I transformed Gimp into Adobe Photoshop and I might just cancel my Creative Cloud subscription now

Date:
Mon, 27 Jul 2026 19:15:00 +0000

Description:
Or 'How I learned to stop using Photoshop and love PhotoGimp.'

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Sometimes it feels like there's no escaping subscriptions. I seem to pay a monthly fee for the tools in my digital arsenal. I find myself nostalgic for the days of one-off charges with the occasional upgrade fee for some new refinements to a service.

Apple , Adobe , Microsoft , Google , they've all jumped on the subscription bandwagon. But just how many more can we afford? To be honest, I dont think any of us are happy about this software evolution. I know Im not. I decided
to take action (for the good of my wallet, if nothing else). Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here:

Thankfully, there are alternatives. Take Gimp, for instance, a free, open source image editing program, constantly maintained by a community of enthusiastic and knowledgeable programmers. It can do most of what Photoshop does, so why not give it a go and save yourself a bundle?

There is however a problem with jumping ship, which can be pretty major:
sure, you can do a lot of clever image alterations with Gimp, but its interface looks nothing like Photoshop. You may like GIMP (2026) review I tried Android's underrated desktop app, and it's transformed the way I work Adobe InDesign (2026) review

And after years of using a particular tool, youve got used to its quirks and have built up a ton of muscle memory. If you're anything like me, you can probably use Photoshop with your eye closed by now. I can't imagine the
hassle of having to learn new functions, dialogue boxes, and keyboard shortcuts just to do the exact same thing again?

But I've found a solution to this. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me with news
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PhotoGimp (Image credit: Future) The beauty of open source software, is that it can be highly customizable, and what better way to entice creators into
the wonderful world of free software than to make said software look and behave like the one theyre used to.

This is what PhotoGimp is all about.

Applying that skin is simple enough. First, you need to have installed GIMP, which you can get by clicking here . It works across Windows PCs, Macs and Linux systems. What to read next How to turn your photos into paintings, cartoons, and pixel art with Adobe Firefly I tried the open-source Piwigo,
and it made me ditch Google Photos What is Adobe Stock AI Studio and how can it reshape creative workflows

Once thats done, launch GIMP so the proper preferences folder is created,
then head on over to PhotoGimp by clicking here . Grab that patch, which also works on either of those three platforms.

Or, just ignore that website altogether. Despite being a legitimate website,
I encountered a glitch once or twice where my browser warned me that I was suddenly heading towards a Deceptive Website, or that my File Download is Ready.

I found a workaround by just using the direct GitHub link I acquired for you here . I travel the dangerous virtual roads, so you dont have to. Follow the instructions (Image credit: Future) Now, getting Adobe's creative apps installed on your machine is a piece of cake. The process for PhotoGimp is a little more...rough around the edges.

The instructions are clear, but theyre out of date: the folder PhotoGimp downloads to your computer is labelled 3.0, but the latest version of Gimp
has a folder labelled 3.2. The fix is simple: get rid of the old folder, and rename the new one 3.2 but as of this writing, the instructions wont tell you that.

Still, now you know.

This is really the only tricky part of the installation process. Assuming all this moving around of files happened without a hitch, the next time you
launch Gimp, youll be graced with a very Photoshop-like interface. Turning Gimp into Photoshop (Image credit: Future) Now I dont know about you, but a familiar interface - and keyboard shortcuts that work on muscle memory at
this point - does wonders to my enjoyment of a different software package.

That isnt to say everythings in the same place as youre used to it on the
more expensive and established platform. But its similar enough to make the transition so much easier; the layers menu are in the right place, all the tools you need are stacked in a sidebar to the left, the Inspectors top
right, it all feels very familiar.

Now even with the Photoshop-style patch, Gimp still is a different tool. Some functions will be different. Others will be missing altogether, But in my own experience, I found that the vast majority of what many consider to be a standard set of features, are present and easy to use - especially when it
all looks quite similar to what you are used to.

Put simply, if you were at all pondering about the possibility of stepping away from Photoshop, then PhotoGimp will make the process so much easier.



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