What is GIMP?

GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a free, open-source raster graphics editor available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. First released in 1995, it has grown into one of the most capable free image editors available - Rivalling commercial tools like Adobe Photoshop for many workflows.

GIMP 3.2.4 is the current stable release, bringing GEGL-based colour management, an improved plugin API, better tablet support, and a refreshed interface. Because it is open-source (GPL licence), it costs nothing to download, use, or share.

100%

Free Forever

No subscriptions, no watermarks

3

Platforms Supported

Windows · macOS · Linux

28+

Years of Development

Since 1995, actively maintained

GIMP Users by Operating System (2025 survey)

Installing GIMP 3.2.4

Download GIMP from the official project at download.gimp.org - Or use the links on our Download page. Never download GIMP from third-party sites, as bundled installers may contain adware.

Windows

Download the .exe installer (x64 recommended for most users)
Double-click to run - Accept the UAC prompt
Follow the setup wizard - Accept default install location
Launch GIMP from the Start menu

macOS

Choose ARM64 (Apple Silicon M1/M2/M3/M4) or x86_64 (Intel)
Mount the .dmg and drag GIMP to Applications
First launch: right-click → Open to bypass Gatekeeper
If blocked: System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway

Linux

Download the AppImage for the easiest setup
Mark executable: chmod +x GIMP-3.2.4*.AppImage
Run: ./GIMP-3.2.4*.AppImage
Or via Flatpak: flatpak install flathub org.gimp.GIMP

The GIMP Interface

GIMP's interface consists of several key areas. Understanding each one is the first step to efficient editing.

GIMP 3.2.4 - Interface Overview

S

P

T

B

E

C

TOOLS

Canvas / Image Area

Status Bar - Zoom, cursor position, file info

Layers

Layer 2

Layer 1

Background

Channels

R G B A

History

Panel / Area	Location	Purpose
Toolbox	Left sidebar	Select the active tool - Paint, select, transform, etc.
Tool Options	Below toolbox	Settings for the currently selected tool
Canvas	Centre	The image you are editing
Layers panel	Right side	Manage layers - Create, delete, reorder, set opacity
Channels panel	Right side	View and edit individual colour channels (R, G, B, Alpha)
Paths panel	Right side	Manage vector paths for precise selections and shapes
History panel	Right side	Undo history - Click any step to revert
Menu bar	Top	All GIMP commands: File, Edit, Image, Layer, Filters…
Status bar	Bottom	Zoom level, cursor position, active layer name

The Toolbox - Every Tool Explained

GIMP has over 40 tools organised into groups. Here are the most important ones for beginners - See the full toolbox guide for shortcuts and advanced options.

Selection Tools

Rectangle Select (R) - Select rectangular regions of the canvas

Ellipse Select (E) - Select circular or oval regions

Free Select / Lasso (F) - Draw freehand selections

Fuzzy Select / Magic Wand (U) - Select areas by colour similarity

Select by Colour (Shift+O) - Select all pixels matching a sampled colour

Scissors Select - Intelligent edge-following selection tool

Paint & Draw Tools

Paintbrush (P) - Paint with soft or hard brush tips

Pencil (N) - Draw hard-edged pixel strokes

Eraser (Shift+E) - Erase to transparency or background colour

Airbrush (A) - Soft spray-paint effect with pressure control

Ink Tool (K) - Simulates a calligraphy/ink pen

Clone (C) - Paint using a sampled area of the same image

Heal (H) - Context-aware repair for blemishes and scratches

Transform Tools

Move (M) - Move layers, selections, or paths

Scale (Shift+T) - Resize a layer or selection

Rotate (Shift+R) - Rotate a layer by degrees

Perspective (Shift+P) - Apply perspective distortion

Flip (Shift+F) - Flip horizontally or vertically

Crop (Shift+C) - Trim the canvas to a selected area

Most-Used Tool Keyboard Shortcuts

Want all of them? Browse the complete, printable GIMP keyboard shortcuts cheat sheet with 96 shortcuts in 11 categories.

Understanding Layers

Layers are the single most important concept in GIMP. Think of them as transparent sheets stacked on top of each other - Each layer can contain different content, and you can edit any layer independently without affecting others.

Key Layer Operations

Create new layer: Layer menu → New Layer, or click + in Layers panel
Duplicate layer: Layer → Duplicate Layer (Shift+Ctrl+D)
Delete layer: Click the trash icon in the Layers panel
Reorder layers: Drag layers up/down in the Layers panel
Change opacity: Use the Opacity slider at the top of the Layers panel
Flatten image: Image → Flatten Image - Merges all layers
Merge down: Layer → Merge Down - Combines with the layer below

Why Use Layers?

Non-destructive editing: Changes to one layer never damage another.

Easy experimentation: Try effects on a duplicate layer and discard if you don't like them.

Complex compositing: Combine multiple photos, text, and graphics in one file.

Organisation: Name layers clearly and use groups for complex projects.

Common Blend Modes Reference

Mode	Effect	Best Used For
Normal	Default - Shows layer at set opacity	Everything; full control via opacity
Multiply	Darkens by multiplying pixel values	Shadows, tinting, darkening photos
Screen	Lightens by inverting and multiplying	Highlights, glows, lightening
Overlay	Increases contrast - Darks get darker, lights get lighter	Adding contrast and vibrance
Soft Light	Subtle contrast and saturation boost	Gentle colour grading
Hard Light	Strong contrast, like Overlay but punchier	Dramatic lighting effects
Dodge	Brightens the layers below	Highlight enhancement
Burn	Darkens the layers below	Shadow deepening

Opening & Saving Files

GIMP distinguishes between saving (to its native .xcf format, which preserves all layers and editing history) and exporting (to a web-compatible format like PNG, JPG, or WebP).

