4 ms·

You have options. On Mac, use Pixelmator. Elsewhere, learn GIMP. I cut the Adobe cord a long time ago and don't even miss it anymore.

by kibibu 13y ago

nasalgoat 13y ago
Learning to use GIMP won't help you when you need to get a design job.
- fnordfnordfnord 13y ago
  People act like there is some big difference between PS and GIMP. Sure, outclasses the other in quality and features, but the fundamentals of good design are the same. You're talking about differences in workflow. A person with good design skills can adapt their workflow to either software. There is no quantitative difference in the final output of either GIMP or PS. Your portfolio should speak for itself.
  - lignuist 13y ago
    People in design agencies have simply no chance to work with GIMP. If they cannot open files from recent versions of PS, they cannot do their job. I have seen this a lot. People send you files, which you can only open (properly) with a recent version of PS. They just expect that you can work with them. Same with MS Office. Same with Illustrator. Same with expensive 3D software. I am sure, some designers would love to work with OS, but their social environment makes it too hard for them.
    - fnordfnordfnord 13y ago
      People in design agencies have PS, and can open anything a client sends. Once they have their source material they can work in any environment they like. Adobe makes it convenient to always "color within their lines". One thing that strikes me as ironic, is the notion that you can tell a creative person how to perform some arbitrary creative task. People send all kinds of garbage to design firms (my wife is a creative type at such a firm), including Adobe files but also including every other kind of junk you can imagine. >Same with MS Office. Yes, terrible people, we all have worked with them, but we don't want to emulate them. >Same with expensive 3D software. Good technique is good technique, skills are skills, a competent person can adapt their workflow to a new method or vehicle. A competent artist can express themselves in more than one medium. It comes down to this, if you are constrained to a single tool made by a single vendor, you are strictly a technician (in the narrowest sense).
  - krapp 13y ago
    The problem is "experience with GIMP" looks to a potential employer like "knows nothing of value to us." The quality of someone's work tends to be less important than the overhead needed to get you up to spec. An agency can throw a rock out the window and hit a design student with, probably, an adequate portfolio and experience with PS. YMMV of course, if they're willing to put in that effort. I know GML and Dark Basic but that's not worth much on a resume either.
    - fnordfnordfnord 13y ago
      Yeah, if you're trying for a mediocre job at a mediocre firm (most graduates and entry level folk) it makes it hard. You have to change the conversation away from empty buzzwords and back you your core talents, and you have to have confidence in yourself to do that successfully. There are lots of factors working against the folk in that field, large supply of average/mediocre candidates who are clueless about basic econ and accustomed to being taken advantage of.
- neona 13y ago
  Learning to use GIMP won't help you if you're actually trying to get something done, either.
sergiotapia 13y ago
+1 on Pixelmator. I rarely purchase software, but Pixelmator was hands down my favorite purchase. It opens Photoshop files, the color picker is great for web development (it copies the color has a HEX value with the numerical hash sign!), intuitive UI and fast! Worth the money for me.
Recoil42 13y ago
>I cut the Adobe cord a long time ago and don't even miss it anymore. You're clearly not a commercial designer, then. Pixelmator (while it has some interesting features) and GIMP don't even cut the mustard on the most basic level. Non-destructive editing, for instance. I wish it wasn't true, but it is.
- zokier 13y ago
  > You're clearly not a commercial designer, then Grandparent was specifically talking about hobby use, not commercial/professional designing: > Photoshop is something I use a lot on a hobby basis
- srgpqt 13y ago
  For non-destructive editing, the new Acorn4 beats the crap out of Adobe products. Pile on layer styles/effects, re-order them and re-parameterize them on the fly with live preview. Also you can have the same effect multiple times. For example, you could have 3 or more separate non-destructive drop shadows on one layer.
digibri 13y ago
I too cut the Adobe cord a long time ago. I'm on Windows and started using Paint.NET a few years ago and have found that it meets all my needs.

