Gimp Sucks.

I have to say, the name is a bit unfortunate sometimes. I'm not a graphic artist, but I do have to use the packages from time to time.

One time I was trying to see what equivalent functionality GIMP for what is know as Layer Masks in Photoshop. Having the boss glimpse my screen after Googling "gimp masks" wasn't one my finest moments.

Eh, these are legitimate criticisms, but despite its warts GIMP is solid once you stop trying to use it like PS and learn to use it like GIMP.

The layer size thing is weird though. Layers should automatically expand, and this is not difficult to implement if you store the layers as tiles (which it should be doing anyway, since many layers are mostly empty space that doesn't have to be stored and repainted if you discard empty tiles).

In case anyone else didn't notice this article was written in 2009

Yawn. All software sucks; it's just a matter of degree. Gimp is 'good enough' for plenty of things.

It has its drawbacks depending on your uses for it but if its good enough for professional photographers its good enough for me!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oryOqeZEruU&feature=playe...

Th biggest problem I have found each time I have evaluated gimp, is how long it takes to get work done.

In Photoshop so much of the workflow can be done with non destructive adjustment layers and smart object. So I can import a raw file, apply contrast and B&W filters perhaps a gradient, and then go back and make a change to the raw object. Because its all adjustment layers you don't have to redo any of that work.

In gimp you import your file, make an adjustment and if you want to change the raw file, well oops, you have to recreate every layer again.

If the gimp team implements this it will be a significant win for users.

One of my biggest frustrations with Gimp on OSX has been the windows it draws. Clicking in the save window (to select a directory or change file formats) can translate to brush data behind the window. So wherever the "Save" button pops up, if I've got airbrush selected before I go to save, I get a dot on my file.

There are a bunch of other window annoyances too, basically amounting to it becoming a consistent pain to use.

Interesting that there are still shrink-wrapped software packages that cost a lot. In fact you could buy a dedicated computer to run just that for some of the prices and it wouldn't make a big difference in cost.

Wonder what other apps like this are left that have a wide audience, excluding "enterprise" stuff? I guess Microsoft Office is one.

Old blog post. Some of the issues like single window and layer groups are fixed in Gimp 2.8.

GIMP sucks because it doesn't work like PhotoShop? Brilliant analysis.

I'm using GIMP under Windows and I don't care about damn Photoshop.

Since they cannot perfectly clone the Photoshop(tm) UI it will never seem useful to folks that grew up with and are incredibly facile with the keystrokes behaviour of Photoshop.