and switch between the two cameras. If you need to change any settings, just tap on the cog icons. I sincerely hope that developers will implement some changes to overcome the square format.
Once you’re happy with your image, this is when the fun starts. Prisma has about 30 filters, which come completely free of charge. Trust me when I say that these filters are unique. They are designed to transform your photos into paintings inspired by Picasso, Van Gogh, Munk, and other famous painters. The filter ribbon at the bottom half of the screen will allow you check the name and get a sample of the original artwork, so you can easily get an idea of what to expect.
Once you decide to preload a filter, just tap on it. Prisma will take a couple of seconds to load everything up, where some filters might take a few seconds more. However, once it is rendered, the app will remember the previous renderings so you don’t have to wait around for it again.
Sharing and Exporting
Once you’re happy with your picture, you can share it. This can be done by tapping on the appropriate buttons for Instagram and Facebook, from where sharing can be done using only one tap. In case you’d like to save it or share it to some other social networks, you can tap on the “Share” button to bring up the Share Sheet.
When it comes to exporting, this is the only aspect of Prisma that I didn’t like. If you want to generate a high-resolution file that can be printed out, you will see that you’re limited by the small file size of the export. In other words, Prisma-created images can only be shared on social networks, and that is just about it.
In addition, I would like to say that Prisma will put a watermark onto your image – but this can be disabled, without any cost. It seems like users are unaware of this feature, but you can remove the watermark. While on the viewfinder screen, you can find the cog icon. This is where you can choose to save original photos, to save artwork each time you apply a new filter, as well as to remove the watermark.
Conclusion
This is one of the trending apps at the moment and it’s easy to see why millions of iOS users decided to try it out. Prisma is a very simple app, but with one killer feature. In case you are looking to transform your photos and selfies into works of art, this is a good way to do that.
I strongly recommend checking out Prisma at the iOS App Store and downloading it onto your device.
