Title: Layout
Cost: $2.99
Platform: iPad 2 or later running iOS 5 or later
Layout is one of those apps that teens, and you, might not realize they need (or want) until after they’ve tried it. But, once it’s downloaded and installed it’s likely to be a favorite app for creating collages of photos on an iPad and then turning those into e-postcards, posters, and more.
The first step when using Layout is to decide the layout for a collage. It’s easy to swipe across or down the screen to add a column or area in which to place a photo. There is also a selection of layouts that the app comes with so you don’t have to create your own.
One the initial layout is selected, it’s time to start adding images. How? By holding down a finger in the layout box where you want to place an image and waiting just a second for a menu wheel to appear. Select the insert image icon from the wheel and select the image on your iPad that you want to include. Keep adding images until the collage is complete. If you want more images just add a section to the layout. If you want to change the size of an image box, tap and drag the image section border. You can also hold down images and drag them to a new location in the layout. Or, delete an image by simply selecting something new for the box the current image lives in.
The menu wheel includes an extensive set of options including image enhancements, effects, and captions. The image editing tools are quite broad and include rotation, orientation, a drawing tool (to add line drawings to a photo), and stickers (to add everything from sunglasses to bowties to a photo). The main setup screen includes a color wheel which makes it easy to change the background color of your collage or add a background pattern from those included with the app.
All layouts created in the app can be emailed, shared on Facebook and Twitter, saved to the iPad camera roll, or added to Flickr.
I can definitely picture teens taking photos of trips, events, hanging out with friends, etc. making layouts using this app, and sharing them as postcards or posting on social spaces. Library staff working with teens can use the app to create social media based program fliers or signs for displays. For the price of $2.99 this is an app that you and the teens with whom you work will find lots of uses.
The video below from Juicy Bits, the creators of Layout, gives a good idea of how the app works.
For more YALSA App of the Week posts, visit the App of the Week Archive.
