By Staff Writer – John Federico (@gadgetboy)

If you don’t need every feature that Adobe squeezes into Photoshop and have a decent broadband connection then free online photo editor Sumo Paint could be for you.

It has many of the features of the aforementioned Adobe cash cow but the entire experience takes place in your browser. While Sumo’s goal may not be to ever replace Photoshop for professional editors, it gets closer with every update.

The most recent update includes a bunch of tools and filters like the Perspective Tiling Filter, “Bumpiness” Filter Properties, the ever-popular Web 2.0-esque Reflection Filter, a Lighting Effects Filter that casts light and shadow effects across an image, a new Transform Tool with warp and distort modes and a Spiral Gradient Tool.

With all that said, the best new feature has got to be the Sumo Paint file format. It’s a lightweight format that supports layers, blending modes and layer effects using a non-destructive algorithm to keep file sizes as small as possible – which is good since you’ll be uploading files to edit them, then downloading the resulting images.

The online version of Sumo Paint is free but for those of who want to dispense with all that uploading and downloading, you can now purchase a subscription to Sumo Pro which supports the new Sumo Paint file format, natch. From their FAQ:

What is Sumo Pro?

Sumo Pro is your ticket to ultimate Sumo experience. You will get the locally installed version of Sumo Paint and many other benefits with only 19 $ / year. You will also support Sumo future development and help us to keep Sumo fast and clean.

• License to downloadable Sumo Paint Pro
• Commercial use of both offline and online applications
• Sell your artwork and earn money (coming soon!)
• Free updates for Sumo Paint Pro and other future tools
• Discount to Sumo products and services
• Increased comission for content sales
• Sumo Pro settings and statistics

PS. This is only a begining. Developing new tools and features for Sumo Pro users is our highest priority.

What is Sumo Paint Pro?

Sumo Paint Pro is the same application that can be used online (try it here), except it works locally without internet connection and you you can save files in Sumo format. Sumo Paint Pro is done with Adobe AIR technology and you can access your Sumo account from the local version as well. You will get the link for downloading AIR version after joining Sumo Pro.

[Sumo Paint]

Disclosure of Material Connection: http://dsclzr.us/0

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Tags: Adobe AIR , Adobe Integrated Runtime , Adobe Photoshop , Adobe Systems , editing , File format , graphics , Online Photo Editing Software , Photo Editing , Sumo Paint , Sumo Pro , Uploading and downloading