Stock library launches free image editing tool

When it comes to stock imagery, 2015 has been all about integration. Designers don't want to be jumping from app to app, the theory goes, they want everything available via the window they're working in.

It's the sort of thinking that prompted the launch of Adobe Stock at Max 2015. This enables you to access Adobe's own stock images within the interfaces of Photoshop and other tools, and try them out within your designs before you decide to buy.

And now stock image library Shutterstock is doing almost the same thing in reverse, by launching its own, free, image editing tool that works within the Shutterstock interfare.

Released in open beta, Shutterstock Editor is a simple but effective way to crop and re-size an image in one step for the most popular social media sites, before even downloading it.

You can select from 10 recommended preset sizes, and there's also the option to custom-crop an image and a set of filters that you can apply.

It's not exactly a rival to Photoshop, but this free tool could save you time if you need stock images for social, blogs or websites quickly and with the minimum of fuss. Learn more at the Shutterstock website.

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