BEST IMAGING APPLICATION G’MIC
Version: 2.9.8 Web: http://gmic.eu
Debates over the best image editor for Linux show no sign of disappearing. In many, if not all software group tests that include GIMP, it’s this venerable program that takes the top spot. However, it depends on what exactly we mean by ‘editing’. It can be photographic retouching using the Stamp and Healing brush, or it can be drawing, selecting and working with layers. People often edit photos by manipulating their colours, fixing gamma, brightness, saturation, restoring over-saturated areas and so on. Looking back at such imaging tools that proved to be of the most use in realworld tasks, applications such as Rawtherapee (LXF247 and 237) or Darktable (LXF273) spring to mind.
However, not everyone wants to manipulate RAW files. Luckily, there’s an alternative called G’MIC – GREYC’s Magic for Image Computing, which we looked at in LXF263. This is a collection of filters and effects that significantly lowers the entry barrier for newcomers. G’MIC is an easy-to-use graphical browser of dozens of image effects that are arranged as a tree. The tool is a plugin that can be attached to GIMP, Krita (LXF237), or used as a standalone editor.
G’MIC has a solid set of professional colour mixing, blending and editing tools that can be overlooked if you have a specialised RAW processor. If you’re looking for deformation or abstract effects, contours, tiles, patterns, or maybe imitating oil paintings or sketches, you’ll find them among G’MIC 400-plus filters and effects. It’s the largest open source collection of image-editing tools that’s available via a clean interface (CLI mode is also available). Compared to Krita, which ships with only a limited set of basic filters, G’MIC comes out on top. Each G’MIC filter usually has several adjusting sliders and there’s a live preview of changes before you apply them.