GIMP Image Editor = Photoshop?

[omega_c]

Will GIMP do essentially the sames things as photoshop? (layers fading etc)

Is it better or worse?

[meng]

I've not compared the two directly, but I find GIMP has loads of features.
I believe the more pertinent question is not so much which is more fully features (many would say Photoshop is), but which has the features you need (i.e. are you doing this professionally?) and how accustomed to Photoshop are you already (any transition takes time, although I hear Gimpshop helps to ease the transition).

[Greycloak]

I had used Photoshop for a few years while running a digital photo lab. From what I can tell GIMP seems to be pretty close in functionality. I actually loaded a few PSD files the other day and all of the layer info was intact.

[tiggs_the_cat]

Hi,

That depends highly on what you want to do. If you would like to read some people's opinions on that topic have a look at this thread: http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=89690

Here is my opinion: http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=1359707&postcount=208

[omega_c]

Hm... alright, thanks!

I had forgotten to ask what happened to photoshop files, but you answered it for me! thanks

[Crypty]

The straight to the point answer would be

It's has similar functions.

It's worse.

[gruvsyco]

The straight to the point answer would be

It's has similar functions.

It's worse.

+1 for honesty, directness and, accuracy

[jaclynL]

I don't know if I'd agree completely that Gimp is flat-out "worse" than Photoshop. It depends what you are doing. Photoshop has some cool features that Gimp lacks, such as the healing and history brushes, certain filters and layer effects, the ability to copy information from one color channel to another, etc. So if you're into doing really complicated stuff, Gimp just won't cut it. However, if you want to be able to open .psd files, crop/resize images, do basic color correction, cut stuff out, and play around with fading and layers, Gimp will do just fine for you. It also gives you the ability to fullscreen your image and right-click on the image to access menus, which is something you can't do in Photoshop and I find very handy.

I actually run a dual boot just for those times when I need the added features of Photoshop, so that's also an option, but from what you said here it seems that the Gimp might work out well for you right now.

[HanZo]

If you work professionally with images Gimp will not be the right choice... There is some things you cannot live without when you do some professional work... like: colour profiles, some image modes like CMYK, duotone or multichannel, good web export with slicing for website design... and so on. Gimp is a really nice app... some features indeed are even better implemented than in photoshop but it just is not professional.
If you just want to edito some photos from time to time... Gimp is a good choice... it starts faster, is less resouce hungry and free!
Otherwise you could try pixel32... it's not free (costs 30$ I think) and not finished... but looks very promising.

[Klaidas]

The alternative is never == the original
However, I like GIMP

[Jerome36]

The GIMP is okay, but at this point, for me at least, it'll never replace Photoshop. It lacks many of the features that I use a lot, including the various layer properties, and various filters and options are not up to par with Photoshop. There might be some scrips and other plugins you can download, but you gotta' find them.

Photoshop > GIMP in my opinion.

The GIMP is still good though, especially considering it's free. You can make use of Layers, Channels, has many of the same tools as Photoshop, etc.

[HanZo]

oh yes... I know another thing GIMP really lacks: actions and batch processing...

[tiggs_the_cat]

Yes, and a much better brush engine, a rotatable canvas and better support for large images is on my wishlist.

[Jerome36]

There's also some little things that just annoy me. Like when I click the "New Layer" button, it has to pop up another stupid box, to give it a name, and what not. Can't I just have it create a new layer without asking for more? Can this be disabled? I've never looked.

Same with the color selection tool, when you want to pick a specific color in the image. Just give me that color, and don't pop up a new window with the color info, that I have to now close again. Maybe that can be disabled to, I'd have to look.

Little things like that get old :)

[tiggs_the_cat]

There's also some little things that just annoy me. Like when I click the "New Layer" button, it has to pop up another stupid box, to give it a name, and what not. Can't I just have it create a new layer without asking for more? Can this be disabled? I've never looked.

Same with the color selection tool, when you want to pick a specific color in the image. Just give me that color, and don't pop up a new window with the color info, that I have to now close again. Maybe that can be disabled to, I'd have to look.

Little things like that get old :)


Hi there,

When you hold SHIFT while clicking on the new layer icon it will create a new layer with the last values without asking you again.

For picking a color, I don't know about the tool, but if you just CTRL+click while working with a different tool like the brush it shouldn't pop up with a dialog.

What I'd like to have as an option would be SPACE for panning the image instead of MMB, but I think they anyway want to change that or at least make it an option.

[Jerome36]

Hi there,

When you hold SHIFT while clicking on the new layer icon it will create a new layer with the last values without asking you again.

For picking a color, I don't know about the tool, but if you just CTRL+click while working with a different tool like the brush it shouldn't pop up with a dialog.


Hey thanks! Those are good to know. I guess that's what I get for not actually doing some quick searching.

[Kelsin]

Gimp is an incredible nice image editing program. If you are a photoshop user that can afford the $600 for photoshop, go right ahead. It's worth it.

If you are a hobby photographer, or just need to edit images for the web, or just plain can't afford Photoshop then just use Gimp. It's great. I install the windows version on all of my windows PC's as well.

GIMP and Photoshop are different programs coming out of different backgrounds with different strengths. Comparing the $600 commercial program with the open source equivalent isn't fair. Try out GIMP and see if you like it, most likely you will.

[zachsilvey]

Im used to photoshop but im not a pro so gimp has all the features that i need but i like the layout of photoshop so does anyone know of a good gimp skin to make it look like photoshop

[Jerome36]

Im used to photoshop but im not a pro so gimp has all the features that i need but i like the layout of photoshop so does anyone know of a good gimp skin to make it look like photoshop

Have you tried Gimpshop? I haven't, though I suppose I should, since I find Photoshop to be way better then the Gimp. Anyway, it's a modification of the GIMP, meant to feel a bit more like Adobe Photoshop.

[HanZo]

Gimpshop is just Gimp with some tools and menues arranged like in photoshop... and with more or less the sam keyboard shortcuts.
It's a nice thing if you work a lot with Photoshop and want to use the Gimp from time to time so you don't have to completely switch to another program... but apart from that it's got nothing the normal Gimp doesn't have.

[BLTicklemonster]

I like photoshop better because it has 600 dollars worth of stuff in it, but I use Gimp a lot because ... I'm cheap, what can I say. Oh, and they won't put PS on my machine at work, so Gimp is on it, lol.

I do with Gimp could do 3d font like photoshop does, though. Man that would be nice.

[tOpEzz]

btw, where can i find tutorial for this GIMP??

[smartalecks]

Tutorials for the GIMP:

http://www.pixel2life.com/tutorials/gimp/
http://browse.deviantart.com/resources/tutorials/gimp/


I'm fine with either the GIMP or Photoshop. Most effects can be replicated in the GIMP if you just stop thinking about the way Photoshop would do it (they aren't the same, you know :)). The only thing that bothers me about the GIMP is the multiple-windows (they aren't that bad, tho) and no layer folders.

Challenge:

Post an effect that you think you can't do in the GIMP that you can do in Photoshop. Post a description and an example and I'll try to reproduce it in the GIMP, and I'll post my result how to do it. (NOTE: Some things can just plain _not_ be done, however, but I'll try my best :))

[broy]

I read an article from digg the other day that detailed the complete overhaul of the gimp that is in the works. I expect it to be very similar to photoshop.

[popie]

I read an article from digg the other day that detailed the complete overhaul of the gimp that is in the works. I expect it to be very similar to photoshop.

Do you have a link? I couldn't find it after searching Digg.

[smartalecks]

http://digg.com/linux_unix/The_GIMP_s_next_generation_imaging_core_demonstrat ed