GIMP Software – all you need to know.

·         What is GIMP?

GIMP is an acronym for GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is a freely distributed program (open source software) for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. Although a free software, thankfully, it has many capabilities. For example, you can use it as a simple paint program, an expert quality photo retouching program, an online batch processing system, a mass production image renderer or an image format converter, etc.

It has a simple, intuitive interface. This means that people just starting out with digital art can quickly learn to use GIMP. Also, if you are looking for a free alternative software to Photoshop, we would advise that you consider trying it out.

·         Is The GIMP Really free?

Yes, GIMP is entirely free to download and use. This is an advantage that it has over industry standard art or photo editing software such as Photoshop, which often could be pricey. GIMP is free because it is an open source program which means that anyone can use it freely use it and edit it as well.

(You might want to also check out how to use Microsoft Excel for Free in this article of ours)

·         Is it possible to create animation using The GIMP?

Yes, it is possible to make simple animations with GIMP. This can be achieved by placing each individual animation frame into a separate layer; the program allows the user to then play the frames as an animation, with an adjustable delay between each image and VIOLA! you have your animation.

·         Are there derivative programs based on The GIMP?

Yes. As GIMP is open-source, numerous enthusiasts have made derivative software based on the original program. An example is CinePaint, which is used for retouching film. Also there is GimPhoto, which bases its interface around Photoshop; and GIMP Portable, which is designed to work as a portable application.

·         How does The GIMP compare to Photoshop?

Quite frankly, both software have quite distinct interfaces, and anybody used to one will take time to adapt to the other. Besides this, both software share many of the same features, including the more specialized tools. Professional users usually would lean towards Photoshop, the industry standard, but the free GIMP is perfect for anybody on a budget.

·         Can The GIMP handle vector or 3D imagery?

No. GIMP is a raster editor and does not handle vectors; anybody planning to create vector art should try a specialised program such as Illustrator. It is also unable to handle 3D images; this is an area where Photoshop, which holds limited 3D capabilities, has an edge.

·         How often is The GIMP updated?

GIMP is updated irregularly. As noted above, however, the program is open-source and so some users have created updates and derivative programs of their own.

·         What platforms is The GIMP available?

GIMP is available for Windows, Mac OS, Unix and Linux. The main program is not available for mobile devices, although certain users have created Android and iOS programs based on GIMP’s open source code.

·         What file formats are compatible with The GIMP?

GIMP is capable of handling almost every image file type you can think of, including all of the popular choices such as JPG, GIF, PNG and so forth. It can access PSP files created in Photoshop, and can even be used to put together PDF files. It also has its own native file type, XCF.

·         Is The GIMP safe to use and Where can I download it?

When downloaded from the official website, GIMP will be safe and free of viruses. However, as with all free software, users should be careful downloading from third-party sites, as the downloads may contain malware.

Here is a link to the main site for downloading GIMP. Also, in case you are new to using the software, you should consider checking out these tutorials so that you can get some head start into using the software.

Check the Tutorials on the official GIMP site here.

Check out the GIMP Tutorials Website here.