Daily iPad App: Gradients is a free iOS photo editor that is worth a look

I'm always on the lookout for free photo apps that do a good job, and Gradients for the iPad or iPhone (free, universal) fits the bill. The app lets you add gradients to existing photos with almost infinite variations and control. I often create gradients in Photoshop, especially to tone down the sky in landscapes. It's nice to have a lightweight utility to handle that simple task.

There are 46 filter styles available, and each one is customizable in parameters like opacity and tilt. You can turn photos into black-and-white images. You can even create a custom gradient and save it for future use. Unlike so many photo apps, Gradients doesn't throw in-app purchases at you. Everything is included. When your editing is done, you can save your photo, or share it via Twitter or Facebook.

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Editing is easy, and as you make changes on the Gradients control panel you can see a thumbnail of your image. The only thing I found lacking is any kind of undo feature. You can tap on a new filter and the old one will go away, but there is no way to return to your starting point without reloading the image.

Gradients is a universal app and optimized for the iPhone 5. It requires iOS 6 or later.