Program interface: Russian

Platform:XP/7/Vista

Manufacturer: The GIMP Team

Website: www.gimp.org

GIMP– an application that is a fairly powerful raster and partly vector graphics editor. This is, of course, not Photoshop, that is, not professional program, however, the range of tools and features this app has is quite impressive. For a novice user in the field of editing and creating various types of graphics, the program is suitable, just perfect.

Main features of GIMP

Let's start with the fact that the first version of GIMP was more focused on use in an operating environment. Linux systems, however, since that time it has received, so to speak, a second wind and has proven itself to be excellent Windows platforms. The second release received a little more functionality, but the main thing remains unchanged - the program is distributed completely free of charge.

As for the main features, it is worth noting that this release allows you to perform many actions and operations with files not only in graphic formats, but also works quite well with video. Among the supported formats, it is worth highlighting such as GIF, JPEG, PNG, PNM, XPM, TIFF, TGA, MPEG, PS, PDF, PCX, BMP, etc. In addition, the application has many editing tools using standard operations , you can always use specialized filters in the form of various types of effects superimposed on the image. Among the tools are a pencil, a brush, a lasso, a spray gun, an eraser and much more that is included in the standard sets of this type of program. In addition, filters allow you to create somewhat futuristic or retro effects. It’s quite easy to turn a photograph into a painting, say, using a specialized effect for creating brush strokes.

Among the somewhat unusual features, it is worth paying attention to the fact that the application allows you to create various kinds of icons, screensavers or screensaver elements for the design of programs and applications. And, of course, it is possible to create business cards or design frames using the many templates presented in the program. However, in addition to them, you can find a lot of interesting solutions for designing your works on the Internet and can easily use them when creating your masterpieces. Among other things, you can create various collages or parodies in just a couple of clicks. An equally interesting feature is the use of templates for creating calendars.

In general, if you look at it, the program is rather intended specifically for novice users who want to fully understand the basics of working with graphics. However, among the application's functionality there are several quite interesting features that are not available in professional graphics packages. And it is precisely these features, ease of use, intuitive interface and free distribution that make this program one of the best.

Several programs are popular today. Each of them has different functionality and is accessible to users with different levels of training. There are beginner, advanced and professional level editors. Depending on the purpose, graphic editors can be either completely free or cost several hundred dollars.

Overview and Features graphic editor Gimp.

The most popular product among graphic editors is Photoshop developed by Adobe. It is designed for professionals and has enormous functionality, which is often not used even by a third. Naturally, the cost of the program is very high and rarely can anyone afford to officially purchase it. Not everyone knows that there is a completely free advanced graphics editor Gimp. Since it is distributed as an application with open source and is developed by a community of programmers, you can use it completely freely and without any restrictions.

In this article we will tell you in more detail what the Gimp editor is and how it came into being. You will be able to learn about the main functionality of the program, learn how to install it and get basic information on how to work with it correctly.

The graphic editor Gimp was born in 1995. The project does not have an official company responsible for releasing new versions and supporting old ones. These functions are performed by a developer community consisting of a group of volunteers. In the first 10 years of its existence, the project did not have a common idea of ​​what it should be like for the end user. Only in 2005 was a unified standard developed and principles that developers try to follow to this day. The program is completely free and distributed under an open license. This means that if you want, you can become part of the developer community and release your own modifications without violating copyrights.

Many people will see Gimp as a full-fledged replacement for Photoshop, and it’s completely free. And really, why pay a ton of money for Photoshop when you have Gimp for free. Yes, many of the functions are the same as the competitor, and there is also support for its original PSD format, although somewhat limited. The names of the functions and the available tools are also largely the same. But even the Gimp developers themselves do not position their product as a full-fledged alternative to Photoshop. It is rather an independent product with similar functionality and its own audience. However, it is preferred by hobbyists and small organizations that cannot afford to pay a monthly subscription or buy a full Photoshop license.

Gimp Editor Features

The Gimp graphics editor allows you to perform a wide range of operations with various images. It supports a large number of formats, has many pre-installed filters, brushes and templates. If you are not satisfied with the initial functionality, it can be expanded by additional modules. So, what can the program do?

Program installation

There are several popular sites on the Internet where you can download the Gimp graphic editor. However, not all of them are official resources. We recommend using one of two sites: the official project website https://www.gimp.org/ and the official Russian-language resource http://gimp.ru/. In the first case, you will need to click on the Download link, and in the second - “Download”, and then select Gimp from the pop-up menu.

After you download installation file and save it on your hard drive, install the program.

1. In the installer window that opens, first select the language that is convenient for you. There are 9 of them in total, and if your computer has a Russian-language menu, Russian will be selected by default.
2. To control which components will be installed and select the ones you need, click the “Configure” button in the lower left corner of the installer window.
   
3. A user agreement will immediately pop up, which you must agree to. It is written in English and if you don’t speak English, just click the confirm button, there’s nothing scary written there. Even if you speak English and have read the user agreement completely, if you disagree with something, you have no choice but to agree, otherwise the installation will be aborted.
   
