Raster image editors are applications designed primarily to create, modify and enhance bitmap images. They work with images composed of individual pixels and typically provide tools for selections, layers, cropping, resizing, transformations, colour and tonal adjustments, filters, text, retouching and compositing. More advanced editors may also offer masks, blending modes, cloning and healing tools, non-destructive adjustments, support for graphics tablets, and extensive plugin or scripting capabilities.
These applications are useful for photographers, designers, illustrators, web developers and anyone who needs to manipulate digital images. Typical tasks include correcting exposure or colour, removing unwanted objects, preparing graphics for websites and social media, combining several images into a composition, restoring photographs, creating banners and other artwork, or simply cropping and resizing an image. Some raster editors are lightweight applications aimed at straightforward everyday editing, while others provide sophisticated toolsets suitable for professional creative work.
We exclude software primarily designed for RAW development, batch processing, digital painting, pixel art and vector graphics, as these are covered in separate roundups.
Here’s our verdict captured in a legendary LinuxLinks-style ratings chart. Only free and open source software is eligible for inclusion here.
Click the links to learn more about each tool.
| Raster Image Editors | |
|---|---|
| GIMP | GNU Image Manipulation Program |
| JS Paint | Classic MS Paint recreation with modern browser-based features |
| Pinta | Mimics the usability of Paint.Net |
| Photoflare | Cross-platform image editor |
| LazPaint | Image editor with layers and transparency |
| dibuja | Simple to use paint program like Paintbrush for Mac or classic MS Paint |
| Drawing | Basic raster image editor similar to Microsoft Paint |
| Textual Paint | MS Paint in your terminal |
| Pixelitor | Feature-rich editing with layers, filters and effects |
| paint.software | Accessible Paint.NET-style raster editing application |
| Brushshe | Simple and user-friendly raster graphics editor |
| KolourPaint | Easy-to-use paint program by KDE |
| CinePaint | Tools for painting, manipulation and image processing |
 Explore our comprehensive directory of recommended free and open source software. Our carefully curated collection spans every major software category.This directory is part of our ongoing series of informative articles for Linux enthusiasts. It features hundreds of detailed reviews, along with open source alternatives to proprietary solutions from major corporations such as Google, Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, IBM, Cisco, Oracle, and Autodesk. You’ll also find interesting projects to try, hardware coverage, free programming books and tutorials, and much more. Know a useful open source Linux program that we haven’t covered yet? Let us know by completing this form. |
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