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Free Graphics Editing Software

Free graphics editing software have been around for a long time, from very simple ones to really complex applications that behave like Adobe Photoshop. Some are totally free and some require registration. Some are old versions of paid software. Here are the best picks from each category:

Bitmap Editor:	Paint.NET is a good balance between features and ease of use.
Vector Graphics Editor:	Inkscape is packed full of features and is more versatile.
Image Organizer:	Zoner Photo Studio Free 16 is packed with features.
Background Remover:	Microsoft Office 2012/2013 Remove Background Tool is simple to use.

Tablet painting/drawing apps are not reviewed here because they are mostly photo enhancing apps or children’s doodle. The only serious graphics apps is Adobe Photoshop Touch, which costs HK$79.00.

Application	Photoscape 3.6.5
Download	http://www.photoscape.org
Description	Photoscape is jam-packed with features, while remaining very easy to use. It provides several modules including a viewer, editor, batch processor, Raw converter, file renamer, print layout tool, screen capture tool, color picker, etc. (screenshot)
Type	Bitmap Editor
Platform	Microsoft Windows NT/2000/XP/Vista/7/8, Mac OS X
Language	Multiple including English and Traditional Chinese
Remark	In addition, there is frame and object (balloon, icons, text, etc) overlay as independent layers. Pixel manipulation such as paint brush does not have independent layers. The page image combiner is very useful. Completely free, no adverts.

Application	GIMP 2.8.8
Download	http://www.gimp.org/
Description	GIMP is a popular open-source image editor originally developed for Unix/Linux. Often lauded as the "free Photoshop,"it does have an interface and features similar to Photoshop, but with a steep learning curve to match. (screenshot)
Type	Bitmap Editor
Platform	Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, major Linux distributions
Language	Multiple including English and Traditional Chinese
Remark	Can't afford Photoshop but need its features, then get GIMP. It does what Photoshop does at absolutely no cost, except lots of time to learn. This application is for the professional editor who is broke. Completely free, no adverts.

Application	Paint.NET 3.5.11
Download	http://www.getpaint.net/
Description	Paint.NET is a free image and photo manipulation software for Windows only. It features layers, painting and drawing tools, special effects, unlimited undo history, and levels adjustments. (screenshot)
Type	Bitmap Editor
Platform	Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/7/8
Language	Multiple including English and Traditional/Simplified Chinese
Remark	For those scared of GIMP, this is the one to use. It has many of the essential features of GIMP without the idiot interface of Photoscape. It is ideal for the less sophisticated users. Completely free, no adverts. Traditional Chinese language file is a separate download.

Application	Serif PhotoPlus Starter Edition 3.0.0.8
Download	http://www.serif.com/free-photo-editing-software/
Description	PhotoPlus SE features an export optimizer, editable text, layer effects, layer masks, a red-eye removal tool, special effects, versatile brushes, and photo enhancement tools. PhotoPlus SE can be upgraded to the full version of PhotoPlus, with many more features, for a modest price. (screenshot)
Type	Bitmap Editor
Platform	Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/7/8
Language	English
Remark	Looks and feels like Photoshop, this is the starter edition of a professional editing software that comes at no cost but requires registration. Completely free. Annoying adverts that prompt you to upgrade.

Application	Photo Pos Pro 1.89.5
Download	http://www.photopos.com
Description	Photo Pos Pro photo editor became a FREEWARE! Photo Pos Pro is a totally free digital photo and image editing software allows you easily create, edit, enhance, print, and manipulate your digital photos and computer graphics, and easily create eye-catching graphics, beautiful collages, greeting cards, business cards, website designs, buttons and much more. (screenshot)
Type	Bitmap Editor
Platform	Microsoft Windows 98/ME/XP/Vista/7/8, Mac OS X
Language	English
Remark	Another professional editor that is now available for free. This application has a rather dated appearance, but still has many features. Comes with related applications that are also free. Completely free, but beware that the CNET downloader will install unwelcomed software.

Application	Inkscape 0.48.4
Download	http://inkscape.org
Description	Inkscape is an Open Source vector graphics editor, with capabilities similar to Illustrator, CorelDraw, or Xara X, using the W3C standard Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) file format. (screenshot)
Type	Vector Graphics Editor
Platform	Microsoft Windows NT/2000/XP/Vista/7, Mac OS X, Linux
Language	Multiple including English and Traditional Chinese
Remark	For those who absolutely require vector graphics capability but can't afford Adobe Illustrator, this is an excellent choice. Usability is nothing like Illustrator though. Completely free, no adverts.

