*The Gimp* is the open source reference in image manipulation. This free
application will allow you to *retouch, author and edit your photos* thanks
to a wide set of tools. Let's quickly go through what you can do with the
Gimp. The painting function has the essential *clone, airbrush or pencil
tools and a powerful gradient and blend tool*. You can also create and save
your own brushes and patterns for later use. The program lets you manipulate
your photos, *adding layers, doing Bezier and polygonal selections* or
setting text. *Load and save animations in a frame-as-layer format* and batch
process all your photos for quick editing. The multi-windowed interface can
be moved around to fit your needs and resized according to your desktop
space. What's more, the Gimp can be *expanded with over 100 different
plug-ins* and extensions available on the Gimp's website. These apply in
majority for layer effects such as *render, distort or blur* and make a great
addition to the ones already present in the program. While the Gimp is user
friendly, the installation process can be a bit hairy. Because the
application works under the GTK Runtime Environment, you will have to install
this kit to successfully launch the program. The process is fairly lengthy
and some error messages tend to pop up, however if you persist, you will be
able to install the Gimp properly on your PC *Despite this fairly hazardous
installation process, the Gimp is a program we recommend. Whether you're
out of dough or are looking for a free alternative to Photoshop, the Gimp is
excellent image manipulation software with all the tools you'd
expect.*Download *The GIMP 2.6.12* in Softonic
