By Cari Cooney
If you're a photographer who loves to add that extra something special to your photos through software, you can do it at no cost. You don't have to own an expensive photo-editing program to add layers of text, effects and creative touches to your pictures.
Programs you pay for can cost you at least $100, and that's just the smallest versions of some of the top-selling software. In this article, we're going to take a look at two completely free programs. One is strangely called The GIMP and the other is Paint.NET. After reading this, you can weigh the good and the bad of each, and make a decision on which is the best one for you and your image editing needs.
We talked about GIMP back in 2004, but it's been updated since then. Also, in this article, we're not just looking at GIMP, but how it compares to Paint.NET, another free program.
The GIMP
You can't judge a book by its cover, and the same goes for this program, or at least its name. GIMP stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program and was created by two students from Berkeley in 1996. It began as and still remains an open source program. In fact, the home page for this program offers the source code, so that anyone who believes he or she can improve this program, or create new plug-ins, is welcome to do so.
"Patience can be a virtue when working with GIMP."
GIMP is loaded with goodies for photo enhancement. It's easy to install, and its clean design makes navigation semi-easy on first time users. You can spend hours trying out all the different effects it offers. You can bend, twist, frost, emboss, add borders and text to any photo. You can also click away red eye with ease and use the airbrush function with a soft filter to achieve professional-looking family photos or headshots.
GIMP has maintained a reputation for being one of the best pieces of free image editing software since it began. Take a look at Figure A to see the general layout of the program.
FIGURE A
This shows the clean layout of GIMP, and also a unique "cartooning" effect. (click for larger image)
GIMP's cartooning effect is relatively primitive. We reviewed a plug-in designed to produce a more effective comics-like look in Bring out your inner Van Gogh with Snap Art. Of course, that plug-in isn't free. And now, back to GIMP.
A few downsides to GIMP deal with the set-up of the program. Tutorials are not readily available within the task menu, so you'd need to do some research on the GIMP Web site if you get stuck. You can locate tutorials and other help information at http://www.GIMP.org/tutorials.
As you open new windows to create layers to your photos, you may have to move some things around so that your actual photo is not blocked. Things can become clustered easily when you're working with multiple layers and tool options. Uploading your photos into GIMP proves to be a bit of a hassle as well, as it doesn't automatically recognize JPEGs or other picture files right away like Paint.NET. See Figure B for an example of how GIMP can become clustered.
FIGURE B
Notice that the secondary open windows are bulky, and make seeing your image difficult. (click for larger image)
Message board research for GIMP shows that users aren't enjoying the interface of the 2.0 versions, as it has some bugs that appear beyond repair. For example, there has been mention of the program freezing up when effects are loading. The overall wait time for loading in general seems to be an issue as well. Some of the effects can take several minutes to apply to your photograph. Patience can be a virtue when working with GIMP.
Considering all of that, the GIMP is still a pretty great program to use for your photo doctoring needs. You can't beat the price, and there are ample choices for you to pick from to enhance your pictures. You'll need a little time and patience to research and tinker around with the program until you understand how to properly use it. You can download this free program at http://www.GIMP.org. Take a look at Figure C to see a completed beginner's project using GIMP.
FIGURE C
This picture has the cartooning effect, soft filter, glow feature and text included. This pretty easy to do for a first timer, although the computer froze up when I tried to save the file. (click for larger image) RATING: 4 STARS
This product was great, but could have been a bit more user-friendly. Note that normally our review standards would require a product that froze or crashed to be rated no more than a 2 on our 1 to 5 scale. But because this program is free, we're forgiving the crash since, well, you're getting a lot more than you paid for with this program.
Paint.NET.
Paint.NET is a fantastic, free piece of software that can help you achieve amazing results with your photography. It recently made PC World's Top 100 Products of 2007. Similar to the set-up of GIMP, you'll have tons of editing options, filters, text effects and lenses to use to your advantage.
"It's much easier to use than GIMP."
A difference between this program and GIMP is the overall layout. It's much easier to use than GIMP. When you want to load your photo into the program, it automatically knows where to find your pictures. It also doesn't prompt you to convert your picture files into a specialized file form, unlike the GIMP. You can download this open source program at http://www.getpaint.net. Look at Figure D and compare the layout to GIMP's.
FIGURE D
Paint.NET is a little cleaner, and seems a bit friendlier than the GIMP. (click for larger image)
The overall look of Paint.NET is a little cleaner than GIMP. Though they look very similar when placed side by side, there are some minor discrepancies that make a huge difference. When you use Paint, you'll notice that the secondary windows you open for layers, tools and backgrounds are transparent. You're always able to see what's underneath, making multiple windows less of a nuisance. This is a neat feature that even Photoshop doesn't have.
Once you scroll over the windows, they will become opaque while your cursor remains in the section. See Figure E for an example of how the screen doesn't seem as messy with this feature.
FIGURE E
Here are the transparent windows along with a great "oil panting" effect. (click for larger image)
Notice in Figure F how the modification windows are also transparent, even though they're only open for a short time.
FIGURE F
This "twisting" feature is very cool. (click for larger image)
Tutorials are readily available in the task menu under Help. Paint.NET gives you step-by step assistance without having to go out on the Internet. The GIMP requires secondary downloads for tutorial assistance on their homepage.
RATING: 4 STARSI'd like to give Paint.NET a 4.5 rating, but Connected Photographer only allows integer scores. Paint.NET is not quite perfect, but it's really close. One thing that would have made it tops in my book is if you didn't have to download several separate files on Paint.NET's homepage to get the program to run. They really should combine them into one download.
Final thoughts
There's no harm in giving each of these free programs a test drive before you decide on which one you like best. They both contain fantastic tools for image editing and are great for beginning photographers on a tight budget, or better yet, those with no budget!
They may not have all the bells and whistles of programs you pay for, like Photoshop, but then again, users aren't missing out on a ton of quality features with these programs either. The only thing you'll be missing out on is spending a bunch of cash before trying out some great free software!
On a personal note, I enjoyed learning how to use Paint.NET much more than GIMP. The layout was much easier for me to navigate, and personally, the more time I can save not having to go through tutorials, the better. Speaking of tutorials, when I did need them, Paint.NET directed me to them faster than GIMP. I also appreciated the program knowing where I kept my picture files on my computer. I didn't have to dig through file folders because it just pulled them right up for me when I clicked upload photo. See Figure G to take a look at a beginner's project using Paint.NET.
FIGURE G
Elliot has been brightened, oil-painted and texted. Also, some poor artist drew some poppies. (click for larger image)
Another factor that swayed my personal decision on which program was right for me was research. There are so many forums out there giving praise to Paint.NET. I didn't see as many positive posts for the competitor, but I did see some. These two programs are both good, and I feel my time was well spent test-driving them. In the end, I feel I've picked the best free software for this amateur photographer.
One final note: GIMP works on a variety of operating systems including Linux and Mac OS X, as well as Windows. Paint.NET is limited to Windows only.
Cari Cooney lives in Iowa and has published more than 30 articles.