Graphics Editing Software

What is graphics editing software?

Graphics editing software is used to create, manipulate or edit images and to convert them from one file format to another. Everything is possible from mere colour correction to astonishing collages. There are many different types of graphics editing software, some of which are specialized to 2D, 3D-modeling or even vector graphics. Useful tools include filters, panorama merging and, as mentioned before, colour correction. More advanced programs also feature noise removal, automatic lens correction, masking tools and batch processing. I’m not going into detail about single tools here but focus on programs combining them. There is a plethora of graphics software out there; everything on the spectrum from free open source programs to costly premium software for more experienced users. We’re going to have a look at some of them and explore their advantages and drawbacks.

Types and Common Applications

There are two main forms of graphics software. There is the pixel-based approach, which is the focus of this blog, and then there is the vector-based kind. The latter deals with illustrations based on geometrical shapes (e.g. Adobe Illustrator and Corel Draw just to name a few), whereas the former covers all programs that manipulate single pixels in an image (e.g. Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom, GIMP, PaintShop Pro, Google Photos and Affinity Photos). The main difference between these two that you as a user notice is that you can zoom in indefinitely in vector-based pictures and the resolution is not getting worse but you can’t with pixel-based images.

Now, that we distinguished between these two approaches we’re going to have a closer look at some pixel-based programs.

Adobe Photoshop

Photoshop is by far the most used and widely known graphics software in the world. There is hardly anyone that doesn’t know Adobe’s brainchild since its name has even made its way into the dictionary. It features automatic options for beginners and is the best for complex photo editing. If you’re an aspiring professional photographer and if you can afford it, go for it! There are drawbacks though: The program is jammed with features, which leads to a steep learning curve and it’s not available for Linux.

GIMP

The General Image Manipulation Program is a free and open source alternative to Adobe Photoshop. There’s a ton of photo manipulation features included and since it is open source, you can contribute your own changes! You can furthermore enhance your work flow with customizations and third-party plugins. Unlike Photoshop, GIMP is cross-platform and thus available on Linux. It also supports high dynamic range (HDR) pictures. As a side note, the official GIMP mascot, Wilber, is also a character in SuperTuxCart.

Canva

Canva is a fast and easy to use online photo editor featuring the most basic tools like filters, brightness, contrast and saturation adjustments. It can’t keep up with the two discussed prior but if you’re in a hurry and don’t have any other graphics software at your disposal, it is definitely worth a try!

Pixlr

Pixlr is the perfect choice if you want to edit your photos on the go because it is available for your phone (iOS and Android). The rise of the smartphones led the developers to create this app which can perform photo manipulations in real-time. It is free and comes with filters, overlays, red-eye removal and teeth-whitening. If you log in on their website, you can even use their web application which is very similar to Canva.

Conclusion

To conclude, there is hardly any bad graphics software out there if you stick to the most common ones. However, the ones discussed here are only a small fraction of all existing programs, intended to give you an overview or a starting point for further research. If you’re after the perfect software, be advised that it may be wiser to settle for one and learn the basic manipulations and work flows there because most applications work very similarly to each other and diverge only in detail. Overall, these programs offer great stability, functionality and an endless list of tools to play with.

In the end, all that’s left to do for you is to choose one graphics editing software and being on you creative endeavour!

Sources

List of graphics software of all kinds:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_raster_graphics_editors

What is graphics software:
https://www.quora.com/What-is-a-graphics-software

Examples:
https://www.techradar.com/news/the-best-free-software-for-graphic-designers-2017

https://www.lifewire.com/what-is-graphics-software-1701504

https://blog.templatetoaster.com/graphic-design-software/

Software:
https://www.gimp.org/

https://photo-editor.canva.com/

https://pixlr.com/