4. In the next window - “Select components” - check the box for the elements that you want to use in your work. If you don't want to spend too much time figuring out which component does what, select " Full installation" If you think that something can be neglected, uncheck that item. In addition, in the pop-up menu you can select several installation packages: full, weighing almost 300 megabytes, or compact - 128 MB. Once selected, click the “Next” button.
   
5. In the next window - “Select file associations” - select the files that you would like to open with the Gimp editor by default. The utility automatically marks several formats native to the program. If you want to use the editor for other files, check the boxes next to them, and then also click the “Next” button.
   
6. In the next window you will be asked to display a shortcut for quick launch to the desktop and quick launch panel. If you don't need them, uncheck them. To move to the next step, click “Next”.
   
7. In the last window, select the folder where you want to install Gimp. Click the “Install” button and wait until the procedure is completed.
   
8. Launch the program and wait a while until everything is loaded necessary components programs.
   

Once the Gimp graphic editor is installed on your computer, you can start working with it. In the next paragraph we will review the program menu. If you are looking for guidance on performing specific tasks, you can find a series of articles dedicated to this on our website.

Working with the program

The program's interface is somewhat unusual and can be difficult for beginners. By default it consists of three separate windows: a main window with a work area in which you can process an image or create new drawings, as well as two windows in which you can select the tools you need for your work.

It is this arrangement that causes the most discomfort. To switch to a more familiar single-window mode, especially if you've worked at least a little in Photoshop before, in the main program window, go to the "Windows" menu, and then activate the "Single Window Mode" function.

After this, the two windows with tools that were located on the sides of the screen will join the main window and become its elements.

Now let's look at the structure of the Gimp editor's work screen.

To edit the finished image, click “File” - “Open”.

To create a new one, press Ctrl + N or “File” - “Create”.

After completing the changes, save the file in the desired format.

Conclusion

Now you have an idea of ​​what kind of beast this is, the Gimp graphic editor. This is quite an advanced program, and of all its analogues, Photoshop is the closest to it in terms of functionality.

Despite the fact that the audience of products is completely different and free Gimp is unlikely to ever be able to compete with it on equal terms, but for certain situations, especially if you are not going to engage professionally graphic design, you can easily get by with the capabilities of Gimp. If you still have questions about working with the program, ask them in the comments.

GIMP is a multi-platform software for working with images. GIMP is an acronym that stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program. The GIMP editor is suitable for a variety of image modification tasks, including photo retouching, image merging, and image creation.

The GIMP program is multifunctional. It can be used as a simple graphic editor, as a professional photo retouching application, as network system batch image processing, as an image reproduction program, as an image format converter, etc.

GIMP is designed to be extensible with add-ons that implement any possible functionality. The advanced programming interface makes it easy to automate any task at any level.

One of strengths GIMP is available from many sources for many operating systems. GIMP is included with most GNU/Linux distributions. GIMP is also available for other operating systems like Microsoft Windows™ or Mac OS X™ from Apple (Darwin). GIMP is free software released under the GPL (General Public License). The GPL gives users the right to access and change the source code of programs.

1.1. Authors

The first version of GIMP was written by Peter Mattis and Spencer Kimball. Many programmers contributed to the development of the program, thousands helped with support and testing. GIMP is produced by a team of developers led by Sven Neumann and Mitch Natterer.

1.2. GIMP Help System

The GIMP documentation team gives you the information you need to understand how to use GIMP. The latest version of documentation is always available at HTML format. You can open a local copy of it while working with GIMP by pressing the F1 key. Help on individual menu items can be obtained by pressing the F1 key when the mouse cursor is on the corresponding item.

1.3. Features and functions

Below is short review GIMP features and functions.

Full set of tools including brushes, pencil, sprayer, stamp, etc.

Intelligent memory usage where image size is only limited free space on your hard drive.

Sub-pixel sampling for all drawing tools, providing high-quality anti-aliasing.

Full alpha channel support for working with transparency.

Layers and channels.

A procedural database for calling internal GIMP functions from external applications such as " Script-Fu »

Advanced scripting capabilities.

Multiple undo and redo actions, limited only by free space on your hard drive.

Transformation tools including rotate, scale, warp and flip.

Supported file formats include GIF, JPEG, PNG, XPM, TIFF, TGA, MPEG, PS, PDF, PCX, BMP and many more.

Selection tools including rectangular, elliptical, free marquee, magic wand, bezier curves, and smart selection

Add-ons that make it easy to add support for new formats and filters.

16.03.2015 |

Editors, what is this, and why is it? Have you ever wondered how many types of editors there are on the Internet? I assure you a huge number. These include audio, video, graphic editors, and many, many more programs—editors. There are some that are familiar to us, we use them all the time, and there are exotic ones that we have no idea about. Such as for example CoffeeCup Free HTML Editor, HTML Kit Amaya. And many more that we may never need. Today we’ll get acquainted (if you’re not familiar with it) with a great raster editor GIMP.