Save = .xcf Only

Use File → Save (Ctrl+S) to save your working file in GIMP's .xcf format. This preserves all layers, paths, channels, and undo history. Always save an .xcf if you plan to continue editing.

Export = PNG / JPG / WebP

Use File → Export As (Shift+Ctrl+E) to save to a web or print format. Export flattens the image. You can export multiple times without losing your layered .xcf.

File Format Comparison

Format	Transparency	Compression	Best For
.xcf	Full alpha	None (lossless)	Working file - Preserves all layers
PNG	Full alpha	Lossless	Web graphics, logos, icons, screenshots
JPG	None	Lossy	Photos, large images where file size matters
WebP	Full alpha	Lossy or lossless	Web images - Best size/quality balance
GIF	1-bit (on/off)	Lossless (256 colours)	Simple animations, flat-colour images
TIFF	Full alpha	Lossless	Print, archiving, professional workflows
BMP	None	None	Legacy Windows applications

File Size Comparison at Equal Quality

Your First Edit: Crop, Adjust, Export

Let's walk through a complete beginner workflow: open a photo, crop it, improve the colours, and export it as a PNG. The same canvas, layer, brush, and export basics also carry into digital art in GIMP when you start sketching or painting instead of editing photos.

1

Open your image

File → Open (Ctrl+O). Navigate to your photo. GIMP creates a new image window with the photo as a background layer.
2

Zoom to fit

Press Shift+Ctrl+E (or View → Zoom → Fit Image in Window) to see the whole image.
3

Crop the image

Select the Crop tool (Shift+C). Drag a rectangle over the area you want to keep. Press Enter to confirm the crop.
4

Adjust brightness/contrast

Go to Colors → Brightness-Contrast. Drag the sliders to improve the image. Click OK.
5

Improve colours

Go to Colors → Hue-Saturation. Increase Saturation by +15 to +25 for more vivid colours. Click OK.
6

Save your work file

File → Save As (Shift+Ctrl+S) - Save as .xcf so you can re-edit later.
7

Export the final image

File → Export As (Shift+Ctrl+E) - Choose PNG or JPG. Click Export, then Export again to confirm.

Essential Keyboard Shortcuts

File & Edit

Ctrl+N New image

Ctrl+O Open

Ctrl+S Save (XCF)

Shift+Ctrl+E Export As

Ctrl+Z Undo

Ctrl+Y Redo

Ctrl+C Copy

Ctrl+V Paste

Ctrl+X Cut

View

+ Zoom in

- Zoom out

Shift+Ctrl+E Fit to window

Shift+Ctrl+F Fullscreen

Tab Hide/show toolbox

F11 Toggle fullscreen

Layers

Shift+Ctrl+N New layer

Shift+Ctrl+D Duplicate layer

Page Up Raise layer

Page Down Lower layer

Home Layer to top

End Layer to bottom

Tools

M Move

S / R / E Select tools

P Paintbrush

N Pencil

A Airbrush

C Clone

T Text

B Bucket Fill

G Gradient

Common Beginner Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

Most new GIMP users run into the same handful of problems in their first week. Knowing them in advance saves hours of frustration.

1. Editing the original layer directly

If you paint, erase, or filter the only layer in your file, there is no way back once the undo history runs out. Duplicate the layer first (Shift+Ctrl+D) and work on the copy. The original stays safe at the bottom of the layer stack.

2. Using Save when you mean Export

File > Save only writes .xcf files. To get a PNG or JPG you must use File > Export As. This trips up almost every new user. The full rules are covered in Save vs Export in GIMP.

3. Fighting a selection that will not go away

If tools suddenly stop working, you probably have an active selection somewhere. Nothing outside a selection can be edited. Press Select > None (Shift+Ctrl+A) and try again. Learn how selections behave in the selection tools guide.

4. Scaling images up and expecting sharp results

Enlarging a raster image cannot invent detail. Scale down freely, but avoid scaling up more than about 20 percent. When you must resize, follow the resampling advice in crop and resize in GIMP.

5. Flattening the image too early

Once layers are merged, you cannot edit them separately again. Keep your .xcf master file with all layers intact and only flatten a copy right before export.

6. Clicking through tools instead of learning shortcuts

The fastest GIMP users barely touch the toolbox with the mouse. Start with five shortcuts: M (Move), Shift+C (Crop), P (Paintbrush), U (Fuzzy Select), and T (Text). The full shortcut cheat sheet covers the rest.

Go Deeper: The Beginner Learning Path

This page gives you the overview. Each topic below has its own full tutorial that goes much deeper. Work through them in this order and you will cover everything a confident GIMP user needs.

1

The GIMP Toolbox
Every tool explained with its shortcut. Read this first so the rest of the tutorials make sense.
2

How Layers Work
The single most important concept in GIMP. Adding, ordering, merging, opacity, and groups.
3

Selection Tools
Isolate exactly the area you want to edit. Selections power almost every real editing task.
4

Crop and Resize
Fix composition and prepare images for web, print, and social media at the right size.
5

Saving and Exporting
XCF masters, PNG vs JPG vs WebP, and export settings that keep your work sharp.

Next Steps

Next Tutorial

Photo Editing in GIMP

Color correction, background removal, portrait retouching.

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Layer Masks Deep Dive

The most powerful non-destructive editing technique.

GIMP Basics: Complete Beginner's Guide