IrfanView 4.54 released with improvements and fixes
A new version of the popular image viewer Irfanview has just been released (yes I call IrfanView an image viewer even though it can do a lot more than that). IrfanView 4.54 introduces several new features to the application and fixes several issues in earlier versions.
New and existing users can download setup and portable versions of IrfanView 4.54 from the developer homepage. All it takes to update is to install the new version over the existing copy or push the portable files into the portable program folder.
IrfanView 4.54 increases the Undo and Redo limit to a maximum of 20 steps. The default is set to five undo/redo operations but users may change the limit to up to 20 steps. Just select Options > Properties/Settings > Browsing/Editing and change the value of the "Set the number of Undo/Redo steps" option. You may also disable undo/redo operations by setting the value to 0.
Tip: check out other image viewer reviews, e.g. ImageGlass, FastStone Image Viewer, or QuickViewer.
The developer added a zoom magnifier to the image viewer's fullscreen mode. The keyboard shortcut Ctrl-Shift is mapped to the zoom magnifier which can be moved around with the mouse; this works in regular IrfanView windows and now also in fullscreen mode. IrfanView users who don't need the functionality can disable it under Options > Properties/Settings > Viewing by removing the checkmark from "Enable Zoom Magnifier".
Another new and useful feature is an option to create print profiles. When you open the print dialog in IrfanView you find a new option to save the settings to a profile. You may switch between different profiles at anytime by loading them from the print dialog. A profile may save information about the printer, print size and orientation, margins, and other printing related parameters. Another new printing related feature is the option to configure horizontal and vertical centering.
The Settings feature several new options, among them the ability to enable or disable plugins under Help > Installed Plugins, a new option to set the selection border size, new canvas dialog option "set aspect ratio", and new option to copy/move possible.
Other than that, there is a new option for lossless JPEGs to add or replace ICC color profiles and a new thumbnail option to keep the focus in the folder tree. Lastly, it is now possible to show the color corrections dialog in dark mode and to watch subfolders in the Watch/Hot Folder dialog.
Most fixes are for plugins that should now work properly again in the new version.
Now You: Which image viewer do you use, and why?
I use FastStone, I tried IrfanView but didn’t take to it.
For a quick view and cropping, I like Nomacs Image Lounge. The next stop is IrfanView.
Wake me up, when it can open zip/rar archives.
I’ve tried lots of image viewers but I keep going back to IrfanView. Still the best. Super fast, has all the features you need without the bloat. So glad the developer is still working on it.
There is a very light-weight and fast image viewer named Imagine which can open numerous photo formats. Plugins available if you ever need additional format support.
http://www.nyam.pe.kr/dev/imagine/
Development seems to be sparse (last two updates were 2012 and 2017). But the biggest problem being, it crashes directly when starting probably because it crashes on creating a thumbnail for the default folder.
And this leads me to my next point: Why would I want my image viewer to create thumbnails for whatever folder? Just be like IF – open it and get a black screen, because it was given no image to show. It’s a viewer not a browser.
IrfanView has been around since 1996! The developer, Irfan Skiljan, deserves our praise and gratitude.
XnView MP is a good choice for Linux users. However, they can also use IrfanView, provided Wine is installed.
I installed Irfanview and it opens very big image in good time, and the editing and renaming options are really good. I didn’t knew about this good program, thank you @Martin for this article.
I use honeyview 5.31 that is very fast for very large files, however it has few editing options imho.
>Which image viewer do you use, and why?
HoneyView. I tried a lot of image viewers including the ones listed in the article but couldn’t find anything that’d be able to replace HoneyView for me.
It’s a shame that its development stopped a long time ago, it has a lot of things that can still be improved and a number of non-critical bugs to be fixed.
@zer0, “It’s a shame that its development stopped a long time ago”
Latest ‘Honeyview’ Setup file: V 5.31 – Sep 30, 2018 : not that long and not explicitly stopped.
https://www.bandisoft.com/honeyview/
Haven’t tried this latest version but as far as I understand it the reason which had made me reluctant to use IrfanView remains: I just don’t like the display, its organization, the bloated (IMO) menu bar… this is I agree subjectively related to my comfort of use.
‘HoneyView’ together with ‘FastStone Image Viewer’ are my choices for now.
Image extensions are associated to HoneyView and FastStone is called mainly for image files management, global view of picture folders etc …
There’s a file format I use which isn’t handled by FastStone unfortunately but is with HoneyView: Animated PNG (extension remains .png though) similar to GIF but better. In fact FastStone doesn’t handle many image extensions besides the main ones, HoneyView is far more opened. But I appreciate FastStone’s concept.
I use irfan and don’t like its menus either, but since i’m mainly using it to view files, I turn it off.
Irfan is very customizable.
https://sourceforge.net/projects/jpegview/
The FASTEST ever (that I have tried).
There is a very light-weight and fast image viewer named Imagine which can open numerous photo formats. Plugins available if you ever need additional format support.
