eXtensions: AMITIAE

AMITIAE - Wednesday 24 April 2013

Phonto: An iOS app for Adding Text to Images from Developer Youthr

By Graham K. Rogers

Phonto

I have been working my way though some of the interesting photo apps put out by a developer called youthr (Yusuke Horio). Starting with the useful cropping and masking app, ClipCrop, and then a cross-processing app, XProcess that allowed filters to be adjusted and applied. Now I am looking at an app for placing text on images, but like many of the apps from youthr, there is more to Phonto than just this simple ability.

Background

One of the features of the smartphone revolution has been the way that young people (especially) use their photographs as a method of communication with their friends. Many are not satisfied with straightforward camera output. They demand that filters and other effects be applied before sharing them or posting them on social networking sites. Whatever the proponents of large DSLR (or even film) cameras may say, output from a camera such as is installed on an iPhone or iPad is a relevant means of visual communication.

Many apps provide a range of methods to change the basic camera image, for example with filters. However, at times, it may be more direct to include a text message or comment with the photograph. For a number of years on the Mac, I have used the excellent Posterino for such output, and Apple's own Pages allows such additional styles to be created. On the iPhone a poster style app that I have is Phoster, while there are also simple text placement images such as WordFoto, ComicBook, Halftone and Typic. There are many more.

One of the apps from the developer youthr (Yusuke Horio) that I have been looking at of late, is Phonto (a play on the words, Font and Photo). First released in May 2011, the app has seen several updates and now stands at version 3.6.1. While basically, this free app is for placing text on images, as with a lot of apps from this develolper, there is just that bit more to make this a worthwhile download.

Phonto

When opened for the first time, there is an introductory screen, but this changes to the working panel and is not usually seen again. The screen that is used to start the process of working on images is in three parts: an advertisement on the top (even with free apps, someone has to pay); at the bottom there are three icons for settings, image input, and for export (initially greyed out). The screen is dominated by the area for image display. In my case, this was covered with a grid mesh, although this can be changed.

Settings allows the user to control the keyboard with ON/OFF buttons (Auto correction, Auto Capitalization and Spell Checking); to change the background image (I use a black grid, but there are 10 options, including Blank); and Theme Color (45).

Below these options are links to App Store Reviews and to buy an add-free version ($0.99). Also shown here are the version number of the app (3.6.1) and a display that shows 5 other apps by the same developer. Tapping any of these takes the user to the iTunes store (the user is asked first, before the connection is made).

Instead of just the usual camera or photo album options when the camera icon is pressed, the app also offers a Plain Image and "Restore Previous State" which brings in the last image that was used. The plain image option opens a screen with several options (70), although using some of these would need the in-app purchase of the full Image Pack ($1.99).

Nonetheless, with those that are available, a considerable amount of flexibility is possible with color and size, with some specific options provided for the iPad and iPad mini, although I was able to use one of these options on the iPhone. When the Plain Image is set up, the user must press the Export arrow and select Use. The specific setting may also be saved (Save, Use and Save).

Editing and Adjustments

When an image (or plain or photograph) is displayed, the user touches the screen and a panel appears marked "Add text". Touching this, opens a text box where the text may be entered. There are controls here for Font, Symbol and Alignment. Align Left was shown initially, but as this is touched so the control toggles through other options.

There are over 150 symbols available including the Apple logo, Trademark, Copyright and others. Pressing Font brings up a panel in which there is an alphabetical list of fonts available. There were 57 for the letter A (more than 200 are claimed). The fonts worked with English but when I tried Thai characters, the letters were displayed only in a generic font. It is also possible for a user to install other fonts and pressing the My fonts button at the bottom of the screen, explains how this is done.

Having typed in the text, the user is returned to the image panel. As well as the display, a panel with several more options is now shown over the image: Text, Font, Style, Size, Tilt and Move. This options panel can be removed just by touching the screen.

Text returns to the text box were changes may be made
Font brings up the aphabetical list of fonts
Style opens a panel with sliders that allow changes to
- Text
- Stroke
- Background
Size allows adjustment to the characters using a slider control
Tilt will allow the angle of the text box to be adjusted by plus or minus 180 degrees. The control uses a slider, but there are + and - symbols right and left for fine adjustments
Move provides icons for centering text and a series of buttons to place the box exactly - up, down, left, right. More coarse adjustments are possible just by moving the box with a finger. A "Layout" icon also allows the user to make quick changes to the positioning of the text box.

Export

When adjustments are complete, the user may export or share the image usingn the standard arrow icon at thebottom right of the screen. A panel is shown with a number of options: Save to camera roll, email, Facebook, Twitter, Open in Instagram, Open in Other apps and (useful) Preview.

When Preview is selected, the image is displayed full screen with no advertisements, which is practical. When selecting email or Save (to the camera roll), there were no size options with the Plain Image as the size is pre-selected when setting up the page. With a photograph taken using the iPhone camera, for email I was offered Small (36.9 KB) up to Large (539 KB) and Actual Size (3.8 MB).

When working on the Mac, the images I had created were 2048 x 2730 for the image with the plain background, which had a file size of 311 KB, while the image created using the iPhone camera was 2448 x 3264 (8.0 MP) and a file size of 3.81 MB. These images did not retain GPS data. That larger file exported as a full size 8-bit TIFF image was 34" x 45" and a file size of 24 MB.

Phonto on the iPad

The app is universal so opens full screen on the iPad where the display size makes it easier to use, especially with the text additions and changes. It was not hard on the iPhone, just easier on the iPad. The main difference with the iPad was the way that menus (for example when selecting an image from the Photo Album) appears on the screen. Those who use the iPad regularly will be familiar with this.

A photograph that I took with the iPad camera and then used in Phonto was exported with a size of 1936 x 2592 (5.0 MP) and a file size of 4.11 MB while another had the same dimensions but a smaller file size of 1.7 MB.

Comments

This app is another example of a well-thought out example of what software can be for iOS devices. Not only are the expected functions available, but youthr have gone that extra mile to provide some useful touches that make a difference to output.

As with all of the apps I looked at from this developer, there is much to recommend Phonto and although the in-app purchases might be useful were someone intending to produce text/image output often, for the casual user, the free app will be enough. I can live with the advertisements if that is what helps youthr and like developers pay the bills and keep turning out such interesting products.