Application	Sherif DrawPlus Starter Edition 2.0.3.11
Download	http://www.serif.com/free-graphic-design-software/
Description	Serif DrawPlus SE is a reduced-feature version of a paid-for application and so does have some limitations. However this free vector-based graphics editor offers a reasonable range of features within a clear and well-presented user interface. (screenshot)
Type	Vector Graphics Editor
Platform	Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/7/8
Language	English
Remark	Looks and feels somewhat like Illustrator, this is the starter edition of a professional editing software that comes at no cost but requires registration. Completely free. Annoying adverts that prompt you to upgrade.

Application	Creative Docs .NET 3.3.6
Download	http://www.creativedocs.net/
Description	Creative Docs .NET is a vector-based graphic design tool with support for rich text, ideal to quickly write short documents, manuals, posters, illustrations, schemas, plans, flow charts, and much more. (screenshot)
Type	Vector Graphics Editor
Platform	Microsoft Windows 2000/XP/Server 2003/Vista/7
Language	English
Remark	For the casual vector graphics editor who just want a simple tool to create simple illustrations. Completely free, no adverts.

Application	Picasa 3.9
Download	http://picasa.google.com/
Description	Picasa is an image organizer and image viewer for organizing and editing digital photos, plus an integrated photo-sharing website. Picasa is excellent for beginners and casual digital shooters who want to find all their pictures, sort them into albums, do quick edits, and share with friends and family. Folks with very large photo collections and advanced editing needs should look elsewhere. (screenshot)
Type	Image Organizer, Bitmap Editor
Platform	Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, major Linux distributions
Language	Multiple including English and Traditional Chinese
Remark	At the lower end of sophistication, Picasa has a limited set of tools for image manipulation, such as red-eye reduction, text overlay, nice crop tool, retouch, etc., but ultra-easy to use and totally idiot proof. Completely free, no adverts.

Application	Zoner Photo Studio Free 16
Download	http://free.zoner.com
Description	Zoner Photo Studio is a top-quality photo editor for creative work with your photos. It covers a photographer's complete workflow, from downloading to organizing large collections to editing and publishing. (screenshot)
Type	Image Organizer, Bitmap Editor
Platform	Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/7/8
Language	English
Remark	Excellent image organizer with a comprehensive set of editing features. Very intuitive, very professional. Completely free, no adverts, requires registration to activate. Highly recommended.

Application	XnView 2.05
Download	http://www.xnview.com
Description	XnView is an efficient multimedia viewer, browser and converter. Really simple to use! Support of more than 500 image formats. No Adware, No Spyware. (screenshot)
Type	Image Organizer, Bitmap Editor
Platform	Microsoft Windows, Max OS X, Linux, Pocket PC, Smartphone
Language	46 including English and Traditional Chinese
Remark	It's probably the most versatile of all viewers because it can read 500 types of graphic files and convert any of these to more than 50 formats. It has good batch processing. It was the best of its kind before Zoner Photo Studio Free appeared. Completely free, no adverts.

Application	Clipping Magic
Download	http://clippingmagic.com/
Description	Clipping Magic is an online tool for removing the background of photos. Drag photos onto the website and use the simple user interface to separate the foreground image from the background. Tool is capable of separating hair from background. Online tutorials and samples. (screenshot)
Type	Background Remover
Platform	Web
Language	Multiple including English and Traditional Chinese
Remark	Very easy to use. The beta version is free to use, but will start charging when it comes out of beta. Completely free, no adverts.

Application	Microsoft Office 2012/2013 Remove Background Tool
Download	http://office.microsoft.com/en-001/powerpoint-help/remove-the-background-of-a-picture-HA010355182.aspx
Description	This excellent tool is built into Office 2010/2013 Word, excel and PowerPoint, and does the job for most photos. It has some intelligence in foreground object automatic detection, but it is not capable of separating hair from background. (screenshot)
Type	Background Remover
Platform	Microsoft Office
Language	Multiple including English and Traditional Chinese
Remark	Very easy to use. Intelligent foreground object automatic detection. User uses a marker tool to additionally choose areas to keep or to remove.