Looking for a photo editor as an alternative to Photoshop? We present GIMP, a free program with which to edit your photos. Find out what its differences are with Photoshop, how to download it, how to get started and how to perform some basic actions with this program.
- What is Gimp
- gimp vs photoshop
- Download gimp
- gimp photo editor
- Basic Gimp Tutorial (Youtube)
- Gimp Tutorials (Youtube)
WHAT IS GIMP
GIMP is a free and open source editing program that allows you to perform photo retouching, image creation, and compositing tasks. It can be used as a simple design program, professional photo retouching software, etc.
It is intended to be extensible and extended, which means that with extensions and plugins you can add new features and functionality to it.
It was created by two students in 1995 and its first version was designed for Linux. Initially, the initials of GIMPstood for "General Image Manipulation Program" , it was changed to "GNU Image Manipulation Program" in 1997 , since it is an official part of the Project GNU.
GIMP VS. PHOTOSHOP
In the following comparative table between GIMP and Photoshop you will be able to see the main differences of both programs:
| GIMP | PHOTOSHOP |
|---|---|
| Free | €12.09 monthly subscription |
| You don't have support | Technical support |
| Less tutorials on the net | Large number of tutorials on the net |
| Designed for photography | Designed for photography and other fields (design, illustration...) |
| Can open Photoshop files | Can't open GIMP files |
| Less features | More functionalities |
| Processes images very well in batches | Processes images in batches but takes more time |
| Does not support CMYK color space | Supports the CMYK color space |
| Lighter software, requires fewer hardware requirements but updates and upgrades often take time | Heavier software, requires more hardware requirements and continuous updates |
| It occupies about 150 MB | Occupies 1 GB |
| Windows, Mac, Linux | Windows, Mac, Linux |
| Cannot be used on smartphone | Can be used on smartphone |
As you can see, Photoshop is more advanced and complete. The good thing about GIMP is that it is free and can be used with Linux. Now, for amateur use or basic professional use, this free program is more than enough.
And while we are on the subject, in this blog article you will find information and tutorials to learn Photoshop.
DOWNLOAD GIMP
Click on the following button to directly download the program to your computer.
GIMP PHOTO EDITOR
GIMP is primarily intended as a photo editor. It allows both basic editing by curves, as well as retouching (correct, clone, transform, etc.), restore and apply effects to photos.
But, also, with it you can design logos, banners, create icons, draw or color your creations.
In the link you can download the GIMP user manual in Spanish.
GIMP BASIC TUTORIAL (YOUTUBE)
In the following video you can see an introduction to this editor. It will help you get started, especially with the less intuitive aspects of the program.
TUTORIALS FOR CONCRETE ACTIONS
After this general introduction to start using this free photo editing program, I'll leave you with other more specific tutorials.
HOW TO CROP IN GIMP
In the following tutorial you will learn to select and crop an object or element within an image using the magic wand.
REMOVE BACKGROUND FROM A GIMP IMAGE
Do you want to remove the background of an image from GIMP? In this tutorial you have it explained in a very simple way.
CHANGE GIMP COLOR
It is very easy to change the color of an object in GIMP by following these steps:
- Open image in editor. In this example, we are going to change the color of the model's sweater.
- Select with the “Free selection” tool (I mark it below on the left) the object to which you want to modify the color, in this case the sweater. This can be the heaviest part, depending on how complex the object is. Be patient.
- Once the selection is finished go to Colors > Hue-saturation .
This dialog will open to change the color, since the sweater is red, we select red as the "primary color" to modify:
- Move the hue cursor left and right until you find the desired hue. (With the article on the color wheel you can find the best color combinations for your photos).
- Modify Lightness and Saturation until leaving the image to your liking. Once you have it, click on “OK” at the bottom right.
Ready! This is the exported image. I have left it as is as an example so that you can see it well, but try to make it natural, if you put too much saturation with respect to the rest of the image it will attract too much attention.
MAKE GIMP TRANSPARENT BACKGROUND
In the following tutorial you will learn how to set the transparent background to an image, logo, illustration, etc. from GIMP:
RECOVER COLORS IN AN OLD PHOTOGRAPH
This tutorial seems super practical. Do you have an old photo that barely has color? Follow these steps and it will look like you've worked magic.
RESTORE AN OLD PHOTO
And while we're at it, let's see how to restore an old photo in GIMP.
By the way… do you know what to do with all those old photos you have in your hands? Give them a second life!
If for whatever reason this is not the editor you were looking for, here are more alternative editing programs to Photoshop.
