This post is the first in a series on Free Open-Source solutions for small businesses and non-profits.

A common requirement among our clients is image editing software. To a small budget, the industry standard Photoshop looks a little daunting, and can also be a complex application for your average user. Luckily, several free options will meet most needs.

Paint.NET
Paint.NET is the application we most often recommend to our clients, as it offers a fully featured image editor with a simple user interface. For resizing, recolouring and simple image edits, this tool does the job admirably. It also offers layer support, and can achieve good results for more intensive jobs with a little practise.  Paint.NET runs using the free ASP.NET framework by Microsoft, so is only supported on Windows Operating Systems. We haven’t tested it using the Linux Mono environment, but will update this post if we get the chance!

Who should be interested? – IT administrators and suppliers; Website editors; Newsletter editors

GIMP
Don’t be put off by the name, which stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program: this application can achieve many of the same effects as Photoshop, and is even used by some photographic and publishing professionals.  It will open most image formats with ease, and is a comprehensive image editing tool. Users familiar with Photoshop will find much of GIMP similar, although a few frustrating differences will keep you guessing for the first few edits (a variant of the product, GIMPShop, offers a more familiar interface for Photoshop veterans). Text handling is a little primitive compared to Adobe’s offering, but the price difference makes GIMP well worth a try. Available for Windows, Linux and Mac Operating Systems.

Who should be interested? – Photographers; Editors; Newspapers; Graphic designers; Web designers; Artists; IT administrators and suppliers

Inkscape
Inkscape is a vector image editor, which is again easy to use and handles a wide variety of file formats. Great for throwing together design concepts or even creating high quality illustrations for publication. The website also includes an open clip-art library, where users can access reusable artworks produced using the software.

Who should be interested? – Artists; Graphic designers; Web designers; IT administrators and suppliers; Newsletter editors