Only ? freakin viewer that I know with old ACDSee style main window where you can movie between folders easily with PageUp/Down/Enter (why the hell there’s isn’t any other viewer like it when it’s clearly best way to navigate, still looking for one)… I would use it but sadly when you view images you cannot use PageUp/Down to move between images (and no way to change this ?) like in ACDSee and Gifs crash it for me sometimes for some reason… otherwise it would be perfect replacement
@Jeikeui
Faststone does that except with the left right arrows if you set to do so.
There is a very light-weight and fast image viewer named Imagine which can open numerous photo formats. Plugins available if you ever need additional format support.
Several years ago, there were a couple of things about Irfanview I didn’t like, like it’s inability to remember the last window size or to be set so that it always opens maximized. I’d contacted the program author about the issue two or three times and was ignored. I gave up on IrfanView, moved to FastStone Image Viewer and never looked back.
@John C.:
Regarding IrfanView’s initial window size:
Doesn’t an app’s initial window size depend at least in part on the OS? For *years* I used a little Windows freeware utility called AutoSizer that allowed you to specify initial window sizing and placement based either on the window’s class (e.g., IrfanView or IrfanViewThumbnails) or on all or part of its title (e.g., “Session Manager – Pale Moon”). It was very useful, but for some reason — a Windows 7 update? — it stopped working at some point. I just reinstalled it and will see whether it’s started working again. (I have no idea how Windows 8.x and 10 handle window sizing and placement, or whether utilities like AutoSizer are available for those versions of Windows. The latest Windows version that AutoSizer claims to be compatible with is Windows 7, and as I mentioned, even that claim may no longer be entirely accurate.)
As for settings within IrfanView itself, did you experiment with the options in IrfanView’s “View > Display options (window mode)” submenu? My 32-bit IrfanView always opens maximized (even when AutoSizer is not installed or running). Maybe that’s because I have my IrfanView “window mode” set to “Fit images to window”; I don’t know.
Regarding the IrfanView developer’s responsiveness:
I’ve contacted Irfan Skiljan twice over the past several years and gotten a pretty prompt response both times. The first time was about Windows display scaling causing truncated text in IrfanView’s dialogs. He worked the problem, linked me to a private beta a little while later, and followed up with a full fixed release. (How’s that for responsive?) The second time was about selection/grid/cropping lines being difficult to see on small-grained, chaotic multi-color backgrounds. I suggested the option of animated lines, e.g., “moving” dots or dashes, but, alas, it was not to be. (Maybe at some point in the future?)
Anyway, if you are happier with FastStone Image Viewer, that’s fine with me (really!), but I felt it was a bit unfair to leave readers with the impression that IrfanView’s developer — a lone developer with millions and millions of users, mind you — is unresponsive. In my experience, if you’ve researched the issue on your own, frame your inquiry simply and accurately, and supply all relevant background info, you have a decent shot at getting a helpful follow-up.
XNView MP. Faststone is good too.
XNView is too slow. Need 3-4 seconds to open image compared to 1 second Irfan.
Faststone is good.
Are you talking for XnView Classic or XnViewMP?
on my Pentium 4 box the Classic opens a 3mb PNG photo instantly, not 3-4 seconds.
I use IrfanView many times/day and version 4.5.4 x32 and its plugins work even better than before for me under Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.18363.535]. It will take a lot of validating time re options to know this version well, but all looks great so far for me. FYI even experienced IrfanView users will probably profit by reading
https://www.irfanview.net/faq.htm
“Which image viewer do you use, and why?”
I don’t need image viewers on Windows very often, so I just use whatever comes with Windows when I do. I have used IrfanView years ago, though, and I liked it then. I can only assume that it’s even better now!
On Linux, I use gqview for most of my image viewing needs, and GIMP for my image editing needs.
In the image editing / processing application, the favorite is IrfanView.
However, if it is an image viewer, it is limited to “MassiGraâ€.
Image viewer “MassiGra”| Official homepage (Japanese only)
http://www.massigra.net/massigrahelp/currentver/about.htm
About MassiGra:
Single screen image viewer
Start up immediately, and with high-resolution, stress-free drawing, can zoom in / out.
Perfected full screen display is possible, and the mouse pointer can also be hidden, so you can wipe out all the annoying things from the screen.
“Slide show” can be adjusted in 0.1 second increments.
Helpful hotkey function and context menu, and it is easy to hide and display, and it is easy to use. Brightness adjustment, hue adjustment, and simple image processing are also possible.
The file size is extremely compact (MassiGra.exe: 703 KB).
This app no need to install it, and you can start it by “associating” from the downloaded file.
The final specification: Version 0.45 (April 23, 2013)
Operating environment: Windows 98 (32bit) or later
Wow, I hope IrfanView doesn’t make all horses look like that! An interesting statement about today’s horsepower vs. the original meaning. Or not.
We use Faststone for viewing and simple editing and Affinity Photo for pro level edits. I’ve tried many of the freebies, stuck with Faststone because its editing functions are extensive and it’s a fast, simple viewer.
Irfan’s new color profiles feature is interesting; different profiles can have large effects on image appearance.