New Features in GIMP 3 Make the Best Free Image Editor Even Better
GIMP, the free and open-source image editing app long considered the best free alternative to Photoshop , has just released a major update: version 3 . The update brings long-awaited improvements to working with filters, layers and text. There is also a sleeker user interface with improved scaling.
Among the biggest changes are non-destructive filters. Previously, applying filters like blur was permanent: you could use the undo feature to revert to a pre-filtered state, but you couldn’t simply edit or remove the filter. You can now adjust filter options or even remove filters from the Layers panel entirely.
Working with text is also made easier by adding non-destructive text outlines. This allows you to change the widget, style, and color/pattern of the text outlines in the text panel on the left sidebar.
There are various useful settings for how layers work. You can now select multiple layers at once without having to link those layers, making it easier to apply changes. Copying and pasting is much less confusing: pasting creates a new layer instead of a confusing floating layer. In my opinion, this alone makes GIMP much easier to use.
The Brush tool can now automatically increase the size of the selected layer if you paint over an edge. Simply select the Brush Tool and make sure the new Expand Layers tool is selected—you’ll never again be confused about why a brush isn’t working.
There are many more changes that make life easier. Firstly, importing PSD files from Photoshop should be more accurate, and there’s support for RGB color spaces “beyond sRBG”, meaning you should see fewer conversion warnings when importing images.
The user interface has been updated to GTK3, which means the user interface has a more modern look. There are other visual tweaks, too, including a welcome screen when opening an app and much better UI scaling: icons that previously looked enlarged and blurry on high-resolution screens now look great.
Basically, if you tried GIMP years ago and weren’t convinced, it’s worth giving the app another chance. For more details, you can read the blog post announcing the update , or the full release notes with more details .