Developer: The GIMP
Status: Free
Windows: Windows 8, 7, Vista, XP
Version: 2.8.14
Release date: 09/02/2014
Bit depth: x32 - x64
Russian language

But before we begin our acquaintance with the program, a little theory. Raster image, what is it? A raster image is a way of representing a digital image as an array of bits or a grid of pixels. Raster images come in various formats, the most famous of which are *.gif, *.jpg and *.bmp. A sequence of bits in a raster image forms a grid of colored pixels that create an image on the monitor screen. There is an alternative to it vector image. Here, mathematical formulas are used to form a picture. In a vector image, to form a picture, points and lines connecting them are indicated. Due to the fact that the proportions are mathematically easy to recalculate, a vector image can be enlarged without loss of quality. They are mainly used for typography and illustration, but a raster image is still best choice for photos.

But let's get back to the program.

Some of the features of Gimp include the following:

• flexible configuration of all drawing tools;
• support for filters, layers;
• working with text and animation;
• transforming images by rotation;
• tools for scaling, tilting and flipping images;
• support for plugins and extensions;
• unlimited use of rollback changes.

Download and install it. There are no special features. After all installations, the program’s working window will open.

As you can see, the program interface is somewhat similar to Photoshop. But there are also significant differences. First and most importantly, GIMP is completely free (unlike its brother Photoshop). The first thing that catches your eye is the huge number of different instruments. When you hover your mouse over the icon of a tool, its name and the functions it performs are displayed. Watch a short video where you will be introduced to the main tools.

Before we start getting acquainted with how the program works, let's look at what GIMP can do.

GIMP Features

• color correction of photographs by adjusting levels, curves, color balance, brightness and contrast, etc.;
• correction of distortions (cluttered horizon, optical defects and other problems) using filters and masks;
• all types standard tools for drawing;
• full customization the entire interface;
• support for many scripting languages, allowing you to create your own scripts and modules to automate routine actions;
• Works with most popular graphic formats, including the native Photoshop format .PSD;
• support for brushes in formats .gih, .vbr And .gbr;
• import and export to PDF;
• working with layers and channels;
• Full support for the Russian language.

I thought for a long time about where to start getting acquainted with the skills of working with the program and settled on this video. Let me make a reservation right away that this is not my video, it was taken from the Internet.

But to be completely honest, I don't use this program. At one time, I installed Photoshop and, having learned the basics of working in it, use it. So, the creation and processing of my photographs and pictures takes place there.

That's all for this topic. Until next time.

Does your professional activity involve editing a variety of images? Do you specialize in creating online design projects? Or maybe you just want to edit the photos you take? In any of these cases, you will need the simple and intuitive GIMP program.

With its help, you can combine different pictures, retouch pictures, create images and illusions, and much more.

The set of functions and tools of GIMP will completely satisfy not only amateurs, but also real professionals. The latter will certainly appreciate the opportunity to significantly expand the functionality of Gimp using additional extensions.

This application is compatible with many operating systems. In particular, it can be used by those users who have the operating system, Linux or Mac OS X.

GIMP is a free program. software, which is released under the General Public License, known to many PC users. According to it, everyone has access to the source code of the software. If you wish, you can even make some changes to it, further adjusting the program to the specifics of your own work.

GIMP Features

Now it would be a bad idea to find out what the GIMP program is capable of. Yes, its functionality is quite extensive, but I would like to separately highlight some of the most important and interesting functions of the application. In particular, we are talking about the possibility of:

• preparation of various printing documentation;
• preparation of graphic materials for development projects ;
• original design of various software applications;
• editing photographs or any other pictures;
• development of animation videos and other things.

And it's all raster graphics:

What are raster graphics?

Gimp is designed for efficient work with raster images. These are pictures consisting of a grid of color dots or pixels, often rectangular in shape, which are displayed both on a computer monitor and on paper or other display materials and devices.

The main advantages of such graphics include the unique ability to create almost any image, even quite complex ones. Here it is possible to display something that is beyond the power of even vector graphics. In particular, we are talking about the ability to accurately convey the transition effect between colors while maintaining the size of the source file.

Currently, raster graphics are widely used in many areas of human activity. Even the most complex images can be quickly and easily edited.

This view is compatible with most modern devices input and output graphic files, that is, with monitors, inkjet and matrix printers, scanners and even digital cameras.

But raster images also have a number of disadvantages. In particular, I would like to highlight the impossibility of perfectly scaling an object, as well as the rather large volume that even a small picture will occupy, so they will have to be stored in a compressed form. But when unpacking, the quality of the resulting image may differ from the original one. Everything will depend on the type of compression used.

But, nevertheless, these shortcomings are not so critical as to refuse such images. And today, raster images are one of the most popular graphic objects. But the Gimp program will allow anyone to easily and simply work with them.