# The Ubuntu Forum Community > Other Discussion and Support > Art & Design >  CMYK image editor ? Any sugestions ?

## digitalis_vulgaris

I'm just started learning Ubuntu. I'm having a problem in finding raster picture editor with good support for CMYK.

Gimp is good tool for screen staff but not very usefull for profesionall prepress. CMYK plugin isn't solution for this problem.

I tested Krita too. Krita have CMYK support but don't have CMYK color mixer. I can't change unit for rulers and fonts in Krita.

Any sugestions ?

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## mifth

Best smyk editors are adobe and corel. CorelDraw suite is cheap and good solution, but only for win and mac platforms.

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## 4hya

i heard there is a emulated environment used in ubuntu... the qemu... it is used to emulate win32 apps.... but i am having problems installing it...

is there someone who can help?

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## Kundalinux

> I'm just started learning Ubuntu. I'm having a problem in finding raster picture editor with good support for CMYK.
> 
> Gimp is good tool for screen staff but not very usefull for profesionall prepress. CMYK plugin isn't solution for this problem.
> 
> I tested Krita too. Krita have CMYK support but don't have CMYK color mixer. I can't change unit for rulers and fonts in Krita.
> 
> Any sugestions ?


Sadly, the program you are looking for does not exist for Linux yet. I know how disappointing it is to use Gimp or Krita if you have been using almighty Photoshop, Some users might tell you that Gimp can do almost anything that Photoshop does, and they might even get a bit upset about it, but that is simply not true.

My advise: keep your Windows or Mac system and wait for Adobe to port Photoshop to Linux.

Regards

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## Half-Left

Because Linux is not in this area of professional art/design so much, wait for the above apps to mature because these features dont come easy.

I'd like to stress again, The GIMP is NOT a professionals design application, it's a photo editor for common users and on that basis it's as good as Photoshop. 

Look at this http://www.cinepaint.org/

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## digitalis_vulgaris

Main reason why I started learning ubuntu is free software. In Serbia graphic design is not very much appreciate and can't be billed. One of the reasons for this is becouse design studios use illegal software. They don't have to pay expensives licences, so their services are cheap. Studios which are paying for licences can't be competitive with prices of their services.

It's looks like there is no true substitute for Photoshop. Still I feld in love with Ubuntu. As a citizen of former comunist's country, a will allways appreciate comunity spirit more than capitalism. Just don't agre with sistem in which money is ultimate value (money == god religion).

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## beefcurry

digitalis_vulgaris somewhat I agree with you  :Smile:  all for the community spirit  :Very Happy: 
While Gimp can satsify most people it cannot get close to the complexity in Photoshop. There is however a photoshop clone for linux that does come close to its abilities with HDR and CMYK support called Pixel http://www.kanzelsberger.com/pixel/?page_id=12 . However it is not free software but its price is nothing compared to a photoshop license.

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## diskotek

pixel seem so nice and i think i'll be better in future.

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## longfire

Try the GNU Image Manipulation Program development versions off gimp.org. I run 2.3.18 and it is day and night from Gimp 2.2. It's still no photoshop but, I've used it successfully for illustration. We can now kick the Gimpshop mods to the side.  :Wink:  

To make things easier I got a packaged Ubuntu version at http://www.gimpusers.com/

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## digitalis_vulgaris

http://software.newsforge.com/articl.../09/28/1345228

I just find out that 2.4 Gimp is going to be release this month, with 2 new tools added. And there are some more news: next version should have CMYK and 16 bit images !

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## beefcurry

sweet, I was hoping for that. Go GIMP! Show Pixel and Photoshop what Open Source can do  :Capital Razz:

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## smartboyathome

Compared to Photoshop, GIMP is just a speck on a log (I am taking an Adobe CS2 class right now, and Illustrator/Photoshop/InDesign are really usable!

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## digitalis_vulgaris

I like your photos, beefcury! I have photography lessons during studies and I not an amateur, but I'm not so good as you. Very professional.

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## Half-Left

> Compared to Photoshop, GIMP is just a speck on a log (I am taking an Adobe CS2 class right now, and Illustrator/Photoshop/InDesign are really usable!


Yer explains why Photoshop is over a gig install, it's become very bloated, Illustrator is 1.4Gb by itself. PS tried to do everything where as GIMP does what it says it does.

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## qamelian

> Gimp is good tool for screen staff but not very usefull for profesionall prepress. CMYK plugin isn't solution for this problem.


Care to expand on why it isn't? I do use Gimp with a CMYK plugin to do professional pre-press graphics work and I have no issues with it.

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## digitalis_vulgaris

Gimp plugin flaten all layers and than separete them in cmyk and it is a good solution for filming separate CMYK chanells.

But, when you need to prepare file for offset printing usually you need to use black over print to get sharp edged texts in press. You can make some interesting effects playing with overprint. There is a need to have a control over CMYK chanells during work. What if you planning to work in duotone, or use fifth colour? In my oppinion GIMP is a great software but need to grow up a little more...

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## beefcurry

> I like your photos, beefcury! I have photography lessons during studies and I not an amateur, but I'm not so good as you. Very professional.


Thanks Digitalis  :Smile: , But I must say I am still an amateur, I am spending way less time then I would have hoped I can on photography.

I do also agree that the current GIMP is seriously lacking and the CMYK plugin is really limiting, I do suspect newer versions due to come would be better as new features will be added to the development branch of GIMP and 2.4 will be actually quite a drastic improvement over 2.2, While I still use 2.2 for stability reasons I have not tested out the newest CMYK; since 2.3.12 has a new CMYK module (- build a color-managed CMYK color selector if lcms is available).  Maybe if I find a whole day free I'll play around with the 2.3 branch for a while.

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