If you are a photographer, graphic designer, illustrator, or editor, you must be routinely using some software to manipulate images, draw free forms, or transcode between different image file formats. A majority of creators use Adobe Photoshop, which makes them spend a heavy amount of money just to get specific tasks done. A lesser-known fact is that GNU Image Manipulation Program, also known as GIMP, provides all the required features to carry out professional-level tasks for free. Considered as the best image processing software by many, GIMP gives us plenty of reasons to choose it over any other software. To make it simple for you to understand the benefits of GIMP, here are some reasons why users utilize GIMP as their go-to software.
Free Software
When we say “Free”, it doesn’t just mean it’s free of cost. The freedom that comes with using GIMP can be roughly understood as a user’s freedom to change, copy, distribute, study, and improve the software. GIMP is an excellent way to liberate your creative freedom. The best thing about using GIMP is that you have access to the source code of the program, and it lets its users freely modify the program by merging free modules and subroutines. Users can use their modified versions in place of the original to better suit their working style. Not only can they make modifications to the program, but they can also publish these changes for other users’ benefits. This is the reason why GIMP is considered one of the best free-source software out there!
Artwork Creation
Digital creators find using GIMP as useful and interpretive as using any other premium software for artwork creation. You can easily scan and upload a drawing or a painting to further transform it into an art piece. With the five most important tools provided in GIMP, a user can create artworks proficiently. These tools, namely paintbrush, gradient, select, fill, and dodge/burns, can be used to paint lines of different colors, patterns, or sizes, fill areas with colors fading from one color to another, select an enclosed area, fill solid colors, and lighten or darken areas of images, respectively. These tools are extremely utilized for artwork created by illustrators and artists.
Graphic Design Elements
GIMP facilitates its users to freely design graphic elements like icons, user interface mock-ups, and other components. With the various tools available at your disposal, you can work on different layers, add or edit the text as shown in parkerphotographic.com/how-to-center-text-in-gimp/, and add images or graphics with the help of the “Canvas” tool. The copies of your artwork can then be exported to your desktop in whatever format suitable for you. Users can effortlessly create complex graphics, social posts, or promotional images once they learn to harness the digital manipulation options that GIMP provides.
Programming Algorithms
Users who know how to code can easily manipulate the script of GIMP’s open-source architecture. The operations in GIMP can be automated through scripting languages, and it supports many different languages like C, C++, Python, Scheme, Perl, and more. GIMP has a built-in interpreter that assists a user in implementing modifications through various programming languages. By changing the code of the core GIMP program, you can not only add new features but also create new plug-ins. These plug-ins are external programs that are interpreted and executed by the main GIMP program.
File Formats
Experimental Computing Facility or .XCF is the default file format used to store all the data of an image in the GIMP software. An image with the XCF extension can be as big as 4 GB, making it large enough to store files of any type or size. In GIMP, users can import and export various file types including JPEG, BMP, TIF, GIF, HEIF, and plenty more. They can also import PDF files and raw image formats directly from digital cameras. HTML and other source code file types can also be exported by GIMP, making it an ultra-powerful and diverse software.
The GNU Image Manipulation Program provides a wide array of possibilities for its users in terms of image editing, processing, and coding, to obtain a professional-level product. It provides all the necessary features required to create digital graphics and images along with several other options to perform advanced tasks. The main features of GIMP include but aren’t limited to image enhancements, customizable interface, compatibility with various file formats, and graphic design elements. Most importantly, it is free and open-source software that everyone can use. Undoubtedly, GIMP can be listed as the best free image processing software available to digital creators!