GIMP is touted to be the most famous open-source photo editor in the industry. But amidst mighty competitors like Photoshop, how and why did it earn this popularity?
GIMP Reviews and Pricing (2020)
GIMP (the GNU Image Manipulation Program) is the top choice for experts as long as best free photo editors are concerned. This is because it has a wide array of pro functions for fine-tuning pictures and for designing your artwork from scratch.
GIMP has brushes and layers that can be highly customized, filters and automatic image enhancement tools. It also supports a large number of plugins, some of which are already installed and others that can be downloaded.
With its active and increasing number of contributors, it implies that GIMP is constantly evolving. The bugs are squished as and when required and this makes it one of the superior programs for commercial use.
Verdict on the Pros and Cons
GIMP has more to offer than just being a photo editor. It gives you majority of the features of Adobe Photoshop, that too free of cost. Here are the pros and cons of this image editing software.
The PROS
- Open source code.
- Has abundance of tools and features.
- Can change functionality.
- Works with different types of files.
- Has a user-friendly interface.
- Developer support.
- Opens almost any image file.
- Can be expanded easily.
The CONS
- Functions packed to a minimum.
- No batch processing.
- Freezes at times.
- Online and mobile versions need improvement.
- Cluttered interface.
GIMP is a free, powerful software for manipulating images. The program lets you soften the noise, correct color, use gradients, brushes and also make posters and collages.
GIMP offers instant development and you are also allowed to use Photoshop plugins to work with GIMP. In case of program lags, they are removed instantly. All these add to make it an incredible photo editor that is far better than other commercial programs.
Open Source Code GIMP
One more benefit of GIMP is that it is open source code. You can easily modify and view everything online. This lets you use the code that you already created to design brand new versions of the programs. However, it is to note that the PC version deserves such positive reviews. In case of online or mobile GIMP, reviews are totally different.
When you opt for the paid premium version, developers provide you with full functionality. By taking and reviewing the mobile, subscription won’t take away advertising but you would definitely need to pay separately. The PC version is good enough to lure your attention. All these features make this photo editor worth using.
The desktop version of GIMP Photo Editor
GIMP Photo Editor is a photo editor that was actually designed for Linux, that is preinstalled on your system. Nevertheless, the very next step that the developers took was to make this program more downloadable so that all and sundry could use it. They created GIMP photo editor for both Windows and Mac
Editing Facial Skin and Full Screen mode
If you’re a lover of full-screen mode, you’ll love this software. GIMP has an awesome full-screen mode where you can not just preview the photos that you’re editing but also keep using most of the screen. If you can get to learn Photoshop easily, you can also learn GIMP.
You can also repair distortion that is caused by lens, utilize a channel mixer to make incredible B/W photos, add vignette and several other things. GIMP is also great for photo retouching. The clone tool can be used for eliminating smaller objects or retouching the hair and skin.
Reads any format or file
GIMP photo editor is designed in such a manner that it can work with files of any specific format, whether PSD (Photoshop format) or RAW. At the same time, you also have to keep in mind that Photoshop doesn’t support the XCF files or the GIMP file formats.
Third-party Plugins
GIMP comes out-of-the-box with important features that you can expand as per your requirement through extensions and plug-ins.
The extra features that are built in to the program often don’t suffice. The software developers kept this in mind and offered an expandable access. The program lets you add filters and also experiment.
Setting up GIMP
For photo editors, it has always been an exciting thing to set up a photo editor all by themselves. The software developers of GIMP made adaptation of the application for each user. This means that you can remove anything that you want from the tool or panel before leaving a brush in your workplace.
This is especially important when you complete creating a collage or photo editing. You may turn off all functions, panels and view the image in full screen.
Frequent Bugs
GIMP photo editor has too many bugs just as any other online photo editor. When you save a program, the program will stop for a while. Regardless of how powerful your computer is, this is surely going to happen.
After a while, the program offers you an opportunity to save the image once again as there was a previous error.
When you try for the second time, you can save all files. When you click, you might observe a slight delay or a slight hovering while setting up an added layer. Such problems can arise due to the long overheating and operation of the computer.
Price of GIMP
The GIMP version that was designed for Windows was always free but when you run the web version, you will be offered to use rollApp that gives you access to the basic features of the cloud platform. You have to pay $7 in a month to purchase an option. The version has few added functions like.
- Improved resources for optimal performance.
- Google Drive files and Save Dropbox.
- Upload edited files to your smartphone and computer.
So, if you’re a photographer or a designer who wishes to stay in your budget, you can choose GIMP. Take into account all the above mentioned benefits and features before investing your dollars on a photo editing software.