Gimp vs Photoshop

I've used Photoshop for years... I can't draw worth beans but I can take other graphics and modify them and add shaped text to make them look decent enough for my own sites. If there's an effect I need to do and I don't know how, I just google it... (ie. chrome text photoshop cs5 )

Professional graphic artist here.

If you are serious about graphic arts (Doing it for money) you need Photoshop. Still, Gimp will tide you over for most things till you can afford it (or get the nerve up to download it, no judgements here).

Someone above mentioned knowing GIMP and Photoshop. If you're going to graduate to Photoshop, there really isn't any reason to know GIMP, imo.

you might be able to pick up a cheaper copy of CS4 or CS3 off ebay. they'll do pretty much everything you need for designing graphics. in my opinion gimp feels clunky, but maybe that's because i went to school for graphic design and all we used was photoshop

I don't know. I had been using bootleg versions of Photoshop.. For me photoshop is easier. If perhaps Gimp makes its interface similar to photoshop, then the better, and I'll stick to Gimp.

Sampler said:

I've been playing around with making graphics for quite a while (they're pretty bad still).

Is it bad for me to stick with using Gimp (which is my preferred software) or should I try and make the transition to photoshop if I want to get serious?

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It really depends on what you want to do with your knowledge.

If you want to do any kind of graphic design professionally then you'll be better off learning Photoshop. That's the industry standard, so anyplace you want to work for or with will most likely expect you to know Photoshop. You might run into the occasional company that uses something else, but overall Photoshop is much more common.

If it's just something you like to do for a hobby, or you just want to make graphics for your own projects then GIMP (or really any program that works for you) should be fine.

cas77 said:

I've been using GIMP only for years..never needed to learn PS. However, if I was to have to learn it at this point it would be a nightmare.

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Actually if your pretty good with GIMP, it probably won't be that hard to transition to Photoshop if you ever decide to. Once you know the process for creating something, it's usually not that hard to figure the same thing out in other programs when you want to.

WizGizmo said:

I find it easier to draw graphics in Vector programs. A good free Vector
app is Inkscape for those that want to start working with vector and
can't afford to pay for Illustrator or Xara Designer.

Cheers! - "Wiz"

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I agree. Photoshops true purpose is manipulating photos. If you want to touch up photos, or cut and paste parts from multiple photos to create a new image then Photoshop (raster graphics)is the way to go.

If you want to create new images or designs from scratch, or even just tracing photos to create drawings then Illustrator(vector graphics) is a much better option. Plus vector graphics are infinitely scaleable without suffering from pixelation.

csguy said:

I do all my design in Photoshop because I find it way easier to use than Illustrator -- never tried fireworks.

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I did the same thing for years. In fact the only reason I finally decided to learn it was because I decided to go back to college to get a degree and Illustrator was the first class I had to take in Graphic Design. I'm really glad I did because once you take the time to learn it you can do so much more.

The learning curve seems a little tougher, so it's really easy to put it off and keep using Photoshop for drawing. Once you get the basics (which really only takes a couple weeks), the learning curve levels out and learning more advanced stuff isn't any harder than it was in Photoshop. In fact once you get the hang of it, Illustrator is a lot easier than Photoshop for a lot of things.

Buddy, photoshop is way more advanced than Gimp, but I still respect Gimp. If you want to compete with professional designers or develop cutting edge design work for clients, then photoshop is the way to go but if you just want designs for your own effects...then use Gimp. These days you can get photoshop at dirt cheap rates like ebay or PM me for tips if you like.

Interface design and simple graphics >> Adobe Fireworks
Photo editing >> Adobe Photoshop
Detailed graphics >> Adobe Illustrator
Print >> Adobe InDesign

Photoshop is often used wrong (I never get why...). It's made for photos. If you need to make an webdesign or something similar, better use Fireworks. It's made for that and much simpler and faster. See some proofs in the world wide web. There are hundreds of reason why you should use it instead of photoshop. Adobe don't sell it without a sense I love it!

If you want to make a print layout, use InDesign.

Photoshop and Illustrator are suppliers for InDesign and Fireworks(!)

ive always used gimp. never tried learning how to use photoshop. always seemed to difficult, even though there are a lot of tutorials out there.

need to learn both of them...

The gimp is an excellent bit of software considering its free. I use it all the time.

However, for advanced graphics, photoshop beats it hands down (but comes with a price).

^^ yes illustrator is amazing but it does require a lot of learning.

for mastering graphic design, you need learn to use 2 application, photoshop and corel draw.
believe me.

Definitely photoshop

I use photoshop, for me the GIMP it's hard to used.

Learn Photoshop if you plan on being a graphics professional.

Learn and master photoshop, it is the best of those two. Also, many employers only have photoshop.

I prefer Gimp. Guess I'm the minority

Stick with gimp

I also use photoshop for several years and for me GIMP is too hard to used.

This is a stupid comparison. Gimp is a free light-weight tool and PS is a commercial heavy-weight tool that requires a lot of experience to use effectively.