GIMP Alternative

Also known as photo-possibility apps, photo editors lend a remarkable and indispensable hand as far as photo enhancement or perfection is concerned. To varying degrees, depending on the developer(s) skill and designated use, photo apps, no doubt, represent a giant leap in digital photography technology. It is no surprise, at all, that newer models of smartphone devices and digital cameras are now embedded with basic photo editing programs or tools for hands-on editing.

Although Adobe Photoshop is renowned for being the best (or one of the best) pro photo editing apps, photo editors like CorelDraw, Gimp and the Skylum Creative Kit, among others, appear to be enjoying a lot of attention lately. While the subject of trying to find out which of the editors perfectly replaces Photoshop seem to remain a controversial topic, the fact, however, remains that an app like the Skylum Creative Kit 2016, for example, is far more user-friendly and intuitive than Photoshop –over 30 million users worldwide couldn’t possibly be wrong about its indispensability.

For new users, photographers, digital artists or hobbyists, throwing in some bucks for a photo editor could feel somewhat unnecessary when they could easily reach out for some of the free photo apps on the internet.

Free Mac Photo Editing Apps

Compared to Mac users, Windows OS users seem to have been enjoying a lot of freebie-apps for over a decade or more. The most probable reason is not farfetched –distribution; Windows is more widely distributed than Mac or Linus. Nevertheless, without taking sides, it’s interesting to point out how Mac OS impressively flies with graphic apps.

There are now more than a handful of free Mac photo editors currently available for starters and individuals who, for one reason or the other, are yet to purchase for themselves a licensed photo editor. These free Mac editors include Paint.NET, PhotoScape, Google Nik Collection, Pixlr, GIMP and others. Skylum also offers a free trial of its competent and  highly resourceful photo editor - Luminar.

Of all the free photo apps available that are easily accessible on the internet today, GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) is one of the oldest and somewhat flexible photo editor –its flexibility majorly depending on its extensible nature. But there’s more to it….

GNU Image Manipulation Program –GIMP

The GNU Image Manipulation Program, fondly called GIMP photo editor, is a free multi-platform photo-editing tool. GIMP’s unique extensibility, flexibility, and expandability make it find relevance in a variety of simple to complex editing tasks including image retouching, photo composition and reconstruction, and others.

Using the GNU Image Manipulation Program for your Workflow

Depending on your knowledge or experience with plugins and extensions, GIMP could be a dynamic photo enhancement tool that’s capable of doing almost every and anything. But you’ve just got to be prepared to make it all you want it to be. Its advanced scripting UI supports both simple and complex photo manipulation techniques. GIMP can be simply used as a paint program or a pro photo retouching app.

Considered “free Photoshop” by many, probably because of the striking resemblance its interface has with Photoshop, the bottom line, nonetheless, lies in the fact that GIMP is unique in the manner in which it offers, for very little or no cost, a number of the features that are found in Photoshop.

Although not as slick, GIMP provides several of the impressive options that are featured in Photoshop. Notable among them are the color corrections, basic editing, and effects, as well as text tools, filters and brushes. You’d, however, need to leverage on plugins and add-ons when performing advanced functions.

Also, compared to Photoshop, the app utilizes a considerably lesser amount of space for its installation and running.

GIMP’s Flip Side

Gimp is complicated. Its striking interface-semblance with Photoshop, and extensibility notwithstanding...

Unless you are an advanced user, you might just find yourself going round and round within the app’s environment; being unable to accomplish any significant success. Techies, particularly those who are familiar with Photoshop’s UI, easily find their way around the app’s interface.

Users who have a natural knack for layers, and other related tools, would have a hard time getting to like GIMP. The app lacks clipping layers, macros, layer groups, adjustment layers, as well as HDR, CMYK and the commonly used 16-bit color support.

Most of the app’s upgrades also take ‘forever’ in the works. Furthermore, GIMP offers a technical, and somewhat uninteresting learning curve. In addition to these shortcomings, the app is also quite lacking in appeal.

In a nutshell, GIMP’s competence and versatility are to the extent of the user’s effort. More so, its editing outline can be a little confusing especially when opening more than one image at a time. However, as long as one is prepared to pimp the app, GNU Image Manipulation Program can be a fantastic free editing photo software.

Skylum’s Creative Kit, on the other hand, offers so much more, with little or no effort from the user, and at a very affordable rate.

Using the Creative Kit for your photo-editing workflow…

One of the most productive ways of achieving excellent photo edits is by using Skylum’s Creative Kit. CK helps to take adequate care of the several complexities often associated with photo editing tasks thus making it possible for any Mac user, irrespective of their skill level, to accomplish stunning results.

Comprising of six powerful and highly efficient photo apps, the kit can summarily be described as a complete and highly-intuitive toolset for simple or  complex image editing and detail enhancement. The constituent apps are Pro versions of Snapheal, Focus, Intensify, Fx Photo Studio, Noiseless, and Tonality.

Individually, these apps are outstanding. It’s no surprise that their incredible combination into a single bundle can help any Mac user, in spite of their skill level, accomplish mind-blowing results in simple mouse clicks.

One of the most amazing facts about the Creative Kit is how it’s been an award-winning app for four consecutive years. Many thanks to its over 500 creative tools, and ultramodern social sharing options among several other features that make the creative kit stand tall among Mac photo editors.

Another outstanding feature is its plugin option. Besides functioning as a standalone app, Pro Versions of the apps function as  plugins to programs like Photoshop and Lightroom. Apple Aperture and Photos for Mac are not left out in the row.

Conclusion

Not only is the Skylum Creative Kit an incredible photo editor, it equips you with some of the most powerful, highly intuitive and easy-to-use tools you could ever require for your photo enhancements.

Furthermore, when you juxtapose all that CK offers with its monetary value, then would you realize how much of a perfect Photoshop tool the Creative Kit is.