Strut Type Review

Take a look at old photographs from decades ago, and it's immediately apparent how lucky we are. Digital technology means our photos have a much better chance of remaining high quality, no matter how old they get and without any worry of damage occurring to them. Having said that, such distinctive markings can add some character to images and give a sign of just what they've been through. Which is precisely why apps such as Strut Type exist. It's a photo filtering app that offers plenty of different ageing effects for users to try out.

Initially, Strut Type isn't the most intuitive of apps. Focusing on an old appearance, the app offers some help buttons which provide an overlay of advice, but it's not as consistent as I'd have liked. Focusing on looks rather than presentation, the first couple of times using Strut Type can be confusing. Persevere though, and it makes sense.

The app offers options to take a photo from within or import photos from the camera roll. A series of filters can then be applied and adjusted accordingly. It's possible to add black and white or sepia filters, adjust the look of the paper used for the photograph, add light leakage or ink blot marks, as well as vignettes and framing. There's no multi tasking support, so make sure to save files before switching elsewhere.

It's possible to adjust blurring, saturation and brightness, too, although this is also where half of the informative text overlay vanishes which can be awkward, as well as inconsistent.

It's the results that matter here, though, and Strut Type shines. While it can take a while to get just the right combination set up (and there's no way of saving such settings for future reference), the results are frequently quite stunning. Using them to convert photos I took on a recent vacation to London, really brought the old architecture alive. Strut Type might not be perfect but it's great where it counts.