Paint.NET vs. The Gimp

Hen_Dawg

Hen_Dawg

Hen_Dawg

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I've been using Paint.NET for a little while and I quite like it. However, since I got my new camera I will be editing more images and have heard that The Gimp is another good, free editing tool.

Has anyone here used both? Or can someone give me some comparisson of the two. I'm considering switching if it is more powerful (which I think it is) and easier to use. Right now I'm not willing to pay for any software (an not pirating either) so I think it's between these two.

I mainly want to touch up/edit my own photos. Levels/curves, contrast, sharpen etc. But some more powerful options and effects would be nice.

So, any thoughts and opinions on...
Paint.NET vs. The Gimp?
 
i have used both and found the gimp utterly useless.

it could be that im a n00b, but i found paint.net to be more useful.

i'd go with paint.net however if you are used to using photoshop or other advanced image editors i'd try the gimp.
 
Thanks daven :)
I've use photoshop before but not in a very advanced way.
I'm suspecting I'll be ok sticking with Paint.net. I've just spent some more time browsing their forums and there is loads of info plus some very neat plugins too which I'm just trying out
 
Last time I used paint.NET it utterly sucked and was missing a shed load of features. While not perfect, the Gimp does every I need more ore less and is much easier to use, plus it works under Linux so I don't have to reboot just to edit photos.

But I do most of my work with Nikon Capture.
 
Give it a go, I've downloaded the trials of Elements and paintshop pro along side Gimp and I think Gimp pretty much has it covered allthough it's not as nice to use as either of the others. The user interface is a pretty clunky with a lot of sub menus etc. it's definately come on a lot since I first saw it a few years back and if you not to serious about photography or just want a free alternative I'd give it a go.
 
a1ex2001 said:
Give it a go, I've downloaded the trials of Elements and paintshop pro along side Gimp and I think Gimp pretty much has it covered allthough it's not as nice to use as either of the others. The user interface is a pretty clunky with a lot of sub menus etc. it's definately come on a lot since I first saw it a few years back and if you not to serious about photography or just want a free alternative I'd give it a go.
Click to expand...


The UI is just differnet to your bog standard windows interface. If you ever use other OS and software you will find the GIMP's interface fairly starightforward.
 
I'm too used to Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro. I can't get my head around GIMP at all. Paint.Net I found buggy, resource heavy and really pretty poor.
 
D.P. said:
The UI is just differnet to your bog standard windows interface. If you ever use other OS and software you will find the GIMP's interface fairly starightforward.
Click to expand...

I didn't mean in terms of the multiple windows I acually quite like that my problem is that to do some failry basic operations you have to drill down to many sub menus wen in a more proffessional piece of softwear like Photoshop etc the same options are availble on either a tool bar or the first drop down menu.
 
I know what you mean about the operations being hidden away in a lot of cases, in the GIMP, however there's usually a short cut associated with them which really speeds things up once you've embedded the shortcut characters in the brain.

As a Linux user I didn't have a lot of choice really - buy and install Windows + some extortionately priced photo package, or learn to use the GIMP, so I chose the latter. I find the handling of NEF raw files a little slow, but other than that it does pretty much everything I want to do at the moment.

One of the overlooked elements of the GIMP is the number of plugins available out on the web. With the exception of drawing scalable arrows (which is another story) there seems to be a plugin for everything!
 
If you are looking at the GIMP, there is also GIMPshop - the GIMP, modded to look and feel like PS (sort of). That's what I use on my mac, as I don't have PS on it.
 
I think I'll definitely give the Gimp a try, and the Gimpshop you just mentioned.

The last few days I've discovered more Paint.net plugins that are very good and go far beyond the basic install. Curves+ for example. It may even be a case of using both the programs for different purposes but I expect not.

After this and just trying out OpenOffice i'm realising more and more that there are some very good, very powerful, free things around :cool:
 
Hen_Dawg said:
I think I'll definitely give the Gimp a try, and the Gimpshop you just mentioned.

The last few days I've discovered more Paint.net plugins that are very good and go far beyond the basic install. Curves+ for example. It may even be a case of using both the programs for different purposes but I expect not.

After this and just trying out OpenOffice i'm realising more and more that there are some very good, very powerful, free things around :cool:
Click to expand...
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17701152

Read 'em and weep! :cool:
 
Hen_Dawg said:
I think I'll definitely give the Gimp a try, and the Gimpshop you just mentioned.
Click to expand...
Plugin-wise, GIMPshop is good because as long as it can complete the same commands as photoshop (it doesn't have all the functionality, obviously, but it does have a good range), then it can make use of photoshop actions etc. There are a lot more of those out there than there are for paint.net!

OpenOffice is excellent too, as you've discovered. I use that on all my computers in preference to Office07.
 
I've had a play with Gimpshop now. It's got plenty of features and seems very good. It seems a bit rough round the edges with the GUI compared to Paint.net. Not sure if it's optimised for dual cores as it doesn't seem that fast but I may be wrong.
I see myself using the Gimp for some things but sticking with Paint for the most part
 
hahaha I can just imagine someone post processing their £1,000 camera pictures in Paint :D :D
 
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