ShapeX

If you want to create a photo collage, you could just dump a bunch of pictures, one over another one, and maybe rotate them a bit, but if you have more self-respect and wish to do something more interesting, ShapeX can help you. This lightweight piece of software is capable of creating collages with any number of pictures, but the main attraction is the fact that it can arrange them into all sorts of shapes. What's more, it gives you full control to tweak various aspects of you collages.

The software doesn't need to be installed, so you can launch it right after you extract its components from a ZIP archive. It is compatible with all popular Windows versions and it runs without using a significant amount of memory or processing power. Also, the software is offered completely free of charge.

It takes two or three seconds to create a collage, but you will spend more time playing around with the available options. All you have to do is import your images and the software will do the rest. Loaded images are automatically arranged in certain shapes and patterns, which resemble animals, objects and much more. Essentially, the software creates a normal collage, but it will also apply a mask over it.

Loaded images are displayed in a column, on the left side of the user interface and the collage can be previewed in the larger area on the right. You can apply different masks at a moment's notice, by selecting one in a conveyor belt, beneath the preview area. The software provides you with a wide range of masks and they are all neatly organized in several categories. What's more, you can add your own masks from external files and mark them as favorites.

Besides choosing between various masks, it is also possible to make a series of adjustments to the pictures themselves, through a series of sliders, on the right side of the interface. You can increase or decrease the pictures count, their size, the space between them and their borders. Furthermore, you can arrange them in different patterns and change their shape, from square or rectangular to jigsaw puzzle pieces or random cut-outs.

When you are satisfied with your collage, you can, of course, export it as an image file. What's more, ShapeX lets you export your collages with a transparent background, so you can use them in other projects if you want to.

Once you start using ShapeX, you will never look at other photo collage applications the same way again.