Photo mosaic software is a type of computer program used to create photo mosaic images fairly quickly and easily. These types of programs can be freeware available for download and use or more expensive programs that typically provide greater tools and can be easier for a new user to understand. Various programs can allow different aspects of photo mosaic creation, from changing cell size and shape to manipulating and reorienting source images and photographs. Photo mosaic software is available from a number of different manufacturers and can be used to create beautiful and complex works of art.
A photo mosaic image is a large image made up of a number of smaller images, called cells, combining color and tones to create the shapes and textures of the larger picture. This process is similar to the artistic style known as pointillism in which small individual points of color or value are used to fool the eye into perceiving a full image rather than the individual points. Some forms of newspaper and magazine printing, as well as older dot matrix printers, still use this type of process.
Photo mosaic software allows a user to use this same concept to create photo mosaic images without having to place each image individually. These programs allow a user to import dozens or hundreds of images together into a single directory and begin placing and manipulating those images in small sizes to create a larger image. Some simpler programs only allow a user to control some basic elements of the image, usually allowing some simple manipulations of cell sizes and orientations. While this type of photo mosaic software may be less expensive or available as freeware, more powerful programs are also available for trial or purchase.
These types of programs will often allow much greater control over the individual cells, and may allow a user to better manipulate each cell to create a more refined final image. This type of photo mosaic software can allow multiple cell shapes, such as hexagonal rather than the standard rectangular, easier repositioning and reorienting of each cell, and allow for higher numbers of cells for even more detailed final images. The user interface available from these different types of photo mosaic software can also vary greatly and provide different levels of customization. Many programs allow a user to quickly and easily change the view between individual cells and the larger image, as well as allow a user to view both images simultaneously to see changes happen at large and small scale simultaneously.