FastStone Image Viewer - Free Image Viewer, Converter & Editor

Exploring Alternatives to Traditional Image Editors

The world of image editors is vast and varied. For a long time, I have consistently used IrfanView, appreciating its speed and efficiency since its initial release. It significantly outperforms the standard Windows Viewer in terms of functionality. However, the question arises: are there other image editors comparable to IrfanView – offering a similar blend of speed, a small footprint, and robust capabilities?

Suggestions from readers in the comments section led me to investigate FastStone Image Viewer. This program is a highly regarded image viewer, but it also functions as a converter and editor, providing a comprehensive solution for diverse needs. Importantly, it is completely free for personal, non-commercial use.

Compact Size and System Compatibility

Initially, FastStone Image Viewer (version 4.2) boasts a download size of just 4.5MB, making it even more compact than IrfanView. It maintains compatibility with a wide range of Windows operating systems, including Windows 98SE, ME, XP (both 32-bit and 64-bit), Vista (32-bit and 64-bit), and Windows 7 (32-bit and 64-bit).

The software is available in three download formats: executable (exe), zip file, and a portable version. While FastStone Image Viewer’s initial launch is slightly slower than IrfanView’s, due to its startup folder initialization, it quickly presents a wealth of image features.

The interface is designed to be familiar, closely resembling Windows Explorer, making navigation intuitive for most users. A downloadable tutorial is also available for those seeking more detailed guidance.

Ten Notable Features of FastStone Image Viewer

While the program offers a multitude of features, let's focus on 10 particularly useful aspects.

Extensive Image Format Support

FastStone Image Viewer supports a vast array of digital image formats, as demonstrated in the screenshot above, ensuring compatibility with nearly any image you encounter.

Customization Options: Skins and Languages

Users can personalize their experience by selecting from 10 different skins and choosing from 19 available languages. The interface provides three distinct navigation methods: a folder tree, a thumbnail view, and a full-screen preview.

Direct Photo Download from Devices

The automatic Download Photos feature simplifies the process of transferring images from card readers or cameras. Images can be saved to a specified folder and renamed during the transfer, with the option to create new folders as needed.

Feature-Rich Full Screen Viewing

Unlike many image viewers, the full screen mode in FastStone Image Viewer offers a comprehensive set of features for viewing and manipulating images. Seamless navigation between images is provided, and moving the mouse to each corner of the screen reveals different control panels.

The right corner accesses the File and Attributes window, displaying image data such as EXIF information and histograms, and allowing for the addition or viewing of comments.

The top corner displays the Thumbnail Browser Window, providing a convenient strip of thumbnails for quick image selection.

Moving the mouse to the left side of the screen reveals the File Management Window, offering a range of file and image editing functions.

Finally, the bottom corner provides access to the Control Bar and Navigator Window for additional program functions.

Image Comparison with the Comparator View

Photographers will find the Compare Selected Images feature particularly valuable. It allows for the side-by-side viewing of up to four images, with adjustable magnification and the ability to compare histograms and EXIF data.

Image Organization with Sorting and Tagging

Thumbnails can be rearranged using the sorting options in the toolbar. Images can also be manually sorted by dragging and dropping, with FastStone remembering the order for future sessions. Tagging allows for selective operations on groups of files.

The Draw Board for Annotations

The Draw Board provides tools for adding text, graphics, and watermarks to images, functioning as a basic editor for annotations and enhancements.

Slideshow Creation and Customization

FastStone simplifies slideshow creation with the Slideshow Builder. Users can select images, add text and music, and choose from 156 different transitions. Slideshows can be customized with cover images, quality settings, and saved as executable files.

Easy Image Emailing

FastStone streamlines the process of emailing images, allowing for resizing, renaming, quality adjustments, border effects, and compression into a zip file before sending.

Screen Capture Capabilities

The built-in screen capture tool is a valuable asset for web workers and anyone needing to quickly capture and save portions of their screen.

Additional Features Worth Exploring

I’ve highlighted some of the features I found most appealing. To maintain brevity, I haven’t detailed every advanced function. Notable additions include:

Batch processing tools for resizing, resampling, converting, and watermarking multiple images.
Image manipulation features like redeye removal, color tone adjustments, and special effects.
Comprehensive EXIF metadata support and comment editing for JPEGs.
Image collection tools such as Contact Sheet Builder, Multi-page File Builder, and Image Strip Builder, along with a Multi-page File Splitter.
The Set Wallpaper Anywhere on Desktop feature, which creates stylish montages from photos for use as desktop wallpapers.

The extensive feature set of FastStone Image Viewer may initially seem daunting. However, with a little practice, you’ll quickly become proficient. I found it to be an indispensable addition to my PC, and it may prove to be the same for you.

Could this freeware become your go-to image viewing and editing solution?