Open Source Graphics Programs

Graphics programs come in two general kinds: bitmap and vector. A bitmap image is made of a series of dots – much like the color images in magazines. A grid, like graph paper, is filled pixel by pixel with colors to render the image.

Vector graphics is the use of geometrical primitives such as points, lines, curves, and shapes or polygons, which are all based upon mathematical equations, to represent images in computer graphics. Programs such as Corel DRAW, Adobe Illustrator and Inkscape are vector drawing programs.

The GIMP is a powerful bitmap editor: it can do almost everything that the very expensive commercial programs can do and your checkbook will not be left in shock. The GIMP, which stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program, is free to use and free to alter. If you are editing images from your digital camera The GIMP will give you the option to preserve the EXIF data from your camera. It has extensive help files available in a separate download and is available for all major platforms and in several languages. Verious plugins are available to extend this already powerful program. 

Inkscape is a vector drawing program that uses the Scalable Vector Graphics (SGV) file format. It can do many of the same things that the big commercial programs can do. It is open source and free to use. Open source clip art is available for use with Inkscape or any other program that uses the SGV file format.

Open Office, discussed in my previous open source post, has a good vector graphics program. It is not quite as versatile as Inkscape but it is improving all the time. 

This is only a start as there are many great programs available. In my next open source post I'll take a look at Linux, the free operating system