GIMP

GIMP, or the GNU Image Manipulation Program, is a free and open-source raster graphics editor for photo retouching, image composition, and digital painting. It runs on Linux, Windows, and macOS and uses the GTK toolkit for its user interface. GIMP is released under the GNU General Public License and is developed by a global community of volunteers.

Originating in 1995 as a student project by Spencer Kimball and Peter Mattis at UC Berkeley, GIMP was released as free software and later adopted by the GNU project. Development is carried out by volunteers and organizations worldwide, with ongoing updates and periodic stable releases.

Core features include layer-based editing, masks, selection tools, painting, transformation, and path editing. It uses GEGL for advanced image processing and supports extensibility via plug-ins and scripting interfaces such as Script-Fu (Scheme) and Python-Fu, among others. The program supports a wide range of import and export formats, and its native XCF format preserves layers and edits for non-destructive work.

GIMP is widely used in education, hobbyist, and professional open-source workflows. It is commonly included in Linux distributions and is available on Windows and macOS, providing a free alternative to proprietary editors. The project maintains comprehensive documentation and an active community, with a rich ecosystem of plug-ins, brushes, and tutorials that extend its capabilities.