If I learn GIMP, is it the exact same as Photoshop?

[PsychedelicWonders]

Alright I will be taking a basics to HTML course here in the fall and need to learn photoshop.

But I dont have the $600 it costs to drop on it right now.

So clearly GIMP is a nice alternative.

If I learn all of the tools/names in GIMP, are they exactly the same for all of the features in Photoshop?

I figure I can use/practice on GIMP if thats the case and be ready to rock Photoshop in the fall.

Also, I'm VERY interested in doing HDR. One of the most highly suggested plugins for PS is the Photomatix Pro for HDR.

Can I use that plugin for GIMP?

[psyke83]

Alright I will be taking a basics to HTML course here in the fall and need to learn photoshop.

But I dont have the $600 it costs to drop on it right now.

So clearly GIMP is a nice alternative.

If I learn all of the tools/names in GIMP, are they exactly the same for all of the features in Photoshop?

I figure I can use/practice on GIMP if thats the case and be ready to rock Photoshop in the fall.

Also, I'm VERY interested in doing HDR. One of the most highly suggested plugins for PS is the Photomatix Pro for HDR.

Can I use that plugin for GIMP?

The answer to most of your questions is no. The GIMP does not provide the same features as Photoshop, and it certainly does not support Photoshop plugins. There is some overlap in features, but they are fundamentally different applications.

You can download legal 30-day trial versions of Photoshop (which may not function in Ubuntu via WINE) to compare and contrast the applications yourself.

I'm sorry to say this, but if you are doing a course which involves learning Photoshop skills, you cannot follow the course without using Photoshop itself. Both applications share common concepts (such as Layers), but the implementation of these concepts, as well as the workflow of each application, are often very different. You're just going to confuse yourself if you try to substitute Photoshop while doing that course.

[sloggerkhan]

There is not a lot of crossover between photoshop and gimp, though you can use photoshop brushes in gimp.

I do think if you know gimp, learning photoshop will be easier. (GIMP is a program with a steeper learning curve than photoshop IMO.) However, it will not be direct crossover of knowledge.

[chubby127]

GIMPshop may help you a little bit. Basically its GIMP designed to look more like PS. Check it out:GIMPshop

[meho_r]

GIMPshop may help you a little bit. Basically its GIMP designed to look more like PS. Check it out:GIMPshop

I doubt it would. It is still GIMP with interface redesign, no more features, no more similarity, except in, well, interface.

[mcduck]

You can do exactly the same things with Gimp as you can do with Photoshop, but no, Gimp definitely is not Photoshop with tools renamed..

If you are good with Photoshop, you'll have no problem working with Gimp. On the other hand, if your Photoshop skills rely heavily on easy single-task tools introduced in latest Photoshop versions (extract tool and such) and you don't know how the same things are done with basic photo manipulation techniques you'll have some troubles.

If you were going to take a Photoshop class you'd definitely want to use Photoshop. But you said it's actually HTML course, so you should be quite fine with Gimp if you have any basic photo manipulation skills.

For HDR photography I can only but recommend Qtpfsgui. Great HDR editor. I use it on both Linux & Mac.

[hozzy]

As you can see, Gimp and photoshop are not the same. I used photoshop for a while, got pretty good at it, then I found myself traveling with a computer that had ubuntu on it. Gimp was my only option. Now I use gimp and it works well.

Use gimp now and learn all the basics of graphic design. From curves to layers to alpha channels, all of these tools are in both gimp and ps. They are not the same, but learning how to do it in gimp will make it easier to learn how to do it in ps.

Inkscape is another program that you may find interesting, it is not the same as adobe illustrator, but it is still very powerful. Learning both of these programs will be a benefit to you. You may not rock your course in the fall, but at least you will understand what layers are, how an alpha channel works and what cruves do. Another option would be to buy an older ps off of ebay, which will give you the basics as well. Also hit up the web for some great gimp tutorials, practice them, learn the processes, notice what happens when you change options. IMO gimp is better, because it is free and you can do 95% of what you are going to need to do, that other 5% that you doing, you can probably get paid for and therefore afford ps.

[bobince]

Alright I will be taking a basics to HTML course here in the fall and need to learn photoshop.

Gah. This is what's wrong with so many of these courses.

Photoshop is a high-end creative tool for professional users, specialising in retouching high-resolution photographic material. It is not at all suitable as a simple bitmap editor for beginner web authors. There's enough to cope with learning HTML, CSS and JavaScript without having to pile the complex feature-set of PS on top.

But as ‘Photoshop’ has become the generic verb for image editing, everyone is convinced they have to learn and teach it as the only image editing tool that exists, alas.

It's better to understand the principles behind working with bitmaps than it is to be tied to one particular tool. (Personally I'm not a big fan of either PS or Gimp, but I can certainly get by using either.) But that probably doesn't help you if your course is going to be testing for how well you remember where each button is on the Photoshop toolbar.

[plus]

Since Cannonical by introducing ubuntu advanced the linux desktop,the same thing should happen with certain applications.
Gimp for instance,Cannonical should take part in its developing ,for starters it could help with cmyk support or even better to combine every existing photo editing programm like krita ,gimp inkscape and paintig programms like mypaint and introduce a new application.
Blender foundation delt with an in-house application and evolved it to the most promising opensource programm.
Ubuntu is quite sufficient as a desktop operative system,now the next step should be to deal with certain applications.
Independet developers are heroes but like blender a great support is needed and only Cannonical could make the differance and advance things even further.
I dont see any other way that would be so effective in a relative short period of time.

[WhiteScars]

I've been using Photoshop for a long time for web development stuffs. I am really used to Photoshop, In GIMP when i want to do a simple thing and cant get over it, i lost my sanity.

If i were you, i would learn GIMP. They are not same. I wish they would