Paint.Net

Download: Paint.Net
Purpose: Image editor
Platforms: Windows 7, Vista, XP (requires .Net Framework 3.5 SP1 or later)
Cost: Free

With dozens of good -- even great -- free image editors around, it's hard to pick one above the others. IrfanView, for example, has tremendous viewing, organizing, and resizing capabilities. GIMP ships with powerful tools and an enormous array of add-ins. FastStone Image Viewer lets you edit full-screen and has a screen capture capability. That doesn't even brush the surface of the Picasa vs. Windows Live Photo Gallery maelstrom -- a religious debate worthy of several volumes.

For powerful, easy-to-use photo editing, with layers, plug-ins, and all sorts of special effects, along with a compact and easily understood interface, I'll stick with Paint.Net. Although it requires Windows' bloated .Net Framework, the program puts all of the editing tools a nonprofessional might reasonably expect into a remarkably intuitive package.

Paint.Net's straightforward interface makes it easy to add surprisingly sophisticated touches to your photos.