Photoshop free virson?

[CubicalGangster]

This may sound a bit stupid but is there a free version of photoshop out that can be used for graphics? I would like to learn photoshop but the 30 day trail doesn't seem right and the actual version is a little pricey for my budget.

[zylum]

there is no legaly free photoshop. for something photoshopesque, try gimp.

[Mazer]

[ EDIT: Damn you, zylum. ]

Sort of.

There's GIMP, which many people like, but many many people hate. Some people hate it for good reasons, but it's my belief that there's a fair few who hate it for really stupid ones. The main thing to consider is that it's FREE.

Yes the interface is weird, yes it has far fewer features. I use it because it's all I have available to me, and after using it so much over the summer I just got used to it. Not saying that's a good thing, I wouldn't mind picking up Photoshop myself (if I could run it, anyways), but for now GIMP will at least suffice.

There's also Paint.NET, which is supposed to be a super powered version of MS Paint. I've heard it likened to GIMP with a decent interface or something... I never figured it out but I didn't use it much. Worth a try, though.

To sum up: no, there are NOT free versions of Photoshop available aside from trial versions (if anyone says otherwise, you'll probably be banned, we don't discuss warez). There ARE alternatives to Photoshop, and that may or may not be enough for you. Are you a professional graphics artist? If yes, you'll probably want to spring for Photoshop (or another professional product). If not, maybe you don't actually need Photoshop.

Good luck with everything.

EDIT2: It may also be worth mentioning that your school may have it installed on their systems which would allow you to practice using it during lunch or after school or something.

[Windsurfer]

I use Paint.NET as well as Photoshop. I find paint.NET is much better for the abstract (like perpixel modifying) or for small jobs, like cropping or moving bits around, or making posters. For larger projects, i like Photoshop.

[BenLi]

Quote:

It may also be worth mentioning that your school may have it installed on their systems

yeah the version most likely is elements 5 and its not nearly as easy to use or feature filled as a version like CS2

[PaulButler]

Would you consider the possibility of an academic version? It will still set you back a hundred or two, but not nearly as much as what retail price would be. And unfortunately, you can't use it for commercial purposes.

You should also seriously consider Pixel, a cheap multi-platform graphics package that is a lot like PhotoShop. I bought a copy a few months back and I forgot I had it. It is still in beta, but I remember thinking it was more powerful than Gimp. Here's a link:

http://www.kanzelsberger.com/pixel/?page_id=12

Also, if you just want to create web layouts, look at Xara Xtreme:

http://www.xara.com/products/xtreme/

[Mazer]

I've been considering Pixel lately. I really like that it's cross platform; can you get back to us with your experiences with Pixel once you've tried it out? What do you usually use image editors for?

[Tony]

I'd also throw Inkscape into the list. It's actually for vector drawings, so closer to Adobe Illustrator than Photoshop... but hey, depends what you plan on drawing

[PaulButler]

Mazer @ Sun Feb 18, 2007 10:48 pm wrote:

I've been considering Pixel lately. I really like that it's cross platform; can you get back to us with your experiences with Pixel once you've tried it out? What do you usually use image editors for?

I only really use image editors for the occasional image resizing or whatever. That said, I know my way around Gimp very well and I am familiar with most of its features. Probably the most common use of an image editor for me is when making a web site, I will do a mock-up in Xara X1 and export backgrounds and stuff so I can code them in.

I was playing with Pixel a bit today, and I can't think of anything that I would add. Some things I always wished Gimp had are Photoshop's MDI interface and "adjustment layers", both of which are in Pixel. Overall, the tasks I use an image editor for on a daily basis are things I am accustomed to doing in Gimp, since they are just small tasks. If I were doing a more involved task like touching up an image, I would probably go for Pixel. It seems to have more advanced features.

The only downfall is an occasional crash - not a huge problem for me since I have a habit of pressing ctrl+s after every change. It is still in beta, so it isn't as stable as software you would find in a store. However, if you buy it while it is in beta (like I did) you can save some money, and support the developer. Once the full version comes out (it is supposed to be out later this year), the price will go up. If you buy it in beta you still get the new version but without paying more money.

If you have the $40(ish) handy and you want to play around with a cool piece of beta software, or if you think you will want to use it down the road when the full version comes out, I think it is worth the money. If you just need an image editor for basic tasks, Gimp/Paint.net/Inkscape are the way to go.

[Mazer]

Interesting. Currently I'm using GIMP for painting textures and even though I thought it was amazing when I started out about a year ago I'm now beginning to wish for more. Photoshop is out of the question because I don't have the money/justification to buy it, and I don't have the money to buy a Mac to run it on.

Inkscape, though, rocks my scalable vector socks.

[jannatul18]

But recently I have heard somewhere that Photoshop CS4 is now available as free version!