GIMP 3.0 is on the way

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

GTK and Toolkit Choices

  • Many are surprised GIMP 3.0 is just now moving to GTK3 and not GTK4, given GTK’s origin as “Gimp Toolkit.”
  • Several describe GTK2→GTK3 as a painful, breaking migration; this is cited as a reason the project finished GTK3 work before contemplating GTK4.
  • Some argue GTK4 is strongly GNOME-focused, removes APIs, and is hostile to non-GNOME apps; a few suggest switching to Qt instead.
  • A GIMP contributor notes GTK4 porting is “on the radar,” but not a priority; new code is written with GTK4 migration guidelines in mind.

Color Management, CMYK, and Lab

  • CMYK support is welcomed, especially for print and DTP; some think it’s late and that GIMP “missed the boat” in professional print.
  • Others say print (especially packaging) is still important, and CMYK will help adoption.
  • There’s debate over how fully CMYK/Lab are integrated: article wording suggests RGB-internal with conversion at output; a contributor clarifies GIMP 3.0 stores pixels in a richer color object that keeps model/space/profile, laying groundwork for true CMYK/Lab modes later.

UX, Workflow, and Features

  • Non-destructive editing is seen as a huge milestone and a long-promised feature.
  • Persistent criticism of GIMP’s UX: confusing export vs save, awkward text editing/moving, difficulty drawing basic shapes, multi-tool workflows for simple tasks.
  • Some like the updated visuals; others dislike GTK3 header bars and buttons in title bars.
  • One contributor highlights concrete UX improvements: non-destructive filters, multi-selection, better text outlines.

Project Pace and Governance

  • Many joke about the decades-long wait for 3.0; others defend slow volunteer-driven progress and the decision to batch all plugin-breaking changes into one major release.
  • There’s tension between calls to “submit patches” and frustration from people who tried contributing and hit project-level roadblocks.
  • Funding and sustainability come up; one commenter notes key core devs receive very modest ongoing support.

Alternatives and Ecosystem

  • Affinity, Photoshop, Photopea, Krita, Inkscape, and Pinta are frequently mentioned as tools people actually use instead of GIMP, mainly for better UX, print support, or platform availability.
  • Some see FOSS tools as philosophically important; others argue professionals should just pay for best-in-class proprietary tools.