The poor man's photoshop

[SimplyMatt]

(Illegally downloaded) photoshop users and MS Paint users alike, I want to show you something... something called GIMP.
(I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of you guy know about it, but heck, I need some kind of introduction.)

GIMP is some funny acronym for 'GNU Image Manipulation Program' which I have recently discovered. Before I was, shamefully, using some pirated version of photoshop 7, but relized my sins. I searched the internet far and wide (well, Google did anyway) and found yet another open-source program to put in my collection, funnily enough called GIMP with a dog(?) as it's logo. And too be honest, I was skeptical at first. But after spending hours on end trying to get fonts working, only to find out that it was my tool box that was simply tabbed, I discovered the many possibilies with this tool... and it's limitations too. Thankfully, you have things called Script-Fu's which basically are plugins made by awesome people. After messing around, searching about the internet and so on, I found a lot of use with 'the poor man's photoshop'.

I just wanted to say that GIMP offers so much. It isn't as user-friendly as Photoshop or as simple as Paint (the irony) but once you get acquitted, it becomes a graphical powerhouse and you can start producing good quality images faster and faster - for absolutely free. So for both professional use, wanna-bes and people who need some artistic tool, I suggest you trying out GIMP (here for you lazy bunch). Also, if you're like me, you'll feel glad that yet another problem comes with an open-source solution.

I guess this serves as a general GIMP thread too. GIMPers rejoice!

[Previous]

It certainly is not bad but the floating window boxes annoy me somehow. I can't get used to them.
Not that I ever would get used to my (legally purchased) Photoshops (CS5.1/12.1).

[SimplyMatt]

Honestly, them windows can piss me off too, especially when working on 2 or more images at once. I would love some keyboard shortcuts for these, but thats another matter. CS5 I hear (actually, a friend said CS4 was better, though I don't have first-hand experience) is bloody well made with tons of support around and don't exactly discourage people getting it... that is, if you had enough money not to care for a probably much more powerful (power comes from the UI, you can do anything on PS that you can do on GIMP) tool.

[Garamonde]

Ehhh... I downloaded it and tried it a bit, but I don't really care for it. It looks like it has some neat features, but PSP 7 is the best thing I've ever used, both in terms of useful features and having used it for years so it's also the most comfortable thing I've ever used (despite the fact that I can't open images with transparency grrr). I may give it another go sometime when I don't have much to do and am feeling less lazy.

[puggsoy]

[NONSENSICAL RANT START]
GIMP is the best image editor anyone has ever made. It's free, open-source, and there is absolutely no reason to cough up $700 for Photoshop, or even go the trouble of getting a pirated version. GIMP is better than any editing program and everybody who has anything else should download GIMP right now.
[NONSENSICAL RANT END]

OK, seriously though...

I discovered GIMP a few years ago, or, more accurately, somebody showed it to me. Ever since then I haven't used anything else, since it's more than enough for my image manipulation needs. I've never used PS before, so I can't compare, but from what I know from comparisons, I'd say that there's no point in me getting it. I'd be more comfortable with GIMP, anyway.

As for those windows you guys are complaining about... you can attach them all onto the single "Toolbox" window. Drag them, not from the Windows border, but from the bit just below that. Drag it over to the bottom half of the Toolbox window, and it'll snap there. Then you can just switch between tabs. That's what I do, and what I've always done, and it's much better than having multiple windows.

EDIT:

(despite the fact that I can't open images with transparency grrr).

the fact that I can't open images with transparency

I can't open images with transparency

What the hell.

[SimplyMatt]

Holy shit... how could I of missed this? Thanks pug.

[Maxpphire]

Sorry but I don't really like Gimp, I'd much rather use PhotoShop.

[Garamonde]

EDIT:

(despite the fact that I can't open images with transparency grrr).

the fact that I can't open images with transparency

I can't open images with transparency

What the hell.

Meaning, if I open it the transparency'll turn either black or white (but if I cut and paste a selection as a new image and such it'll be transparent... so basically, it supports transparency but it doesn't at the same time... it's really weird). But it can be worked around sort of... just means I pretty much have to make sheets in one sitting if I want to use a transparent BG, otherwise I have to open it in Paint.NET. This is why I prefer colored BGs.

[TGE]

Same as Kat, I dont like GIMP either because of it's annoying UI. I'd rather my Illigal PS CS5.1 than GIMP

[Previous]

My problem isn't that there are multiple windows with layers, pens, tools et cetera. My problem is that there are windows. I like to work with maximizes windows, but when I maximize the main view, the toolbox always is in the way. I never understood why they didn't add an option to snap to either side of the main window. Or at least added snapping to workspace borders so I could align them neatly to the screen side.



About your transparency issues, Jetters - does it only apply to PNGs or also to PSP7 native files (if there is a native file format of PSP)? Since PSP7 is like ten years old it wouldn't surprise me if the PNG implementation it uses just can't handle transparency.

[Raz]

My problem isn't that there are multiple windows with layers, pens, tools et cetera. My problem is that there are windows. I like to work with maximizes windows, but when I maximize the main view, the toolbox always is in the way. I never understood why they didn't add an option to snap to either side of the main window. Or at least added snapping to workspace borders so I could align them neatly to the screen side.



About your transparency issues, Jetters - does it only apply to PNGs or also to PSP7 native files (if there is a native file format of PSP)? Since PSP7 is like ten years old it wouldn't surprise me if the PNG implementation it uses just can't handle transparency.

GIMP now has single window mode. It's pretty neat, makes it looks almost like photoshop in that sense.

Actually the next version of GIMP and beyond are going to be in single window mode by default since the floating windows are a terrible design decision for 90% of users.

[RétroX]

GIMP 2.7 actually has a single-window mode, which snaps the toolbars to the sides and has tabs. Unfortunately, it's a development release without any pre-built binaries for Windows, so, you'll have to wait until 2.8 comes out to actually use it (which will probably be some time this summer). I believe that GIMP 2.8 will also support OpenCL for rendering, meaning that if you have a graphics processor which exceeds the level of caveman, you will end up with exceptionally fast rendering times.

I don't see why people argue that GIMP is better than Photoshop. I mean, yes, Photoshop is $700 more expensive than GIMP, and I totally agree that for the price, GIMP is definitely better. However, it would be extremely silly to say that a free product is better than a $700 one; Photoshop is definitely superior to GIMP.

By far, GIMP is the best free image editor. If you're going to be doing pixel art, it's extremely overkill (and also more difficult to use), but for anything else, it's worth it. Paint.NET is terrible; I'm sorry.

EDIT: Raz beat me to it, mostly.

[Previous]

GIMP now has single window mode. It's pretty neat, makes it looks almost like photoshop in that sense.

Actually the next version of GIMP and beyond are going to be in single window mode by default since the floating windows are a terrible design decision for 90% of users.

Heh, didn't know that. Thanks! It'll be much nicer that way...

[puggsoy]

In addition to that, I said in my post that you can attach all of the windows into the single Toolbox window, which makes turns them into tabs.

Since I've been using this version for quite a while, it'll be difficult to get used to the new one-window mode in 2.8. But I think it will be more efficient on the whole.

[RétroX]

For the curious, here's a snapshot of what 2.7 looks like:

Snapshot

It's dark because I'm using a dark theme, not because the window itself is actually dark.

But yeah, it's pretty neat.