Work with images in GIMP
GIMP provides a powerful alternative to Photoshop.
Whether you are a graphic designer, photographer, illustrator, or scientist, GIMP provides you with sophisticated tools to get your job done. - GIMP website
GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is the go-to open source solution for general image editing. Its extensive feature set rivals many commercial programs, making it a favorite among artists, designers, hobbyists and especially creative professionals. GIMP's flexibility and adaptability are its greatest strengths, allowing users to tackle a wide range of creative tasks.
GIMP offers a robust suite of tools for photo retouching and restoration. The Clone and Healing tools are potent, enabling users to remove blemishes, scratches, and other imperfections easily. Gimp 3.0 now allows for non-destructive editing.
When it comes to graphic design, GIMP shines with its support for layers and masks, which allow for intricate compositions. The Paths tool is perfect for creating precise selections, vector shapes, and background removal. In contrast, the Text tool offers comprehensive typography options, enabling designers to create eye-catching graphics and layouts.
One of GIMP's greatest strengths is its extensibility through plugins. These external programs operate seamlessly within GIMP, allowing users to enhance and manipulate images just as they would manually. The key advantage of plugins is that they enable new functionalities without requiring modifications to GIMP's complex core code.
Explore what GIMP can do by visiting their website at gimp.org. You can also find extensive documentation and tutorials to help you get started. To install, visit the downloads page and refer to the installation guide.
This article is adapted from Getting started with GIMP: The free and open source image editor by Don Watkins, and is republished with the author's permission.
Don's article is also featured in the free ebook Open Source Alternatives to Photoshop, published by All Things Open.
