In the past couple of years, the old-school style of making collage pictures has once again become popular. A collage picture is created by merging two or more separate pictures to make a brand-new unified picture. You can also edit this picture accordingly later on.
History of photo collage
The first collage picture was created by Hans Holbein in 1532. It represented the French king, Francois I. A few hundred years later, Pablo Picasso used this technique to make his cubist pictures (19th-20th century). The most well-known among them is "Guernica" (1937).
The usage of computers in creating collages became popular in the 1980s. In 1984, Serial Killer released a program called Electric Image. In 1989, Apple included this program in their Macintosh computers' Image-Pro package.
In the 1990s, more programs appeared on the market. Two of them were Adobe Systems' Photoshop and Corel's PhotoPaint (which is now part of CorelDRAW).
The use of digital collages increased again when people got their hands on smartphones and tablets with touch screens. This enabled even greater utilization of photo editing apps for mobile devices and made this technique accessible to everyone at any time.
And now 100 years later it has become one of the most popular ways to decorate the walls of apartments and houses. This not only provides visual satisfaction but also can help you express your inner self better than anything else.
Why collages are so popular?
- Collages are popular among lots of different people because it is a great activity for everyone to have fun with.
- It doesn't require any special skills or previous experience. All you need is just inspiration and your imagination.
- The things you can make of it are practically unlimited, so everyone who is involved in this will find something of their own.
- Collages are also great for decorating your apartment or house. They are very easy to make and require little time which means that they are the cheapest way of decoration available today.
- And last but not least collages are a huge amount of fun. It is certainly the best way to spend your free time.
If you want to create something unusual, this is the right way to do so! That's really exciting...it helps you learn how to see things differently.
Types/techniques of creating collage pictures
There are many ways to create a collage picture: with different kinds of paper; several primary media such as paints, inks, and others; tweaking images in a picture editing software and so one.
One of the most popular and effective ways to create a collage is to use ripped-up paper or textile that has been glued onto the base picture which gives it much more volume.
It's also popular to add text to create your own story using this technique...it looks great when done right because it brings something new and unexpected. There are lots of different cool words you can add such as quotes from well-known people or dialogs between different characters from books/movies/TV series.
The best advice we can give you is: don't be afraid to experiment! It's really fun and easy if you keep trying and stay open to all new ideas. Just try different things and you will definitely find the way that works for you! It's all about your creativity and imagination, so don't be afraid to show it.
If not for fun...now what?
Based on some studies conducted by some schools across the world, it has been proven that 95% of 10-30 years olds actually enjoy creating different kinds of photoshop effects more than doing actual work. For many others, creating a unique and beautiful collage is the perfect way to show off their most treasured photos.
Collage making is also one of the best ways for people who are trying to express their creativity. It has already been included in educational programs in some schools, so if you’re looking for another fun activity to try with your family or friends, why not use this one during your free time?
Of course, the collage style is not as simple as that of the old days. The apps for collage that are available for general use today are loaded with artistic collage filters and tools. Here’s a list of the top 8 apps for photo collage that we have sorted for you.
Photo Blend & Shape Collage Maker
Among the popular apps for photo collages, no one can beat photo Blend & Shape Collage Maker when it comes to ease of use. The app contains a super easy-to-use interface. You can even customize the photo collage templates according to your preferred design orientation.
Pic Collage
According to experts, Pic Collage was the first-ever collage-specific tool the world ever saw. As the name already indicates, the tool included in the Pic Collage setup is perfect for creating various kinds of collages. You can also add custom gifs and funny emojis to your collage as well.
Photo Grid
Photo Grid is a pic collage app that is equally effective in both Android and iOS-based devices. The Photo Grid is known for its amazing scrapbook feature. Through this, you can make collage pictures and place them in an order with custom captions and design colors, just like a scrapbook.
Layout
When it comes to popularity, no other apps for photo collage can beat Layout. The Layout is a collage-making app that Instagram itself currently manages. You can also download Layout separately from the Instagram suite. The Layout is super simple to use, and you can access pictures directly from your gallery and create collages accordingly.
Picstitch
Picstitch is an app designed only to allow users to make artistic collages with as many pictures as they want.
But there’s one thing that Picstitch offers, and others don’t have, the ability to add music to your collages. Yes, you can make your collages musical with Picstitch.
