bitmapeditors

A bitmap editor is a software application that allows users to create, edit, and manipulate raster images at the pixel level. These programs handle images as grids of colored pixels and are contrasted with vector editors, which manipulate mathematical shapes. Bitmap editors are used for tasks from digital painting to photo retouching and pixel art.

Common features include painting tools (brush, pencil, eraser), selection tools (marquee, lasso), color palettes and swatches, layers and masks, and an undo/redo history. Advanced editors add transformations (scale, rotate, skew), image adjustments (levels, curves, brightness/contrast), filters and dithering, and support for non-destructive edits.

Images are stored as raster data with specific resolution and color depth. File formats vary in compression and transparency support, including BMP, PNG, JPEG, GIF, and TIFF. Many bitmap editors support alpha channels for transparency, indexed color palettes for limited color modes, and support for layers to organize edits.

Historically, bitmap editing began with simple paint programs on early personal computers. Modern editors range from lightweight tools like MS Paint to feature-rich programs such as GIMP, Krita, Paint.NET, and commercial software like Adobe Photoshop. There are also pixel-art oriented editors like Aseprite, Piskel, and GrafX2 that emphasize frame-by-frame animation and precise pixel control.

Bitmap editors are widely used in game development for sprite creation, UI design, digital artwork, and photo editing. Performance and memory usage depend on image size and color depth, and licensing varies from open-source to proprietary.