What replaces Microsoft Image Composer 1.5

[Stewart Wood]

Sorely missed, so I created this a few months ago and the feedback has been awesome
[link removed]

 

[Greg Wallace]

Why did MS ever dump it? Just to update, I now do tricky stuff in Image Composer and barely use Xara as it is complex. Since you have Windows 10 like me, for free, I get Abobe Photoshop Elements - Photo Editor and this is my preferred app for simple editing of Photos.

 

[Bartuniek]

Why did MS ever dump it? Just to update, I now do tricky stuff in Image Composer and barely use Xara as it is complex. Since you have Windows 10 like me, for free, I get Abobe Photoshop Elements - Photo Editor and this is my preferred app for simple editing of Photos.

Hi,
Great too see people are still using MIC! I am happy Win10 user except for one thing, text is not working well for me. Text is very distorted unless I use smoothing option, however without it small size text is unreadable. Anyone had this problem?

I tried changing various compatibility setting / DPI etc... but nothing helps.

 

[verolmc]

Well I was in the same boat and hated having to try and jig my old ProgramFiles folder from one PC to another having long ago lost my FrontPage CD. So after many hours I created this [link removed] so now I have the original, much loved Image Composer 1.5 installed again with none of the b-s that everything else on google returned.

where is the download??????? I miss MC so much

 

[vingram]

OMG, Image Composer users! I thought I was the only one. I've tried to replace it so many times and just haven't found "the one". Everything seems to use "layers", yuk. Sprites are the way to go! I'll have to check out XARA next time I feel that itch, but MIC is working fine on my 64-bit Windows 10. MIC users unite!

Yes, I have been using IC since 1998. I have been able t load it on every new version of Windows since then. Even Windows 10. BUT I am unable to include a transparent PNG file in my mic without losing transparency. I was able to do this in Windows 7. If anyone knows how to solve this, kindly let me know. Thanks.

 

[Lostmymojo]

A quick update (4 years on!), I tested Xara but concluded it didn't offer anything significantly better than MIC so wasn't worth the hassle of transitioning or additional cost. I'm still happily using MIC on Windows 10 without major problems. After 21 years regular use, this must be the best value software Microsoft ever released!

 

[Dwgiht]

I started using IC when the Front Page 1998 came out. I have designed and run over 20 websites and use IC for all of their graphics. I get comments constantly about the up to date look and often questions about the graphics program i use. When I tell them IC I get condescending looks and snobbish comments about when I'm ready to move up to a "real" program. That's OK. When I show them how quickly and easily I can create, edit and save an image for the web I sometimes hear "wow.... that was easy...." Yeah, I know. Stupid Microsoft. You had a good thing there and got too smart for yourselves. Think of how awesome IC could be today. Well... no actually if they had continued to develop it, it would be bloated, complex and confusing.

 

[Dwgiht]

I use IC on Windows 10 PRO no problem. Try moving the entire CD contents onto your PC and run the exe from there. That always works for me.

 

[BeatPP1]

Think of how awesome IC could be today. Well... no actually if they had continued to develop it, it would be bloated, complex and confusing.

Good point ha ha.

 

[Valle I]

Hello,
I am so pleased to hear that so many are still using IC today. I too have been happily using it for 21 years, and just recently successfully installed it on Windows 10. My new computer has no CD drive so I transferred the contents of the original installation CD to a flash drive and installed from it. No problems. I find the layering concept of Photoshop and others to be cumbersome. IC is so simple!. I am encouraged to hear about Xara and plan to try it out as backup in case IC fails on the next Windows version.
Thanks to all,
Valle I.

 

[nylon]

I'm late to this party, but would like to note that I use MIC 1.5 regularly on my Windows 11 PC.

It's my go-to gem for quick and dirty graphic manipulation, and can still do things Photoshop can't.