diff --git a/client/package.json b/client/package.json
index 08a7785..fbd370a 100644
--- a/client/package.json
+++ b/client/package.json
@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@
     "react-konva": "^18.2.10",
     "konva": "^9.3.18",
     "use-image": "^1.1.1",
-    "@xenova/transformers": "^2.17.2"
+    "@xenova/transformers": "^2.17.2",
+    "react-filerobot-image-editor": "^4.8.1"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "@eslint/js": "^9.39.4",
diff --git a/client/src/components/editor/PhotoPreEditor.jsx b/client/src/components/editor/PhotoPreEditor.jsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7167c41
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/src/components/editor/PhotoPreEditor.jsx
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+import { useState } from 'react';
+import FilerobotImageEditor from 'react-filerobot-image-editor';
+
+export function PhotoPreEditor({ imageSrc, onComplete, onClose }) {
+  const [saving, setSaving] = useState(false);
+
+  const handleComplete = (editedImageObject, designState) => {
+    setSaving(true);
+
+    // Export the edited image
+    editedImageObject.exportAsync({
+      quality: 1,
+      mimeType: 'image/png',
+    }).then((blob) => {
+      const url = URL.createObjectURL(blob);
+      setSaving(false);
+      onComplete(url);
+    }).catch((error) => {
+      console.error('Export failed:', error);
+      setSaving(false);
+      onClose();
+    });
+  };
+
+  return (
+    <div className="filerobot-overlay">
+      <div className="filerobot-container">
+        <FilerobotImageEditor
+          source={imageSrc}
+          onSave={handleComplete}
+          onClose={onClose}
+          annotationsCommon={{
+            fill: '#ff0000',
+            stroke: '#000000',
+            strokeWidth: 0,
+          }}
+          annotations={[
+            'Text',
+            'Rectangle',
+            'Ellipse',
+            'Line',
+            'Pen',
+            'Eraser',
+          ]}
+          tabs={['adjust', 'filters', 'finetune', 'annotate', 'watermark']}
+          defaultTabId="adjust"
+          theme={{
+            accentColor: '#38bdf8',
+            palettePrimary: '#38bdf8',
+          }}
+          saveButtonProps={{
+            label: saving ? 'Exporting...' : 'Use Edited Image',
+          }}
+        />
+      </div>
+    </div>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/client/src/components/editor/index.js b/client/src/components/editor/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d18f55a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/src/components/editor/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+export { PhotoPreEditor } from './PhotoPreEditor';
diff --git a/client/src/components/sidebar/UploadTab.jsx b/client/src/components/sidebar/UploadTab.jsx
index 51325eb..4dbab0c 100644
--- a/client/src/components/sidebar/UploadTab.jsx
+++ b/client/src/components/sidebar/UploadTab.jsx
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
-import { useRef, useState } from 'react';
+import { useState } from 'react';
+import { PhotoPreEditor } from '../editor/PhotoPreEditor';
 
 export function UploadTab({ onUpload }) {
-  const fileInputRef = useRef(null);
+  const fileInputRef = useState(null)[0];
   const [isDragging, setIsDragging] = useState(false);
   const [uploading, setUploading] = useState(false);
+  const [editingImage, setEditingImage] = useState(null);
 
   const handleFile = async (file) => {
     if (!file || !file.type.startsWith('image/')) return;
@@ -20,7 +22,8 @@ export function UploadTab({ onUpload }) {
 
       if (response.ok) {
         const data = await response.json();
-        onUpload(data);
+        // Open photo editor with uploaded image
+        setEditingImage(data.original.url);
       }
     } catch (error) {
       console.error('Upload failed:', error);
@@ -45,6 +48,25 @@ export function UploadTab({ onUpload }) {
     setIsDragging(false);
   };
 
+  const handleEditorComplete = (editedImageUrl) => {
+    onUpload({ preview: { url: editedImageUrl } });
+    setEditingImage(null);
+  };
+
+  const handleEditorClose = () => {
+    setEditingImage(null);
+  };
+
+  if (editingImage) {
+    return (
+      <PhotoPreEditor
+        imageSrc={editingImage}
+        onComplete={handleEditorComplete}
+        onClose={handleEditorClose}
+      />
+    );
+  }
+
   return (
     <div className="upload-tab">
       <h3>Upload Image</h3>
@@ -53,7 +75,7 @@ export function UploadTab({ onUpload }) {
         onDrop={handleDrop}
         onDragOver={handleDragOver}
         onDragLeave={handleDragLeave}
-        onClick={() => fileInputRef.current?.click()}
+        onClick={() => fileInputRef?.click()}
       >
         {uploading ? (
           <div className="uploading-state">
@@ -65,6 +87,9 @@ export function UploadTab({ onUpload }) {
             <div className="upload-icon">📁</div>
             <p>Drop image here or click to upload</p>
             <p className="upload-hint">PNG, JPG, WEBP up to 20MB</p>
+            <p className="upload-hint" style={{ marginTop: '0.5rem' }}>
+              Edit with crop, filters, and effects before adding to design
+            </p>
           </>
         )}
         <input
diff --git a/client/src/index.css b/client/src/index.css
index e0f5827..d65746c 100644
--- a/client/src/index.css
+++ b/client/src/index.css
@@ -538,6 +538,28 @@ input, textarea, select {
   animation: spin 1s linear infinite;
 }
 
+/* Filerobot Editor Overlay */
+.filerobot-overlay {
+  position: fixed;
+  top: 0;
+  left: 0;
+  right: 0;
+  bottom: 0;
+  background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8);
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  justify-content: center;
+  z-index: 1000;
+}
+
+.filerobot-container {
+  width: 90%;
+  height: 90%;
+  background: #1e1e1e;
+  border-radius: var(--radius-lg);
+  overflow: hidden;
+}
+
 /* Responsive */
 @media (max-width: 900px) {
   .app-layout {