Free & OPEN SOURCE
🖼️ Photoshop to GIMP
Ditching the Adobe subscription? GIMP is a powerful, completely free image editor that covers nearly everything Photoshop can do. This guide maps your existing Photoshop muscle memory directly to GIMP so you hit the ground running.
Keyboard Shortcuts
| ACTION | PHOTOSHOP | GIMP |
|---|---|---|
| New File | Ctrl/Cmd + N | Ctrl + N |
| Open File | Ctrl/Cmd + O | Ctrl + O |
| Save / Export | Ctrl + S (PSD), Ctrl + Shift + Alt + S (Save for Web) | Ctrl + S saves as XCF (native). Use File > Export As (Ctrl + Shift + E) for PNG, JPG, etc. |
| Undo | Ctrl/Cmd + Z (stepped History) | Ctrl + Z (single step); Ctrl + Alt + Z steps back through history |
| Redo | Ctrl + Shift + Z | Ctrl + Y |
| Free Transform / Scale | Ctrl + T | Shift + T (Scale Tool), or Layer > Transform |
| Flatten Image | Ctrl + Shift + E | Image > Flatten Image (no default shortcut) |
| Crop Tool | C | Shift + C |
| Zoom In / Out | Ctrl + + / Ctrl + - | + / - (or scroll wheel) |
| Fit Canvas to Window | Ctrl + 0 | Shift + Ctrl + E |
| Select All | Ctrl + A | Ctrl + A |
| Deselect | Ctrl + D | Shift + Ctrl + A |
| Invert Selection | Ctrl + Shift + I | Ctrl + I |
| Levels | Ctrl + L | Ctrl + L |
| Curves | Ctrl + M | Ctrl + M |
| Hue / Saturation | Ctrl + U | Colors > Hue-Saturation (no default shortcut; assign one in Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts) |
| Merge Visible Layers | Ctrl + Shift + E | Image > Merge Visible Layers |
| Merge Down | Ctrl + E | Ctrl + M (in Layers dialog focused) |
Tools Equivalents
| TOOL TYPE | PHOTOSHOP | GIMP |
|---|---|---|
| Move | Move Tool V | Move Tool M |
| Rectangular Selection | Rectangular Marquee M | Rectangle Select R |
| Elliptical Selection | Elliptical Marquee M (toggle) | Ellipse Select E |
| Lasso Selection | Lasso / Polygonal Lasso L | Free Select (Lasso) F |
| Magic Wand | Magic Wand W | Fuzzy Select U |
| Quick Selection / Object Selection | Quick Selection W | Select by Color Shift + O (closest equivalent) |
| Pen / Path | Pen Tool P | Paths Tool B |
| Brush / Paint | Brush Tool B | Paintbrush Tool P |
| Eraser | Eraser E | Eraser Shift + E |
| Clone / Stamp | Clone Stamp S | Clone Tool C |
| Healing Brush | Spot Healing / Healing Brush J | Heal Tool H |
| Dodge / Burn | Dodge O / Burn O | Dodge/Burn combined tool Shift + D |
| Text | Horizontal Type Tool T | Text Tool T |
| Eyedropper | Eyedropper I | Color Picker O |
| Gradient | Gradient Tool G | Blend (Gradient) Tool L |
| Bucket Fill | Paint Bucket G (toggle) | Bucket Fill Shift + B |
| Smudge | Smudge Tool R | Smudge Tool S |
| Blur / Sharpen | Blur R / Sharpen R | Blur / Sharpen (combined, switch in Tool Options) |
Layers & Panels
| CONCEPT | PHOTOSHOP | GIMP |
|---|---|---|
| Layers Panel | Layers palette (always docked) | Layers dialog (Windows > Dockable Dialogs > Layers or Ctrl + L) |
| New Layer | Click the + icon in Layers panel | Layer > New Layer or click icon in Layers dialog |
| Duplicate Layer | Ctrl + J | Layer > Duplicate Layer (Shift + Ctrl + D) |
| Group Layers | Ctrl + G | GIMP uses Layer Groups: Layer > New Layer Group, then drag layers inside |
| Layer Opacity | Opacity slider in Layers panel | Opacity slider in Layers dialog (same concept) |
| Blend Modes | Dropdown in Layers panel (Normal, Multiply, Screen…) | Mode dropdown in Layers dialog — names differ slightly (e.g. Color Dodge = Dodge) |
| Layer Mask | Click mask icon in Layers panel | Layer > Mask > Add Layer Mask — same concept, slightly different UI |
| Clipping Mask | Ctrl + Alt + G | Not native — workaround: use Layer Masks or Groups with Alpha |
| Smart Objects | Right-click > Convert to Smart Object | Not available — GIMP works with raster layers only (use Inkscape for vectors) |
| Adjustment Layers | Non-destructive adjustment layers (Curves, Levels…) | No adjustment layers — apply via Colors menu (destructive) or use Script-Fu/GEGL for workarounds |
| Channels Panel | Channels palette for RGB, Alpha, Spot colors | Windows > Dockable Dialogs > Channels — same purpose, same idea |
| Paths Panel | Paths palette | Windows > Dockable Dialogs > Paths |
Filters & Effects
| EFFECT | PHOTOSHOP | GIMP EQUIVALENT |
|---|---|---|
| Gaussian Blur | Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur | Filters > Blur > Gaussian Blur — identical workflow |
| Unsharp Mask | Filter > Sharpen > Unsharp Mask | Filters > Enhance > Unsharp Mask |
| Noise Reduction | Filter > Noise > Reduce Noise | Filters > Enhance > Noise Reduction |
| Add Noise / Grain | Filter > Noise > Add Noise | Filters > Noise > HSV Noise or Hurl |
| Motion Blur | Filter > Blur > Motion Blur | Filters > Blur > Motion Blur |
| Radial Blur | Filter > Blur > Radial Blur | Filters > Blur > Zoom Motion Blur |
| Liquify | Filter > Liquify (powerful warp tool) | Filters > Distorts > IWarp (basic liquify-like warp) |
