What is GIMP?
GIMP is an acronym that means GNU Image Manipulation Program. It's a raster graphics editor. Bitmap graphics editor is another name for the very same thing: it deals with pixels and, to a very small extent, with vectors.

Exactly what can I use it for?
There are lots of things you can do with GIMP: editing photos, doing web-design or scientific work, creating illustrations for documentation, collages or just drawing/painting.

Can I do complex editing using layers and masks?
Absolutely. GIMP supports 21 layer modes and they work exactly the same way as in other applications you might have used in the past. You can also edit masks interactively, which shouldn't come as surprise these days.



Wher do I fetch it?
Right here:

Linux: gimp-2.6.7.tar.bz2
Windows: gimp-2.6.7.exe
Mac OS X: 2.6.7 Leopard

And the help system:

Source: gimp-help-2.4.2.tar.bz2
Windows: gimp-help-2-2.4.0-setup.exe
Mac: gimp-docs-2.4.1.dmg

To Linux users, however, we recommend using software repositories for your distribution.

So I installed GIMP and the very first thing I noticed is that it doesn't keep its windows all together? Why so?
GIMP used to be mostly a UNIX application where single document interface is more traditional. These days when tabs are usually considered state of the art, and there is a plan to move to using tabs. This is already being worked on and likely to be introduced in stable 2.8 version.

Where do I get additional brushes and gradients?
There is a great collection of GIMP brushes here. We are planning to either host brushes too, or create a dedicated GHNS based service hoping that one day GHNS will be supported in GIMP (and other free/libre design tools).

Are there any plugins for GIMP?
Quite so. There is a website called registry.gimp.org, where you can find plug-ins and scripts to extend GIMP's functionality. Some of them, like Liquid Rescale or Wavelet Decompose, are very much recommended to everyone who does complex photo retouching.

Liquid Rescale implements technology known as as seam carving that allows scaling images selectively, preserving some features and removing others.



Wavelet Decompose decomposes an image into several layers, each of them holding only a particular level of details, so you can work selectively on e.g. 1px large features. This is specifically useful for retouching photos.

We maintain a list of GIMP plug-ins that are useful for photographers.

You said "scripts". You mean, I can automate GIMP?
Why, sure. You can create scripts in both Python and Scheme. A Ruby scripting framework is available separately, but the GIMP's team does not guarantee its quality — that project is somewhat outdated. Recording your actions to a sort of macros will come eventually.

Can I use plugins from Photoshop?
Yes, but only .8bf ones. You will have to install PSPI for that. To answer most, if not all of your similar questions we have created a Photoshop-to-GIMP migration guide.

How do I slice my website design to an HTML page?
GIMP# contains a plug-in called Web Slice (Filters/Web/Web Slice) which is the most convinient tool in GIMP for that job.

Can I save CMYK separated files?
Yes, using a standalone plug-in called separate+. Later it will be possible to save color separated files natively.

I've heard something about GEGL. What exactly is it?
Think of it as of a new GIMP's core that will bring a lot of hi-end functionality: native L*a*b*/YCbCr color space support, high bit depth per channel, non-destructive editing and so on. GIMP is in the process of being converted to use it since version 2.6. GEGL itself is on the way to becoming mature and one of its significant additions expected later this year is using GPU for processing images which very few image editors do.

Is LAB color space supported?
It is, though right now it looks more like a horrible trick. However, if you use LAB color space mostly for smart sharpening/denoising or using the famous "color pop" trick, we encourage you to try Wavelet Denoise plug-in and FX Factory set of scripts, some of which automate raising vividness of pictures. At a later stage of development L*a*b* will come natively.



Another useful plug-in here is GMIC which among other useful filters contains a LAB mixer with preview.

Can I group layers?
Again, this is planned for future. The basic layer grouping related functionality is already implemented in the development version and will most likely be in version 2.8.

I find the Text tool somewhat difficult ot use
If you are really brave, you can try unstable development version 2.7.0 which contains a new Text tool that works right on canvas. Please note that this version is by no means complete and may crash without letting you know two days before in script.