GIMP is a free image editor for Linux, macOS and Windows.
GIMP stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program and is a program which allows users to change and manipulate images.
The free and open-source raster graphics editor was developed back in 1995 by Spencer Kimball and Peter Mattis, students at the University of California, Berkeley.
Initially released as the General Image Manipulation Program, Kimball and Mattis chose to change the acronym after meeting American software freedom activist Richard Stallman.
The two students asked Stallman if they could change General to GNU in the acronym, the latter being the name of Stallman’s operating system. Approving the name-change, the acronym reflected GIMP’s development as Free Software as part of the GNU Project.
Who is the kart racing mascot of GIMP?
GIMP It is currently developed by volunteers as a free software project, with development taking place in a public gitsource code repository.
Content from our partners
Every year, GIMP applies to the Google Summer of Code, an annual event which sees the tech giant award a stipend to students who complete an open-source software coding project. Bar 2007, GIMP has participated in every event, with the healing brush and Ruby bindings features created as part of the 2006 event.
Wilbur is the official GIMP mascot and was created by Tuomas Kuosmanen. Wilbur also appears as a racer in SuperTuxCart – a free and open source kart racing game.
