I’ve been using image editors for a very long time. I’ve used them for article images, book covers, promos, flyers, and just about everything in between. Some might expect I’d be turning to an operating system like MacOS or Windows for image editing. But they’d be wrong.
Linux has plenty of image editing tools, and although not all of them are created equal, each serves a worthwhile purpose. From my perspective, four image editors available for Linux are worth your time and effort.
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Let’s dive in and see what there is to see.
1. GIMP
GIMP is the obvious first choice here because it’s as close to Photoshop as you’ll find on Linux. GIMP includes all the tools you need to create stunning images from scratch or from existing photos.
With the latest release (v3.0), the developers added non-destructive editing, which enables you to make changes to an image without overwriting the original image data. This was a huge step forward for the editor.
There are plenty of filters to be found (and you can even install the G’MIC plugin for more). GIMP reads most file formats, and can export to nearly as many. There are also plugins, brushes, a configurable workspace, and all the tools you’ll need.
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Some of my favorite GIMP features include layers, layer masks, gradients, the fuzzy select tool, smart guides, snapping, and the many filters (and those are just scratching the surface). I’d go so far as to say that GIMP offers more tweaks and configurable options than Photoshop.
The only caveat to GIMP is getting used to the interface. If you’ve used Photoshop for years, you’ll have to take some time to get up to speed with the GIMP UI.
GIMP can be installed from the standard repositories or via Flatpak.
2. Krita
Krita is another Photoshop alternative for Linux that takes image editing a bit further than GIMP with the help of AI plugins. For the longest time, Krita wasn’t taken nearly as seriously as GIMP, but with the latest updates (Krita development moves much faster than GIMP’s), it’s closed the gap quite a bit. Krita is targeted primarily at digital painters and illustrators, and I would say that it’s more user-friendly than GIMP.
Keep in mind that if you want the latest version (which includes AI), you’ll need to grab the AppImage or install from either Snap or Flatpak, as the version in the standard repositories is outdated. I’ve had trouble installing the Snap version of Krita, but the Flatpak version installs effortlessly.
Krita supports RGB and CMYK at 8- and 16-bit integer channels. It also includes advanced painting brushes. To add generative AI, you’ll have to download the plugin from the project’s GitHub page and install it manually. Please note that the AI plugin is for changing existing images, not generating new ones.
3. RawTherapee
RawTherapee is a RAW image processing program designed for developing RAW images from a wide range of digital cameras. If you work with the RAW format, you’ll want to have this app on your Linux system. It is the app to use if you want to get the best color detail from your RAW images on Linux.
With RawTherapee, you get non-destructive editing, a 32-bit (floating point) processing engine, demosaicing algorithms, strong color-correction tools, HDR tone mapping support, batch editing, noise reduction, white balance, exposure values, and RAW adjustments that are often associated with professional photographers and photo editors.
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Here’s the thing about working with RAW (and tools for RAW): It’s not exactly user-friendly. You really need to know what you’re doing before you dive into this tool; otherwise, you’ll wind up confused and frustrated. And, yes, RawTherapee does include plenty of image editing tools, from basic exposure adjustments to detail, color correction, and more.
RawTherapee is free to install on Linux via an AppImage.
4. InkScape
InkScape is a vector graphic editing app that’s especially well suited for photo editing, logo design, drawing, diagramming, website graphics, and image editing. It offers plenty of filters and effects, as well as layers, paths, gradients, text, and more. InkScape works with SVG, AVI, EPS, PDF, PS, PNG, and other file formats.
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Think of InkScape as an alternative to Adobe Illustrator, only a bit more user-friendly. You’ll also find plenty of extensions and filters (and even a filter editor). The one big issue I have with InkScape is the UI, which is a mess. There are so many tool icons that it can quickly become confusing. It takes some time to get a feel for which tool does what, and you can wind up regularly clicking the wrong icon. Over time, you’ll get used to which icon is associated with which tool.
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Source: Robotics - zdnet.com
