Our computer usually stores a large number of images. When it comes to viewing them, Windows incorporates its own photo viewer that is not usually to the liking of many users since it is usually quite slow when loading an image. Luckily, we have third-party alternatives with which to perform this function, and one of these applications is ImageGlass , about which we are going to talk to you next.
ImageGlass is an image viewing tool, characterized by being lightweight, versatile and free, intended for Windows computers. It is a simple-to-use program that has basic functions accompanied by a minimalist and modern user interface.
It is a very complete photo viewer in terms of compatible image formats, since it supports more than 70 compatible formats , among which GIF, SVG, HEIC, RAW or PSD stand out, among others. Being a tremendously light application, it hardly consumes system resources, something extremely useful in a program of this type, and which, above all, older and less powerful computers will appreciate.
Another important feature to highlight of ImageGlass is the possibility of converting the selected image to JPG, BMP, EMF, GIF, ICO, PNG, TIFF, among other formats, as well as uploading photos to Facebook, changing the background color or setting the maximum in size for a thumbnail file.
Simplicity is the main weapon of this photo viewer
When we start to use ImageGlass whether we run it directly or open any image with it from the context menu, we will see that its opening speed is tremendously fast, this being one of its great qualities. Once open, we check at the top how it has a toolbar.
In this toolbar we will find the option to advance and rewind images, rotate it to the right or left, as well as flip the image horizontally or vertically. We will also find editing options , such as cropping the image, doing an automatic zoom, adjusting the width or height of the image.
There will be no shortage of fundamental options, such as the ability to fit the image to the window, view it in full screen, set a thumbnail panel and make a presentation with all the photos that we have available in a folder. In addition, we will have the option to move the photo to the Recycle Bin in case we want to get rid of it. All these tools have their corresponding keyboard shortcut so that we can move more directly and easily.
Likewise, if we look at the upper part of the toolbar , we can see how the program presents us with data information about the image we are viewing. In this way it shows us its name, size, weight and date of its last modification.
Customize the tools from the Settings menu
On the right side of the toolbar, we will also find the menu icon, represented by three vertical stripes. By clicking on it we will have the possibility to access the Configuration section, where a Preferences window will appear, where we will find different tabs to configure and customize the program to our liking.
general
Within this section we can configure some options of the viewer that we can activate or deactivate to our liking. We will have the possibility to show the scroll bar, the navigation arrow buttons, the name of the display image in the title bar or activate support for touch gestures, in case we have a compatible screen. We can also change the background color to the tone that we like the most.
Image
In the Image tab we can different options to load the image, being able to show hidden images, center the image or search for images in the subfolders. We can also sort the images by name, extension, creation date, etc., as well as show them in ascending or descending order.
Edition
If we click on the Editing section, we will have the possibility of saving the image after rotating, keeping the image’s modification date when saving, as well as selecting an application for image editing depending on its extension.
Toolbar
From this option we can configure the toolbar to our liking , which allows us to decide if we want to place it at the top or bottom of the screen. We also find the available buttons, as well as the current buttons, so that we can add or remove functions in the bar depending on the ones we are going to use more frequently.
Topic
From the Theme section, it is possible to switch between the light or dark theme that are integrated by default in the program. In the same way, it also allows the downloading of themes from its website, installing and applying them whenever we want.
Download ImageGlass
ImageGlass is a completely free photo viewer that we can download from its website . From here we will have the option to choose whether to download the version with installation, or the portable edition. With this last option it will allow us to run the program from any external device and use it on other computers without the need for any installation. The latest version available is 7.6.4.30 , corresponding to April 30, so this is an application that has good update support from the developer.
Once we click on its ImageGlass.exe executable, some small configuration windows will appear prior to use. In it we can choose the desired language, among which is Spanish. Later we can choose if we want a light or dark background for the application. We can also select the design and finally it gives us the option to set the program as the default photo viewer. Once these steps are completed, the program will run and show us its interface.
Alternatives to ImageGlass
If we are looking for a free and lightweight image viewer, ImageGlass is a great option to replace Windows Photo viewer. In the event that you are somewhat short on benefits, you can try one of these alternatives:
XnView
It is a photo viewer that has compatibility with more than 500 image formats. Among them, the most popular ones such as JPEG, PNG, TIFF, PSD, WEBP, JPEG2000, OpenEXR, RAW camera, HEIC, PDF, among others, will not be missing. In addition, it has additional options such as the ability to adjust the color, change the size of the image, edit the metadata (IPTC, XMP), crop the photo, etc. XnView is a 100% free tool that we can download from its official website .
IrfanView
This complete tool to view images is characterized by being light, fast and recognizing more than 90 image formats (BMP, DIB, JPEG, GIF, PNG, PCX TIFF, RAW etc). Plus, it includes both basic effects and retouching tools. It also offers compatibility with most professional application filters, such as Photoshop. You can download IrfanView for free from the developer’s website.
