GIMP is an apparently simple application that is designed to aid users who might want to edit photographs. Images can be briefly edited and various options can be changed, ranging from basic settings such as the contrast and moving on to full-scale manipulations. In the hands of a beginner, the tool will be still easily usable, because the interface is designed to provide quick access to the basic tools and the Help file also provides information about various effects that can be achieved with the aid of different options present in the package.

The installation is a simple process and the application itself will load quickly, compared with other competitors that are larger and might also take longer to initialize. It is important that users take note of the fact that this photo editor is freeware and various plugins are available for use, most of them being provided by the community. These plugins and extensions can be easily installed and upon restarting the app, they will be available for use. Scripting is a feature that is not usually encountered at free apps, but with the aid of this tool, all kinds of processes can be scripted, starting from basic ones to the most complex series of actions.

The interface provides two sidebars that contain the basic tools in the left area. In the right area of the screen, the history and the layers tabs are easily accessible, but these are not the only toolboxes that can be used. Many more can be turned on from the Options, and here are also effects available. Each effect and template can be applied in its standard form but all of them can be altered in order to achieve better photo manipulations. Files can be saved in various formats and RAW files can also be imported.