How difficult is it to learn GIMP?? I am currently using Picassa. Love it. But I keep hearing such great things about GIMP. Sorry, at age 80, not in a position to spend the money or...

insman1132 Loc: Southwest Florida

I am currently using Picassa. Love it. But I keep hearing such great things about GIMP. Sorry, at age 80, not in a position to spend the money or handle the learning curve for Photoshop. So can my fellow UGG's enlighten me?? Does GIMP have a fairly easy learning curve, and does it posses enough advantages over Picassa to make it worth the plunge??

Thanks guys.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

Like Photoshop, there are tutorials on GIMP online. I learned it a long time ago by error and trial, before there were such things. The primary thing you have to learn is the use of layers and masks. Once you have that you can transfer that knowledge to Photoshop, or PS Elements, if you decide to go that way eventually.

Mobad58

Try this link for a free ebook about GIMP. They also have PS CC Classroom in a Book for free here...

http://it-ebooks.info/book/1785/

Hope this helps...

Mobad58

Correction, they have PS CC The Missing Manual, not Classroom in a book....sorry

Whuff Loc: Marshalltown, Iowa

I found it very non-intuitive but was able to learn some things by watching tutorials on my iPad while following along on my PC. I've never used photoshop but I doubt photoshop would be any easier or harder to learn. I never did figure out layers or masks.

Walt

steve_s Loc: Bryan, TX

I use GIMP on a regular basis. The learning curve is not difficult, once you grasp the concept of layers and masks. It is NOT intuitive to use without some sort of guidance. I found a book, "Beginning GIMP" by Akkana Peck, that is a tremendous reference for learning and using GIMP. It runs about 550 pages and covers anything you want to know about using GIMP in a very reasonable (not computerese) manner. I highly recommend it to anyone embarking on learning GIMP.
Steve

Wallbanger Loc: Madison, WI

insman1132 wrote:

I am currently using Picassa. Love it. But I keep hearing such great things about GIMP. Sorry, at age 80, not in a position to spend the money or handle the learning curve for Photoshop. So can my fellow UGG's enlighten me?? Does GIMP have a fairly easy learning curve, and does it posses enough advantages over Picassa to make it worth the plunge??

Thanks guys.

Coming from Picasa, Photoshop Elements may be a better move for you. It's not free, but I think you would have a much better experience.

lighthouse Loc: No Fixed Abode

insman1132 wrote:

I am currently using Picassa. Love it. But I keep hearing such great things about GIMP. Sorry, at age 80, not in a position to spend the money or handle the learning curve for Photoshop. So can my fellow UGG's enlighten me?? Does GIMP have a fairly easy learning curve, and does it posses enough advantages over Picassa to make it worth the plunge??

Thanks guys.

GIMP is harder to learn than any of the photoshop stable of programs.

Mr PC Loc: Austin, TX

If Picasa does all you need, I'm not sure I'd make the effort. I got by on it for a long time before I graduated to Lightroom and PSE. I applaud you for continuing to want to expand your horizons. I'm 62 and hope to be the same way! Good luck.

SpeedyWilson Loc: Upstate South Carolina

I've used Picassa for years to make a few changes and corrections with my regular images. It's a great basic program for organizing and making some minor enhancements..

I've also used GIMP for many years, but mostly to do some unusual photo manipulations, which can be more fun and creative .... artistic is more like it. If you might like that kind of experimentation, then by all means try GIMP.

Here's one example of a GIMP manipulation.

Searcher Loc: Kent, England

We have GIMP tutorials - step by step - in the Post Processing Section - tutorials. These have all been written by Shakey, a member of UHH and an expert with GIMP.

In the GIMP section of the tutorials there are also several links to other GIMP tutorials.

The links to the Post Processing section are:

Click here to come in and look around
Click here for the Tutorials and Tips index page
Click here for the Free software index
Click here to subscribe to the Post-Processing Digital Images section, click on "All Sections" and scroll to the third-to-last item:
Post-Processing Digital Images and click to subscribe in the appropriate box.

mldavis2

It depends on what you want to do that you can't do with Picasa. Simple image manipulation such as brightness, contrast, saturation, sharpening, cropping, etc. can be done with any editor. Once you learn what you want to do and learn where those tools are found (creating your own pigtrail thru the menus), it is easy. People say it's more difficult than Photoshop because they are used to one set of menu trees, not because it is more difficult. The more options you have with any editor, the more complex it becomes. It all depends on what you learn.

The main advantages over Picasa (and I haven't used Picasa in years so I'm sure it has advanced) is the inclusion of masks, channels, curves and other slightly more advanced features.

lighthouse Loc: No Fixed Abode

mldavis2 wrote:

......... People say it's more difficult than Photoshop because they are used to one set of menu trees, not because it is more difficult. The more options you have with any editor, the more complex it becomes. It all depends on what you learn.
........

No, that is not why I said it at all.
I said it because GIMP is harder to learn than photoshop.

I tried to teach myself GIMP long before I ever had Photoshop.
So it is not as if I was used to the Photoshop menu tree.
I was not used to any menu tree.
GIMP was a pure chore. It was like pulling teeth. Even to do the simplest of things.

In comparison Photoshop (I use CS5) is intuitive and logical.

Wallbanger Loc: Madison, WI

lighthouse wrote:

No, that is not why I said it at all.
I said it because GIMP is harder to learn than photoshop.

I tried to teach myself GIMP long before I ever had Photoshop.
So it is not as if I was used to the Photoshop menu tree.
I was not used to any menu tree.
GIMP was a pure chore. It was like pulling teeth. Even to do the simplest of things.

In comparison Photoshop (I use CS5) is intuitive and logical.

This is very true. GIMP doesn't really adhere to and Windows or Mac UI standards because it's been ported over from Linux, and the volunteer developers have never taken the time to customize it for each platform.

That doesn't mean it's bad, it just adds another thing to learn.

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

Wallbanger wrote:

This is very true. GIMP doesn't really adhere to and Windows or Mac UI standards because it's been ported over from Linux, and the volunteer developers have never taken the time to customize it for each platform.

That doesn't mean it's bad, it just adds another thing to learn.

That is true! For someone who has always worked with X-Windows it is very "intuitive", and trust me Window or Mac programs are not.

It's not just the specific program's user interface, it's the way the windowing system is handled.