Paint.NET has decent editing tools, but they’re not as capable as those found in GIMP. Paint.NET also has a layering system, although you can’t use tools like Clone Stamp across multiple layers, which really limits its functionality to quick retouching projects where precision isn’t too important. Brush-based tools like Paintbrush and Clone Stamp only let you change brush size and brush hardness, but you can’t use custom shapes or other more complex dynamics. Paint.NET has decent responsive retouching tools too, but they’re not nearly as customizable as those in GIMP. GIMP’s customizable brush-based tools are powerful and flexible Its layer system could use a bit of updating, but it’s perfectly workable for simple non-destructive image retouching projects. GIMP offers an impressive array of fully customizable brush-based editing tools that are flexible and responsive, even when working on high-resolution images. You can add on as many fancy bells and whistles as you want, but if you don’t get these tools right, then you’re not really creating an image editor.

Manual editing tools are the bread and butter of a good image editor. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at GIMP and Paint.NET. In order to keep things nice and fair between the two programs I’m comparing, here are the categories that I look at for an image editor (and no, it’s not just about the tools!): Paint.NET: Which Is Best?īefore we dive into the comparison, I want to set a few ground rules. With that out of the way, let’s get back to the good stuff. I’ve tested and worked with almost every image editor available today, so you can trust my comparison reviews to be more than just useless fluff. I’ve been involved in the digital art world for over 20 years, and much of that time has been working as a photographer and graphic designer. My name is Thomas Boldt, and I’m the writer and image editing expert on the TGT team. I can understand why you might be a bit wary about these kinds of comparison articles since most of them seem to be written by bots – or at least by people who seem like they’ve never actually used any image editor for more than five minutes at a time.

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