| Content-Aware Fill | Edit > Content-Aware Fill | Filters > Enhance > Heal Selection (via Resynthesizer plug-in — must install separately) |
| Drop Shadow | Layer Style > Drop Shadow | Filters > Light and Shadow > Drop Shadow |
| Bevel & Emboss | Layer Style > Bevel and Emboss | Filters > Distorts > Emboss (partial — no full layer styles system) |
| Camera RAW | Filter > Camera Raw Filter | No built-in RAW processing — use RawTherapee or darktable as a companion app, then open the exported TIFF in GIMP |
| Neural Filters / AI Tools | Filter > Neural Filters (skin smoothing, style transfer…) | GIMP has no native AI filters — use G'MIC plugin (free) for a vast filter library including style transfer and denoising |
Color & Toning
| ADJUSTMENT | PHOTOSHOP | GIMP |
|---|---|---|
| Levels | Ctrl + L | Colors > Levels Ctrl + L |
| Curves | Ctrl + M | Colors > Curves Ctrl + M |
| Hue / Saturation | Ctrl + U | Colors > Hue-Saturation |
| Brightness / Contrast | Image > Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast | Colors > Brightness-Contrast |
| Color Balance | Image > Adjustments > Color Balance | Colors > Color Balance |
| Vibrance | Image > Adjustments > Vibrance | Not native — Colors > Hue-Saturation or use G'MIC plug-in |
| Photo Filter (warm/cool) | Photo Filter adjustment layer | Colors > Color Balance or Script-Fu colorize approach |
| Desaturate / Grayscale | Image > Adjustments > Desaturate | Colors > Desaturate |
| Invert Colors | Ctrl + I | Colors > Invert |
| Posterize | Image > Adjustments > Posterize | Colors > Posterize |
| Color Picker | Foreground/Background color squares at bottom of toolbar | Same concept — foreground/background swatches at bottom of toolbox |
File Formats
| FORMAT | PHOTOSHOP | GIMP |
|---|---|---|
| Native Project File | .PSD / .PSB (preserves layers, masks, effects) | .XCF — GIMP's native format, preserves layers, guides, and paths. GIMP can also open PSD files, though some effects may render flat |
| Opening PSD in GIMP | — | GIMP reads most PSD files. Layer groups and basic blending import well. Layer styles (Drop Shadow, Bevel) are flattened — edit them before switching |
| Export PNG | File > Export As or Save for Web | File > Export As > select .png (Ctrl + Shift + E). Use Overwrite (Ctrl + E) to quickly re-export to same file |
| Export JPEG | File > Export As or Save for Web | File > Export As > .jpg — adjust quality slider in the dialog |
| Export WebP | File > Export As (PS 2020+) | Supported natively in GIMP 2.10.22+ via File > Export As > .webp |
| TIFF | Full TIFF support including 16-bit | GIMP supports TIFF including 16-bit when in 16-bit precision mode (Image > Precision) |
| RAW Files | Opens directly via Camera Raw | Requires RawTherapee or darktable — export as TIFF/PNG first, then open in GIMP |
| SVG / Vectors | Limited SVG support (shapes as paths) | GIMP imports SVG paths but rasterizes them. Use Inkscape (free) for full vector editing |
Key Differences to Know
| PHOTOSHOP CONCEPT | GIMP EQUIVALENT | WHAT'S DIFFERENT |
|---|---|---|
| Save vs Export | Save = XCF, Export = everything else | GIMP strictly separates saving the editable project (Ctrl + S → XCF) from exporting a web-ready file. You must use Export As to write a JPG or PNG |
| Single-Window Mode | Always single window (docked panels) | GIMP defaults to single-window since version 2.8. Enable via Windows > Single-Window Mode if it ever gets toggled off |
| Layer Styles | Non-destructive per-layer effects (shadows, glows, strokes) | GIMP has no layer styles panel. Effects like Drop Shadow are applied via Filters > Light and Shadow and are destructive (baked into pixels) |
| Adjustment Layers | Non-destructive color adjustments on their own layer | GIMP doesn't have adjustment layers. All color adjustments edit the active layer directly. Work non-destructively by duplicating the layer first |
| History States | History panel with snapshots | GIMP has fewer default undo steps (20). Increase under Edit > Preferences > Environment > Undo History. No snapshot feature, but you can save XCF versions manually |
| Image Canvas Size | Image > Canvas Size | Image > Canvas Size — identical. Also check Image > Fit Canvas to Layers to auto-trim |
| Workspace / Workspaces | Saved panel layouts | GIMP saves your window layout automatically. Rearrange dialogs freely and they'll persist |
| Actions / Macros | Actions panel for recording steps | GIMP uses Script-Fu (Scheme scripting) or Batch mode for automation. No point-and-click action recorder, but powerful once you learn Script-Fu |
| Plugins / Extensions | Adobe Exchange / marketplace | GIMP has a rich plugin ecosystem. Essential free ones: G'MIC (hundreds of filters), Resynthesizer (content-aware fill), BIMP (batch processing) |