Features

• GIMP can be used for a variety of graphical uses, such as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. Many features are included by default with GIMP, such as a full suite of painting tools is included in the program, which can be used for creating your own images or altering an existing one. Transformation tools are also included to rotate, scale, shear and flip an image within the GIMP photo editor. Plus, GIMP allows you to install scripts and plug-ins to augment the program to your specific needs. Over 100 plug-ins and scripts are available for GIMP, as of the time of this writing.
  
  

System Management

• Another nice feature about GIMP is that it uses tile-based image management. This means that when an image is opened in GIMP, it does not have to be copied into your computer's short term memory (or RAM) to be edited. Instead, GIMP references the exact file on the hard drive, allowing you to open an unlimited amount of files without slowing down the program or your system. The only limit on the amount of files that GIMP can open is the amount of space on your hard drive.
  
  

Open Source

• GIMP is available as an open source program under a General Public License. Under this license, GIMP is not only is free to download and install, but advanced users who understand programming can also access the source code to make improvements.
  
  

Operating Systems

• GIMP is written and developed for users of Unix based operating systems, such as Linux and Ubuntu. In fact, several distributions of various Unix operating systems will automatically install GIMP as a default program. However, versions of GIMP are available for users of Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac OS X.