Montage Magic running on the new iPad

The current version of Montage Magic (v1.1) is looking great on the new iPad - the screen is amazing and montages look really crisp. 

Fake Post Video Tutorial using MyFonts in Montage Magic v1.1

There are 100s of fonts which contain icons, shapes and symbols rather than characters which can be put to creative use within Montage Magic.  For example, this image was created using the "Dead Letter Office" font, free from dafont.com.

The following video gives a step-by-step tutorial for creating such an image:

Demo of Montage Magic v1.1 and MyFonts

Here's a quick demo of the new MyFonts feature of Montage Magic (v1.1) which should be released in the next week.

It's quick to use - go to any one of many free font sites, tap on download, and then tap on "Open in Montage Magic".  Zip files containing multiple fonts will be extracted automatically for you.  There are 100s of dingbat type fonts which are also supported and allow you to easily add any symbols to your collages.

Montage Magic v1.0.22 Update now available in the App Store!

A small update to Montage Magic is now available in the App Store.  Transparency in PNG (portable network graphics) files is now fully supported.

In addition, a few new textured backgrounds have been added.

Montage Magic v1.0.21 Update now available in the App Store!

A recent fix to Montage Magic is now available in the App store.

v1.0.21 addresses an issue for iOS5 users where images were being incorrectly rotated when imported from the Camera Roll or Saved Photos.

UK App Store
US App Store

Montage Magic Tip: Screenshots and How-To Collages

This tip looks at the possibility of combining screenshots from your iPhone (or iPad and iPod Touch) with text and arrows to create a How-To image.  Screenshots are great for adding all sorts of content such as maps, showing off how well you did in a game, or a maybe a frame grab from YouTube.

If you don't know how to take a screenshot, it's easy - simply hold the Home button and then press the Sleep/Wake button as shown above (this image was made with Montage Magic!).  Don't hold the Home button for too long or you'll activate Voice Control or Siri!  Your screenshots are available in the Camera Roll photo album.

Open Montage Magic and create a new collage from the theme picker.  You may find it useful to keep your screenshots straight and equal size - it's a lot easier if you switch on Snap to Grid.  Tap on the Settings button and choose the Layout Settings.

Import your screenshots by tapping on the Camera button, Choose Existing, and then select the Camera Roll album.  Reposition and resize your screenshots as shown above.

Now it's time to add some arrows - tap on the Arrow button, choose a colour and line shape and then select the arrow you want to add.

Resize and reposition your arrows as shown above.

Finally, I'm going to add some text.  This particular example shows how to re-enable Location Services for Montage Magic in case you see an error message when trying to add photos from your library.

Montage Magic and iOS5 Tip: Cropping & Editing

Although Montage Magic doesn't offer cropping and editing functionality, the recently launched iOS 5 update does provide editing and cropping using Apple's Photos app.  This provides an easy way to create panoramic photos from your iPhone's camera - this tip looks at creating a collage of photos taken with the new iPhone 4S.

Here's a photo I've taken of the sun setting - to crop this image, tap on the Edit button and then tap on the crop icon (bottom right).

Now simply constrain the photo to a more panoramic aspect ratio.  Tap on Crop and then Save.

I'm going to do the same for this photo but in portrait.

Now open Montage Magic and create a new collage - I'm going to use the Postcard Black theme.

Now simply import the photos you want - I've included the two I edited earlier.  Resize and reposition your photos.

And finally I'm going to add a title and a date using the Roundhand and Trebuchet fonts.  I can now rotate and resize and overlay them over the first panoramic photo.  That's it!  The combination of Apple's Photos app and Montage Magic provide a lot of creative possibilities while you're out and about with your iPhone.

And here it is printed in 4x6.