Gimp 3.0 is here and brings non-destructive filters - also for texts
The free image editing program Gimp has received some long overdue optimisations. This significantly simplifies employees' work with filters, texts and layers.
Are you one of those people who use the free image editing programme Gimp instead of paid software such as Photoshop or Affinity Photo? Then you should check for updates, because Gimp is now available in version 3.0. This is the first major update since 2018, which means you can finally edit filter effects afterwards - even for text.
The team behind the open source project promises that new changes will be released at shorter intervals in future.
When opening Gimp 3.0, the modern user interface with larger and standardised icons is immediately noticeable. According to Patch Notes, the new interface enables a better display on different screen resolutions. It should also be easier to create your own themes, i.e. interface designs, using CSS.
Source: Debora Pape
Highlights in version 3.0: Filter and layer editing
Filter layers have been implemented in Photoshop & Co. for decades in some cases. This means that applied filters such as blurs do not change the original image and they can be subsequently edited or removed again. Now these so-called non-destructive filters are also available in Gimp.
However, the new function is not immediately obvious. Unlike Photoshop or Affinity Photo, Gimp does not create a filter layer in the layer view, but hides it behind the "fx" icon in the layer view. Click on it to display all filters for this layer and edit them.
Source: Debora Pape
Gimp was also far behind the competition when it came to text. It was not possible to insert a simple drop shadow and then edit the text again. Now you can apply many filters, including drop shadows and the ripple effect, to the text and still change it afterwards with the text tool. Subsequent editing does not work with all filters, for example with the blur filter. However, Gimp then offers the option of removing the filter in order to edit the text.
The update also fixes another frustrating feature of Gimp. Previously, it was not possible to select multiple layers and move or transform them at the same time. Now you can. By holding down the Shift key, you can select any number of layers and move them all together while also holding down the Shift key.
Simultaneous transforming (scaling, rotating and distorting) is also possible. You may only see a preview of the top layer when you switch to the transformation tool, but the changes will affect all layers once you confirm them. If you want to see all layers, click on "Show image preview" and "Composition preview" in the transformation settings.
Other new features
In the brush tool, you can extend the layer boundary by ticking the "Extend layer" option when painting. This makes it easier to use the entire canvas size.
Finally Gimp supports other colour spaces besides sRGB. When importing images with other colour profiles, such as AdobeRGB, the stored information is no longer lost. The current colour space is displayed during colour selection.
Gimp also supports more formats when importing and exporting. The developers have improved the compatibility of already supported formats, such as the Photoshop format .psd.
Header image: Gimp 3.0 Splash Screen
74 people like this article
Feels just as comfortable in front of a gaming PC as she does in a hammock in the garden. Likes the Roman Empire, container ships and science fiction books. Focuses mostly on unearthing news stories about IT and smart products.
19 comments
later