PicFrame for iPhone and iPad

PicFrame by Active Development is a simple and easy-to-use app that lets you create and share customized photo collages. While PicFrame is certainly not the only photo-framing app around, its usability and emphasis on sharing make it stand out.

The best thing about PicFrame is its simplicity. Open the app, and you’re greeted with 34 different frame options. Frames can accommodate from one to five photos in various arrangements. You can also choose between four different ratios for your collages. Once you have selected your frame style, you choose which photo from your library you want to go into each frame. You can adjust the position of the photo within the frame as well as the position of each individual photo within the collage.

Double tap on a photo, and you have the option of rotating, mirroring, or adding filters to each image in your frame. There are 17 low-fi filters available that are very similar to filters you will find in other photo apps like Instagram or CameraBag.

One of the best things about PicFrame is that just about every aspect of the collages can be customized. You can alter the appearance of the matting behind your collage by either using the color wheel to change from the default white or by selecting one of 12 patterns. Beware, though: Most of the patterns are pretty cheesy, unless you really want neon colored stripes or fake bamboo behind your photos. You can also adjust the shape of the corners. A $1 in-app purchase adds the ability to use personalized labels.

PicFrame’s standout feature is the ease with which you can share your collages. Once you have made your collage, you can share it via email, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr or Flickr. You can even send it to Instagram if you really can’t live without that 1977 filter. Once you have shared a collage, you can choose between low, medium and high resolutions.

If you’re looking for a an easy and creative way to make collages and frames for your photos, PicFrame’s emphasis on personalization and sharing make it a fun and easy choice.

[Karissa Bell is a Macworld editorial intern.]