You have options. On Mac, use Pixelmator. Elsewhere, learn GIMP. I cut the Adobe cord a long time ago and don't even miss it anymore.

by kibibu 13y ago

You have options. On Mac, use Pixelmator. Elsewhere, learn GIMP. I cut the Adobe cord a long time ago and don't even miss it anymore.

nasalgoat 13y ago

Learning to use GIMP won't help you when you need to get a design job.

fnordfnordfnord 13y ago
People act like there is some big difference between PS and GIMP. Sure, outclasses the other in quality and features, but the fundamentals of good design are the same. You're talking about differences in workflow. A person with good design skills can adapt their workflow to either software. There is no quantitative difference in the final output of either GIMP or PS. Your portfolio should speak for itself.
- lignuist 13y ago
  People in design agencies have simply no chance to work with GIMP. If they cannot open files from recent versions of PS, they cannot do their job. I have seen this a lot. People send you files, which you can only open (properly) with a recent version of PS. They just expect that you can work with them. Same with MS Office. Same with Illustrator. Same with expensive 3D software. I am sure, some designers would love to work with OS, but their social environment makes it too hard for them.
  - fnordfnordfnord 13y ago
    People in design agencies have PS, and can open anything a client sends. Once they have their source material they can work in any environment they like. Adobe makes it convenient to always "color within their lines". One thing that strikes me as ironic, is the notion that you can tell a creative person how to perform some arbitrary creative task. People send all kinds of garbage to design firms (my wife is a creative type at such a firm), including Adobe files but also including every other kind of junk you can imagine. >Same with MS Office. Yes, terrible people, we all have worked with them, but we don't want to emulate them. >Same with expensive 3D software. Good technique is good technique, skills are skills, a competent person can adapt their workflow to a new method or vehicle. A competent artist can express themselves in more than one medium. It comes down to this, if you are constrained to a single tool made by a single vendor, you are strictly a technician (in the narrowest sense).
- krapp 13y ago
  The problem is "experience with GIMP" looks to a potential employer like "knows nothing of value to us." The quality of someone's work tends to be less important than the overhead needed to get you up to spec. An agency can throw a rock out the window and hit a design student with, probably, an adequate portfolio and experience with PS. YMMV of course, if they're willing to put in that effort. I know GML and Dark Basic but that's not worth much on a resume either.
  - fnordfnordfnord 13y ago
    Yeah, if you're trying for a mediocre job at a mediocre firm (most graduates and entry level folk) it makes it hard. You have to change the conversation away from empty buzzwords and back you your core talents, and you have to have confidence in yourself to do that successfully. There are lots of factors working against the folk in that field, large supply of average/mediocre candidates who are clueless about basic econ and accustomed to being taken advantage of.
neona 13y ago
Learning to use GIMP won't help you if you're actually trying to get something done, either.

sergiotapia 13y ago

+1 on Pixelmator. I rarely purchase software, but Pixelmator was hands down my favorite purchase. It opens Photoshop files, the color picker is great for web development (it copies the color has a HEX value with the numerical hash sign!), intuitive UI and fast! Worth the money for me.

Recoil42 13y ago

>I cut the Adobe cord a long time ago and don't even miss it anymore. You're clearly not a commercial designer, then. Pixelmator (while it has some interesting features) and GIMP don't even cut the mustard on the most basic level. Non-destructive editing, for instance. I wish it wasn't true, but it is.

zokier 13y ago
> You're clearly not a commercial designer, then Grandparent was specifically talking about hobby use, not commercial/professional designing: > Photoshop is something I use a lot on a hobby basis
srgpqt 13y ago
For non-destructive editing, the new Acorn4 beats the crap out of Adobe products. Pile on layer styles/effects, re-order them and re-parameterize them on the fly with live preview. Also you can have the same effect multiple times. For example, you could have 3 or more separate non-destructive drop shadows on one layer.

digibri 13y ago

I too cut the Adobe cord a long time ago. I'm on Windows and started using Paint.NET a few years ago and have found that it meets all my needs.