Freeware image editor GIMP 3.0 arrives after seven years of incubation

A major update to GIMP (the GNU Image Manipulation Program) has arrived today. GIMP 3.0 has been finalized and released to relieve GIMP 2.10 from its duty as the premier free and open source image editing software for multiple platforms. We only recently crowned GIMP the standard for free image editors in a comprehensive comparison article. Now with version 3.0 hitting mainstream, it might become unassailable.

The GIMP Team's original focus with the introduction of the long-awaited version 3.0 of the photo editing application was to overhaul the user interface (UI). However, over the years since the last stable release, they have naturally piled up features, enhancements, and other tweaks.

Starting with the interface improvements, the GIMP Team say that the move to the GTK3 GUI library means that there is now "much better UI scaling on Hi-DPI screens," which could be an issue with 2.10.

Users will also benefit from mouse wheel flipping between dockable dialogs, better dark theme support, and a way to tone down motion and animation UI effects. Moreover, tablets are now better supported. The new application runs natively on Wayland (and X11), and there are a host of other fixes in this domain.

Major new features

The release notes for GIMP 3.0 are extensive, but we think the highlights of the new release, beyond the UI, include the addition of features like the non-destructive layer effects, improved color management, bolstered file format support, and refined text support. GIMP's mascot, Wilber, has also had a new lick of paint.

The goodies don't stop there, as users will also see a multitude of usability improvements. Popular features such as Layers, Channels, and Paths have had developer attention, as have workflow concerns and shortcuts. It is also worth mentioning the introduction of off-canvas editing, where painting tools can auto-expand the canvas as you create.

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Reenergized GIMP roadmap

GIMP 1.X reigned over the free photo editor category for eight years, while GIMP 2.X lasted 20, but the team behind the application want "minor releases to be much more frequent," starting with version 3.X.

The GIMP Team says that users should expect GIMP 3.2 within a year. There may be fewer features between point releases, but they should get to users sooner. Last but not least, GIMP users are encouraged to join the community UX Design group to shape the future look and feel of the software.