So Picnik is closing.
Oh MY GAWD PICNIK IS CLOSING!!!!!
Oh wait.
No its not.
Nevermind.
Actually it is still open- and now all the premium features are free to everyone.
(check out this ‘we are NOT billing you again’ notice I got)
So why are so many people talking about Picnik and how it is closing and how they are devastated they will never be able to air-brush out their wrinkles again and the world will be forced to see unedited photos of them and will shriek in horror?
Because this week Google announced Picnik is soon only going to be available by accessing it through Google Plus.
Which makes me smile from ear to ear.
This validates everything I have been trying to explain for months. Google is not trying to compete with Facebook in the social space at all- what Google is doing is creating a social identity hub…a PORTAL to all of their other Google properties.
Yes, ALL OF THEM.
So like I said here…I don’t have to try to encourage you to get on Google Plus, because pretty soon (very soon) you will be compelled to do so if you want to access Google Properties. I can envision even the giant platforms like You Tube and Google Docs being ONLY accessible through Google Plus. So even if you don’t plan in using Google+ to have water cooler chats or upload photos of your dinner- you will indeed BE USING IT.
BUT HOW DO I DO IT MARCY?
A mini tutorial:
OPen G+
Go to your profile, click photos
Click Upload
Upload photo.
Run your mouse over the photo-
Click the pencil icon to edit photo (automatically takes you to Picnik)
Use Picnik to your hearts delight.
Save to an album on G+ (I created one called Picnik Edits)
From here you can publish to your G+ feed or not. (if not-click cancel at this time)
Now open your albums. Find the image. Click on it. And you will see…
on the lower left hand side is ‘Options’. Click it and you have the option to download the image to your computer if you would like.
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
You are brilliant my friend – but you already knew that. :)
Picnik has already been available to those of us (me included) who use Picasa for online storage of photos! It’s been how I edit my photos online instead of on my local machine and then re-uploading them, etc. So to hear that I should be able to use it online as I have been… seems like a great thing to me!
Thanks for this post!
Thank you for this information. I have paid for Picknik and never saw an e-mail from them, instead I read about everything online first. I just tried with a photo and the only item that I see missing, that I use a lot, is the ability to make a collage. Have you heard if they plan to add this feature into the Google+ use?
What if you don’t like Google+? It would be nice to have the option. I’m just saying :)
In Firefox, I had to do something slightly different. I selected my photo and then clicked it again and it opened up against a black background. At the top left is a link that says “Creative Kit”. Click that link and the photo opens up in a Picknik-like dashboard. I checked that out, some of the Picnik Premium Features are not there, like the clone tool, and the shine eraser. Hopefully those will get added.
Well, thank goodness they’re making it so easy!
More folks need to read your post about what Google+ really is…
I am excited that Picnik has come under the Google+ umbrella. Streamlining just makes our lives that much easier.
but some of the awesome features that were available on picnik are NOT on Google +
one example is the Eye Bright feature. and another is the Teeth Whiten feature.
:( that is what is so SAD!!!!
i want my old picnik back!!! FOREVER!!!
But half the picnik features are missing :( Where is the wrinkle remover? Curves??? Sooooo much missing!!
you were the only one I could find with the information on how to use Picnik on G+, thank you. But it looks like G+ has only half the options G+ does. I hope that the rest of Picnik’s devices will go to Google+ as well.
not happy at all! I live on picnik for work and personal use. The new way is just adding more steps…booooo!!!!
I’m really not sure if I will be able to do as much editing on google + as i did in picnik. I used it as the default photo editor for my business and was able to uses layers and png overlays like photoshop. I literally uploaded 100′s of photos a day and was happy to pay for the service, and my photos were private – now i assume on google + people will be able to see photos in my profile?
will go over and try it out but I’m sad that I will have to fork out big $$$ for photoshop classes now
I have Two questions and I need answers PLEASE
First, the missing features such as highlights and collage will be added to G+ Picnik or not?
Also, would I be able to keep my photos private and just save them to my computer?
Thank you so much for your efforts.
Only a small, and very boring, fraction of the Picnik features is available in Google+.
Where are the advanced features? Where are my Curves?
At least they should just bring EVERYTHING over. Why buy the thing if you utilize only small bits and pieces?
I didn’t mind paying $25. It was a good deal.
It is so sad how they completely destroyed such a wonderful and easy to use application!
I hope the Picnik people made a real sh*tload of money by selling to Google, because otherwise this would be too bitter.
PICNIK CAN’T CLOSE LIKE DIS! WHY IS IT TRANSFERRING TO GOOGLE PLUS?! x(