GIMP is a popular and fairly powerful free image editor from the linux world that is basically like a freeware version of Photoshop, complete with many of the tools used for photo retouching and image manipulation that you’d expect. It’s is a great free PS alternative, but Mac users have long had to install X11 to get it to run. But not anymore!

The newest version of Gimp for Mac OS X is bundled as a self-contained native app, that means no X11 installations, no Xcode, nothing but a simple dmg download. Just download, and launch the app like any other.

Drag Gimp to the /Applications/ folder like any other Mac app to install it, then launch as usual.

Note if you have GateKeeper enabled you’ll want to right-click Gimp and choose “Open” to temporarily get around Gatekeeper‘s developer restrictions in OS X.

Once in Gimp you’ll find many of the familiar image editing tools, like layers, brushes, filters, text tools, color adjustments, and much more. Though Pixelmator remains the best Photoshop alternative for Mac users it also costs $15, and Gimp is a perfectly adequate solution for anyone looking to do some quick image editing and adjustments without shelling out any money at all.

Try Gimp out yourself, it’s free, cross platform compatible, and it beats the fudge out of something like MS Paint.

Gimp is pretty great, I spent about 2 minutes and made this silly star thing, but if you have any artistic ability at all you will easily exceed my capabilities. Have fun out there.

Thanks to Rafael for the tip