For many users Photoshop is the ultimate tool for creating web graphics and editing photos, yet with the emerge of Linux another tool has emerged with it, which is called GIMP.

GIMP is a graphics editor very similar to Photoshop, yet comes completely free, while Photoshop is a software suite you will have to purchase for a considerable price. So at this point we are comparing a free image and graphics editor to the Photoshop package.

In essence GIMP can do everything Photoshop can, so this should make the choice of program simple right? Well, the truth is not so simple, as both suites have their own pros and cons.

While originally created to work with Apple and Linux machines GIMP is now also available for windows users but to state that this is a solid replacement for Adobe Photoshop, would be too quick on the draw.

While it is true that GIMP can do anything you can do with Photoshop, both programs work very differently. Photoshop uses a lot of third party plug ins, which makes the different aspects quite simple to manage, mix and match, while GIMP has everything built in, which makes it just as complete but it comes with a much harder interface.

Currently it is safe to say that GIMP is not up to the high standards of Photoshop CS3, yet it has to be noted that it comes closer with every new release, and even in its current shape there is nothing it can’t do that Photoshop can. Therefore GIMP may be more than enough for many of the amateur Photoshop users, which are using the suite, simply because that is what they know.

If a user takes the time to master the interface, GIMP can be a very cost effective tool compared to the expensive Photoshop package, but for professional users that use the editing software for a living, Photoshop is still the weapon of choice to do the job.

In short, current versions of the GIMP can still not stand up to the ease of use suites like Photoshop CS and the likes are providing, yet it is closing in at an alarming rate, and it may very well be the case that a few more releases of the software down the line, it will be a match, because the current quality GIMP provides for free already is too close for comfort, and should have some developers at Adobe quite worried for the future releases of their Photoshop suite.

For those interested, GIMP can be downloaded for free at the gimp web site. From there you can download it and compare it to Photoshop yourself and find out if a free graphical editor can live up to what you need from such a program compared to Photoshop. You may find it to be useless to you, but you may also find that this free tool offers what you need and save you the cost of purchasing the next release or upgrade of the Adobe Photoshop suite.
M.A.H.

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