14 DAY TRIAL // A new stable release of the open-source and cross-platform GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) image editor and viewer arrived recently for all supported platforms, including GNU/Linux, macOS, and Microsoft Windows.
GIMP 2.8.20 is now the latest and most advanced version of the popular and powerful image editor that comes pre-installed on numerous Linux-based operating systems. It comes approximately six and a half months after the previous point release of the stable GIMP 2.8 series, namely GIMP 2.8.18.
There are many bug fixes, translation updates, and various other under-the-hood improvements implemented in the new GIMP 2.8 version, but those that caught our attention are better saving to existing .xcf.gz and .xcf.bz files without them being too large, and better visibility of slider handles when using dark themes.
Stylus tablet support was also enhanced in GIMP 2.8.20 so it works correctly when crossing the edge of a dock if using the Multi-Window mode, which is enabled by default for the GIMP 2.8 series. Users will also be happy to know that toggling of the Color Picker mode of the Paint tools was made more robust.
The Windows and macOS installers have been improved
The full changelog of the GIMP 2.8.20 release is attached below if you're curious to know what bugs have been patched and which language translations have been updated. However, the GIMP developers note the fact that the most important changes are for the macOS and Windows versions of the application.
"The most noticeable ones being changes to the weird initial user interface language selection on macOS to make it use the user’s preferred language," reads the announcement. "Also, for users on the Microsoft Windows platforms, an annoying oscillating switching between different input devices has been fixed, this should make using a tablet more reliable."
GIMP 2.8.20 is now available as a source tarball for OS vendors and power users who fancy compiling software from sources on their GNU/Linux distributions, and it looks like macOS and Microsoft Windows binaries are coming soon. In the meantime, the GIMP developers are still working hard on the new features of the major GIMP 3.0 release.