Inside: A review of Adobe Express features such as remove background and free templates. Sponsored post.
As a blogger and content creator, I am always on the lookout for easy ways to edit my photos and create graphics for various social platforms. Although I love Photoshop, sometimes I just need a tool that will do the job quickly.
Adobe Express is an online and mobile design app that allows you to create amazing graphics, and edit photos and video with one-click tools. With a free plan available, you can use a program you trust to do simple tasks at no cost.
This post will walk you through the main features to show you its capabilities and potential uses.
What is Adobe Express?
Formally known as Adobe Spark, it was rebranded to include the same features plus a lot more. Available on both desktop and mobile, you can remove backgrounds, add text, resize images, and use ready-made templates to create stunning graphics.
Who is it for?
Adobe Express is perfect for anyone who doesn’t have any previous experience using design software. With an easy to use interface and one-click actions, it makes the process of photo editing or graphic design simple and quick for everyone.
Even if you are someone who is confident using programs such as Photoshop, you may still prefer to use Express as a quick go-to tool for social media content creation or for simple edits that don’t require any skill.
Do I need a membership?
There are two types of memberships available: free and premium. If you are just looking for a basic photo editing app then the free plan is absolutely fine and you simply need to sign up using your Facebook, Google, or Apple account to get started.
If you require more cloud storage and want access to premium templates and fonts then the premium package may be more suitable. With this you also get access to Premier Rush, Photoshop Express, Spark Video and Spark Page.
Mobile vs Desktop
The desktop version has the full range of tools available whereas the mobile app is more focused on content creation using the templates and simple photo and video edits (such as background remover, resize image and merge video).
For content creators needing to create social media graphics the mobile app is great for on the go design.
There are more mobile tools planned to be released soon.
Adobe Express Features
Considering the programme is free to use, there is so much that you can do. And although you can choose to buy in to their premium features, the free plan has more than enough to keep you going.
Photo editing
Resize images
Such a useful feature and one that you often have to pay for with other programs.
Simply drag and drop or browse for a photo to upload into the resizing tool.
You can then choose the dimensions you want to crop it to, with the option to resize for specific platforms such as Instagram or Facebook. You can also adjust the scale to zoom in on a specific area of the photo.
Convert to JPG, PNG & SVG
There are lots of free services available online that allow you to convert your file type, but often these are spam sites and probably not the safest to use.
Adobe Express makes the process simple, allowing conversion from JPG to PNG, PNG to JPG and both JPG & PNG to SVG.
Cropping photos
If you aren’t wanting to resize for a particular platform or size requirement and simply want to crop out parts of an image, simply drag and drop your photo and slide the markers to the crop you want.
Background Remover
A really fun feature to use for creating your own graphics, greetings cards or bespoke event invitations.
Use the background remover by dragging a photo into the tool and allowing it to work its magic to remove the background.
Once it has completed, you can download it immediately or continue on to customise it further.
If you want to erase or neaten any further details then you must sign up to the premium plan. But you are able to crop the image and add backgrounds as part of the free plan.
Free PDF Editor
For me, this is an invaluable tool and one that I have searched high and low for up until now. Again, there are lots of spammy sites offering this service but you then find you have to sign up to something to download the edited file.
With Adobe Express, you simply upload your PDF file using the “Edit Text & Images” option and then edit the text as you require before downloading the edited file.
You also have the option to convert to and from PDF from Word, Excel, Powerpoint or image files, which is really handy.
Create graphics from templates
There are endless possibilities with the available templates in Express, with even more options on the premium plan.
Are you a content creator? Find templates for Facebook posts, Instagram (grid posts and stories), and YouTube video thumbnails.
Want to make a personalised greetings card? There are so many templates to choose from!
Make yourself a logo, a business card, event invitations and so much more.
Video editing
I can’t believe these video editing tools are free – such a great resource when you know you are using a credible program.
You can trim video clips, crop and resize the video, merge videos (to become one long clip), change the speed and even convert into a GIF.
With all options, simply drag and drop a video or browse your device to upload into the tool. Once you’ve made your changes you can then download the clip again. Simple!
Content planning
If you have social channels for your brand and don’t want to manually set posts live then a content scheduler is a great tool to have. There are lots of options out there, some free and some paid, and now Adobe Express has created a scheduler too.
As a free user you can only schedule 2 posts per month, so you will need to subscribe as a premium user to have an unlimited post allowance.
Generate QR Code
I have no idea why I might ever need to make myself a QR code but I really want to try it out!
Choose the colour you’d like the QR code to be and paste the URL you want the code to take people to and click “create QR Code”
I’ve had a go here…. where does it take you to?
There is so much you can do with Adobe Express. Sign up for your free account at express.adobe.com
What is your favourite feature?