Frequently Asked Questions

Getting started

Do I need to install anything?

No. ImageForge runs in the browser. Open the page and it is ready. It works in current versions of Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari.

Do I need an account?

No. There is no sign-up, no login and no email required.

Is it really free?

Yes — free, with no watermark, no export limit and no "pro" tier. It is open source under the MIT License.

How do I open an image?

Drag a file onto the canvas, or use File → Open. You can also paste from the clipboard with Ctrl+V / Cmd+V, or open from a URL via File → Open from URL. See the guides for a walkthrough.

Privacy and security

Are my images uploaded anywhere?

No. All processing happens in your browser using the HTML5 Canvas API. There is no upload step in the code. The two exceptions are features you trigger yourself: Open from URL fetches the image you asked for, and stock photo search queries a third-party API.

Can I use it offline?

Partly. Once the page has loaded it can keep working without a connection, and a service worker is registered to help with that. For guaranteed offline use, download the source and open it locally.

Is it safe for sensitive images?

Safer than a server-based editor, because the file never leaves your device. That said, no browser tool is a substitute for real operational discipline: if the image is genuinely sensitive, work on a trusted, offline machine.

Does it use cookies or trackers?

It sets no cookies of its own and loads no analytics or tracking script. Preferences are stored in your browser's localStorage.

Why does the site show no ads?

Because it currently has none. If advertising is ever added it will be disclosed in the Privacy Policy first, and it will not be placed where it interferes with editing.

Working with files

What formats can I open and save?

You can open most formats your browser can decode — PNG, JPEG, WebP, GIF, BMP and SVG. Export supports PNG, JPEG, WebP, GIF, BMP, and SVG for vector content.

Why did my transparent PNG come out with a white background?

Almost always because you exported to JPEG, which has no alpha channel. Use PNG or WebP to keep transparency.

Is there a size limit?

No hard limit, but the practical ceiling is your browser's memory. Files up to a few tens of megapixels are comfortable; very large images may be slow or fail. Also note that some browsers cap canvas dimensions (Chrome, for example, limits a side to 65535 pixels and total area to roughly 268 megapixels).

How do I keep layers for later?

Layer data is not stored in PNG or JPEG. Export as PNG for a flat image, or save the project in ImageForge's own format and reopen it later. See the guides.

Where did my work go after I closed the tab?

Nothing is stored on a server, so closing the tab discards it unless you exported first. Get in the habit of exporting early.

Features

Does it have layers?

Yes — create, reorder, group, merge, blend and set opacity per layer.

Can I work with text?

Yes. The text tool supports font, size, colour, alignment and stroke. Text stays editable until you flatten or rasterise the layer.

Are there keyboard shortcuts?

Yes. See Help → Keyboard Shortcuts in the app for the current list.

Can I use it on a phone or tablet?

It is usable but designed for a pointer and a keyboard. Small targets and hover-based controls make precision work difficult on touch screens.

Problems

The canvas is blank. What now?

  1. Check that JavaScript is enabled.
  2. Check that your browser supports HTML5 canvas (any current browser does).
  3. Reload the page — a stale cached bundle is a common cause after an update.
  4. Disable extensions that block scripts.
  5. If it still fails, open the browser console and report the error.

Why is editing a large image slow?

Filters run on the CPU in JavaScript. A 4000×3000 image means 12 million pixels per pass. Crop to the region you need first, or scale down before applying heavy filters.

Something is broken. What should I do?

Please open an issue with your browser version, the steps to reproduce, and a screenshot if it helps.

Can I contribute?

Yes — the project is MIT licensed. Bug fixes, translations and features are all welcome; see the contact page.