Picnik is one of those tools that you kind of have to pinch yourself when you find…. Can this really be free?

If you’re like me and completely and utterly confused by PhotoShop, you need a simple solution to make small changes to pictures. Picnik is the handiest thing I’ve seen for quick edits to digital pictures. You simply upload an electronic picture (no registration required), and crop it, scale it, create a border, add some text, sprinkle a few hearts for Valentine’s Day — whatever you need. Then you download the new file onto your computer.

One of my favorite uses is to help scale pictures. Sometimes low-res graphics lose definition when you grow or shrink them. Picnik helps even out the size without losing resolution.

Picnik integrates with many online photo accounts, such as Flickr and Picasa.  You can upgrade to a premium account for $24.95 a year — well worth the cost, in my opinion, even if you don’t use all the features. These people should get some money for being so awesome.

Picnik – edit photos the easy way, online in your browser.