Here goes another MakeUseOf Poll. This time we are voting on image and photo editing tools.
Since everyone has different needs when it comes to working with photos, the idea behind today’s poll is not to get the best tool but rather see which image editing app is more popular among tech-savvy MakeUseOf users.
As usual, in case you’re aware of any good tools that were not included in the poll then please tell us about them in comments.
Please Vote!
Download Links
- Adobe Photoshop (not free)
- GIMP (The GNU Image Manipulation Program)
- GimpShop (GIMP that looks like Photoshop)
- IrfanView
- Paint.NET
- PhotoScape
- FastStone Image Viewer
- Photofiltre
- XnView
- Online image editing tools: See here and here
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Aibek Esengulov
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Hide 44 Comments
Any love for OS X?
The GIMP is available for Linux, Windows, or OSX.
It depends what operating system I’m in. Most of my heavy duty graphics work is done in PhotoShop in Windows, simply because it has a TON of features not available in other programs (as far as I’ve seen). A lot of the time I’m in Ubuntu Linux and not doing very much graphics work so for any image editing needs in Ubuntu I use GimpShop (which honestly is not such a great PhotoShop imitation). But for serious image editing, I swear by PhotoShop.
Paint.net and Gimp are pretty good, but nothing can compare to Photoshop. Just wish it didn’t cost so much.
I wonder, how many people who use Photoshop actually did pay for it. It’s just pretty much anyone I know has Photoshop installed.
I use Picasa 2, Paintshop Pro X2, GIMP, Paint.net, and Neat Image on almost every photograph I take. I find that a combination of programs is ideal, not just one.
I use ACD Pro.
Its very easy yet have huge number of features.
Paint.net for me. Has all the features needed without the extra’s that only a pro would be able to utilise.
What’s with Photoshop being top? Do we have an abnormal number of graphics professionals visiting makeuseof?
Gimp and Paint.Net
I use Paint.net at home because for some reason Gimp keeps crashing. Gotta bug somewhere.
I use Gimp at work and like it better.
Both run on xp systems.
Paint Shop Pro (was Jasc, now Corel)
aaarrrgh! where’s photofiltre in the poll? Sometimes photoshop is just overkill…where’s photofiltre? it’s, like, one of my favorite programs….it’s actually my default program to open image files….put it in!!!!
My bad, I added it to download links but completely forgot to include it in the poll. Again, so sorry. ;-)
FIREWORKS
Paint Shop Pro Photo X2. An excellent program for about a sixth of the price of Photoshop.
For real thing (hard job) : Photoshop, but for small thing : XNview or Paint.Net
IrfanView for the simple things and usually Corel Draw (why is not not in the list?) for the advanced stuff. Do have Photoshop from/for work, but hardly ever use it. Used to work a lot with PhotoImpact (now Corel) for web graphics. It rocks, but doesn’t work well if you need high quality resolution for publications or posters. Hence I switched to Corel Draw because I couldn’t get to terms with Photoshop.
Pixelmator mostly (a little photoshop for more intense projects)
Pixelmator mostly (photoshop only when absolutely necessary)
Paint Shop Pro
Photoshop.. many times impersonated, never duplicated.
I use Gimp if I am on a system not licensed for Photoshop!
Paint.NET. Photoshop is basically better and has more features, but Paint.NET is both free and comparatively *way* more lightweight. It works for me.
I use Microsoft Photo-Draw 2002! It’s actually a pretty good program for photo manipulation AND graphics, combined. Bought when in college. Too bad is is no longer made. Also has a *.mix native file format, which is a good format but not easily (at all?) opened by other programs…
Depends.. at work we’ve got Photoshop, at home I’m cheap, so I use the GIMP.
-Adam
I voted Paint.NET, but I occasionally use MS Paint.
I use Photofilter
it is one of my favorite for quick and and miner editing.
Picassa
PaintShop Pro, but I also use Irfan for when I just want to see something like an email attachment, but don’t plan to save or alter the image.
Mostly I use Photoshop, but I like Paint.NET too. I’ve tried GIMP, but just can’t get the knack for it, even using Gimpshop.
Is Adobe Photoshop Elements considered separately from Photoshop? Its good enough for photo-editing work, I think.
I use Photoshop Elements as well. Love it…. PLus it came installed with my new laptop.
Photoshop on Mac (my Windows desktop was too low on min. specs to run CS3 Design Premium suite)
Paint.NET on Windows.
Never tried Gimp coz it failed to install when I tried…
My favorite editor has to be Corel Paint Shop Pro versions 11 or 12. They have a ton of features and are very user friendly.
I voted for GIMP but for everyday photograph editing, I use a fantastic program called ThumbsPlus. You should check it out. I also occasionally use Picasa as they have a few features I really like.
My scanner also has a nice program called Photostudio which has a few Photoshop-like features and for screenshots, I use SnagIt which also has a few image editing functions.
You’re mixing editors with managers. Faststone & Irfanview are more viewers than editors. For editing I tend to use GIMP, primarily because it’ll do most things Photoshop will do and it’s free. For managing, I’ve not found anything (free or otherwise) with the features & speed of ACDSee.
Adobe Photoshop, I’m just learning to use it. The most powerful image editor :)
I also use Pixelmator (Mac) and an online editor called Pixenate — pixenate.com
I notice no one mentioned CorelDraw, and I’ve never met anyone who uses it. Yet somehow its been around since the dawn of time and still sells for $430.
I’m actually giving a presentation at work on Image editing, and I’ll be showing people basic techniques (crop/rotate, color correction, etc) using web based applications like splashup.com and photoshop express. The main point of my presentation is if you spend over $100 on an image editing program and aren’t a creative professional… Your crazy.
Xnview for browsing and very minor edits like red eye and crop
PhotoFiltre for almost everything else
Paint.net is very nice, but rarely if ever need that much power. I am not a professional graphics artist or anything.
PaintShopPro X2, and, like Robyn, I use IrfanView when I want to view images with no, or minor alterations (like sizing or cropping).
Fast Picture Viewer – view
Picasa – browse
Lightroom – edit
My favourite editor has always been Jasc Paint Shop Pro 8. PhotoShop is just confusing. PSP8 was great. I love the right-click-to-do-opposite thing (left-click dodge / right-click burn, for example). I’ve no idea if Corel has made it more awesome or ruined it since they picked it up. I’ve been using the GIMP for the the last 2 years. I don’t know why people complain about it’s UI. It’s much more intuitive than PhotoShop’s. I’m not sure I’d even remember how to use PSP by now though…
I’ve used so many editors. Vicman was one I used for dolling a lot. It did transparent layers, but it didn’t do gif in the free version. I’d always save a bmp then use another app which was (weirdly) also called Gimp, but it was definitely *not* the GIMP everyone else thinks of. That app was like Paint but it could make gifs without the gif-monster eating them the way Microsoft Paint did.
I voted for the GIMP since it’s been all I use for 2 years, and I probably don’t remember where much is on the others anymore.
SnagIt!
Try ArtWeaver
artweaver.de/index.php?id=60,142,0,0,1,0
Great layer handling and tools.
I use FXfoto to edit my images to add text, frames, fad options, cut out etc etc., and Microsoft Picture Manager [Which comes with office 2003 for free and its really a great tool which most of them dont use...] to resize and do batch processing of photos to rotate and save them in the correct viewable angle…. It works great and FXfoto really rocks.