GIMP 3.0 has been officially released

The free and open-source graphics editor GIMP, or GNU Image Manipulation Program, has finally reached version 3.0 after seven years of active development. The updated program can be downloaded from the official website.

The developers have added a number of changes, new features, improvements, and usability improvements to GIMP 3.0. Major updates include official Wayland support, improved scaling for HiDPI displays, and a refreshed GTK3-based interface that improves tablet input support.

Additionally, the switch to GTK3 fixed numerous bugs that the developers said were unfixable in versions using GTK2. With the release of version 3.0, GIMP also began using a CSS theme system.

One of the biggest changes in GIMP 3.0's functionality is support for non-destructive editing for the most commonly used filters. In version 2.10, filters were automatically linked to a layer, making it impossible to edit them further without undoing all subsequent steps. In the new version, filters will remain active, allowing users to make changes or switch between them at any time.

Another important change is improved support for RGB color spaces outside of sRGB. This is made possible by the integration of the babl and GEGL libraries. Now, when you load an image with an AdobeRGB profile, the color information is preserved in all aspects of GIMP, allowing you to make changes without losing color space information. This update also lays the groundwork for future support for CMYK and LAB color modes.

Another new feature of GIMP 3.0 is support for new file formats. For example, icon designers now have ICNS formats for macOS, as well as CUR and ANI for creating cursors for Windows. Support for ILBM/IFF, QOI, JPEG XL has also been added, and older formats such as DCX, PAM, and WBMP can be imported. In addition, existing formats have been improved, such as improved compatibility when importing and exporting PSD files, and support for Photoshop metadata for JPEG and TIFF has been added. BC7 compression for DDS files has been added for creating game textures.

GIMP 3.0 also sees some important improvements to the internal text engine. For example, fonts will now be stored and displayed more accurately, which will help you better distinguish between different fonts within the same family. The developers say this will allow users to see true bold or italic fonts, rather than fake versions of them. The main Text tool has also been improved, adding the ability to non-destructively outline text, allowing you to adjust the outline width, style, color, or pattern type directly in the tool's options.

These are not all the innovations that GIMP received with the release of version 3.0. The full list of changes and improvements is available on the official GIMP website.