GIMP
image retouching and editing tool
The GNU Image Manipulation Program or GIMP ( , GHIMP) is a free and open-source raster graphics editor. GIMP is always stylized in capitals and was formerly stylized as The GIMP.
GIMP is commonly used for photo retouching, image editing, free-hand drawing, and converting between different image file formats. GIMP is not designed for drawing, however, artists and creators still use GIMP for drawing.
GIMP is freely available on Microsoft Windows, Linux and macOS. It is licensed under version 3.0 or later of the GNU General Public License (GPL). The GIMP project is a non-profit supported by a community of volunteers. Users are encouraged to contribute.
GIMP supports plugins and scripting, allowing users to extend its features and automate tasks.
History
Spencer Kimball and Peter Mattis began developing GIMP in 1995. GIMP began as a semester-long student project in the eXperimental Computing Facility at the University of California, Berkeley. GIMP was named the General Image Manipulation Program.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “GIMP” is image retouching and editing tool. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through GIMP, image and retouching, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “image retouching and editing tool” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 16, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q8038. VIAF identifies the subject as 181980291. The Library of Congress control number is n99052816. 5 of 5 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1995.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “GIMP”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow GIMP primary sources, GIMP archive and GIMP research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “GIMP”?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
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This entry incorporates text from “GIMP” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.