The developers behind the freeware image editor GIMP have finally released a new version, GIMP 2.8. Users have been rewarded for their wait by a huge list of new features and improvements.
The most obvious new feature is the new “single window” view. GIMP has always opened as a cluster of windows – the main image editing, the toolbox and tool options. Depending on user settings even more sub-windows might appear. Users can still open GIMP in this way if they choose, but users can also now enable a single window view that’s similar to the interface competitors have offered for years.
Layer grouping is another important addition. Building complex images in GIMP was sometimes difficult because layers could not be categorized. That disadvantage has now been rectified with tree-structure groupings that can be scripted via GIMP’s API.
Users will also enjoy a new graphics library for smoother rendering, on-canvas text editing that removes the need for a second window, “dockable” dialog windows for easier organization of tools and a better definition between the save and export options.
Currently an installer is only available for computers running Windows XP SP3 or later. Mac and Linux users can obtain GIMP 2.8 by compiling the stable source code or can wait for installers to become available on the developer’s site.
Source: Ars Technica
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This just made me very happy. This is pretty much every improvement I wanted from GIMP.
Also, I’m liking the fact that the MUO Gigya login box is now also above the comment box, that saves me scrolling to the top every time.
Is it like photoshop… can u plz get me some comparison? If it can replace photoshop then I’m gonna use it cz its open source and it will go on improving…. plz suggest!!
I have used both and GIMP is very similar to Photoshop Elements. Download it and try, it’s free so will only cost you your time.
thanx for the info…. Open source means a lot for me…. I try to have each n every software to be open source except some which are mandetory from my unversity and my windows…. I’ll start downloading it jst now..
GIMP is a very good editor with a lot of features, though some are not immediately apparent. Photoshop is, in some respects, better laid out, and has a wider range of tools, but most of those tools are specialist and I’ve never found that GIMP is lacking for general use.
As JohnBUK says, just give it a try, though be prepared to do a lot of google searching to begin with.
I have been waiting forever for a single-window view. Time to get back to GIMP. :)
-Kelvin