Moldiv
As a photo editing tool, Moldiv is already known for offering some professional and realistic tools. Surprisingly, you can even use Moldiv to make amazing collages of all sorts. You can even balance your photo collage with Moldiv in the end. Moldiv is adaptable with both Android and iOS.
Diptic
The easiest-to-use collage maker is finally here! With Diptic, you can create collages without even a single usual photo collage boundary popping. Plus, compared to other popular apps for photo collages, Diptic offers all of its amazing services for a price tag of 2.99 USD.
Canva
Canva may be placed at no 8 in this list, but in terms of global popularity and use, no other apps for photo collage can beat Canva.
Instead of restricting itself to mobile applications, Canva has its own fully functional website. You can use the free version to make beautiful collages. But the real power of the Canva suite lies within the premium version.
Digital or paper photo collage?
A paper photo collage lacks the ability to add different kinds of extra features. In paper collages, colors and lines are basically fixed. You can’t add special effects or filters in a paper photo collage either. On the other hand, digital tools offer adjustable options for all these things.
Photo editing apps allow users to quickly change colors and lines according to their own preferences. They also enable users to choose from an endless list of special effects that they want on their created photo collages.
Digital collage apps also benefit from their availability all over the web. Through their website, you can connect to these photo editing tools almost anywhere on earth 24/7. So if you’re on vacation and thinking about making a collage, just open up your phone or laptop, download any one of the apps for collages that we included in this list, and start working immediately.
Digital photo collages have become more popular than ever before. As long as you have internet access, you can just simply open up any of these apps wherever you are. And with this accessibility being given these days, it seems that digital photo collages will prevail over paper-made ones soon enough. So hurry up! Find your best photo collage maker and try it out!
Collage as an idea for a birthday gift
Creating photo collages isn’t just fun. It can also be used for your business or to enhance an already existing company image. By incorporating photo editing apps, you can create stunning pictures. Also, the right use of layout and color will help you to get noticed by thousands or even millions of people in no time!
If you are thinking about creating a collage as a birthday gift, then think about this: A traditional birthday gift is something that is given with love. But what if you could give something that has both the beauty and the utility at the same time? If you ask us, digital photo collages fit perfectly into this category.
You can make them in minutes without much effort. And they are useful in more ways than you can imagine!
You can use picture collages to celebrate any special occasion in your life. It’s even better if the occasion is related to photography or technology, such as a graduation party or a birthday that commemorates an anniversary of using Facebook for ten years. You can also use photo collages and other digital photo editing tools if you want to write a love letter.
Collage as an idea for fashion design
If we take the fashion design industry, we will find various ways of using photos on clothes including magazine covers, catwalk shows, etc. Another way of using pictures on cloth is by making individual pieces such as bags, coats, or shirts–using your lovely pictures.
It's easy to personalize a clothing item with the use of phone apps for digital photo collage art and design, and you can post them on websites such as Etsy and sell them to customers around the world!
Collage as an idea for an interior design shop
If we talk about shops that provide services in building furniture, especially those ones who make fashionable decorations for houses, offices, etc, they also need some kind of photos which would help their clients to visualize what they like. For example, if people like cars or helicopters they probably want these kinds of things as decoration items in their homes.
Photo editing software may prove to be very helpful for this situation; it can be used for making digital image collages. With the help of the magazine covers app for iPhone, these services can make picture collages right on site, without any additional photo editing software, and then present them to their customers.
As an idea for architecture design
If we consider that architects also need some kind of photos in order to show what buildings they plan to build (and not only), it will become obvious that they may benefit from magazine covers apps too! They can easily make picture collages with images captured by themselves or downloaded from the internet and share them with everyone.
This way anyone can provide feedbacks about planned construction works etc and give all necessary information regarding the project-to-be (instead of spending time searching images google etc).
Power of photo editing apps for digital photo collages
If you take a closer look at all these examples, then one thing becomes obvious: The power of picture collages cannot be underestimated. It would probably not be an exaggeration to say that it can change the world! But what is even more important is that it can change your life too.
So…what are you waiting for? Get your favorite magazine cover app for iPhone and start creating your next image masterpiece! You will see how much fun this creative process will turn out to be!
The next time you will think about making a photo collage, you will have these recommendations helpful for you.