Using the Chromebook built-in photo editor

Your Chromebook has an easy-to-use, built-in photo editor that launches automatically when you select a photo or other graphics image to view and/or edit. This document can help you learn to use your Chromebook photo editor.

The Chromebook photo editor lets you make basic edits. For more advanced editing, such as converting image file types, you will also need to use a separate editor such as the GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP). Please also see How to use the Free Online Photo Editor.

Selecting an image

To select an image, do the following:

1. Log onto Chromebook.
2. Click the Apps launcher, at the lower left, to display its window.
3. Click the Files app to display its window and your Downloads folder.
4. Find an image file you wish to select for viewing or editing. Note: The file need not be in Downloads; it can be in any folder.
5. Double click the image file to launch the photo editor and simultaneously display your selected image as shown in Figure 1. Note: You can use the forward and backward arrows to display other images within the same folder.

Figure 1 - Viewing an image file

Editing an image

To edit an image, do the following:

1. According to the procedure above, select an image you wish to edit.
2. Click the pencil icon to display seven editing tools centered under the image as shown in Figure 2.

   

   Figure 2 - Editing-tool icons

   Left to right, these editing-tool icons are:
• Auto-fix (lightning bolt)
• Crop
• Brightness (also lets you adjust Contrast)
• Left (rotate)
• Right
• Undo
• Redo
3. Click an editing-tool icon to make a change to your image.  For example, you can click Crop, press Enter, and then select a rectangular image segment as shown in Figure 3.

   

   Figure 3 - Cropping an image

4. Close the Chromebook photo editor to save your edited image, such as Figure 4, in the same folder in which you have been working.

   

   Figure 4 - Cropped image