FIGURE D

Paint.NET is a little cleaner, and seems a bit friendlier than the GIMP. Click picture for a larger image.

The overall look of Paint.NET is a little cleaner than GIMP. Though they look very similar when placed side by side, there are some minor discrepancies that make a huge difference. When you use Paint, you'll notice that the secondary windows you open for layers, tools and backgrounds are transparent. You're always able to see what's underneath, making multiple windows less of a nuisance. This is a neat feature that even Photoshop doesn't have.

Once you scroll over the windows, they will become opaque while your cursor remains in the section. See Figure E for an example of how the screen doesn't seem as messy with this feature.

FIGURE E

Here are the transparent windows along with a great "oil panting" effect. Click picture for a larger image.

Notice in Figure F how the modification windows are also transparent, even though they're only open for a short time.

FIGURE F

This "twisting" feature is very cool. Click picture for a larger image.

Tutorials are readily available in the task menu under Help. Paint.NET gives you step-by step assistance without having to go out on the Internet. The GIMP requires secondary downloads for tutorial assistance on their homepage.

OUR RATING: 4 of 5

Final thoughts
There's no harm in giving each of these free programs a test drive before you decide on which one you like best. They both contain fantastic tools for image editing and are great for beginning photographers on a tight budget, or better yet, those with no budget!

They may not have all the bells and whistles of programs you pay for, like Photoshop, but then again, users aren't missing out on a ton of quality features with these programs either. The only thing you'll be missing out on is spending a bunch of cash before trying out some great free software!

On a personal note, I enjoyed learning how to use Paint.NET much more than GIMP. The layout was much easier for me to navigate, and personally, the more time I can save not having to go through tutorials, the better. Speaking of tutorials, when I did need them, Paint.NET directed me to them faster than GIMP. I also appreciated the program knowing where I kept my picture files on my computer. I didn't have to dig through file folders because it just pulled them right up for me when I clicked upload photo. See Figure G to take a look at a beginner's project using Paint.NET.

FIGURE G

Elliot has been brightened, oil-painted and texted. Also, some poor artist drew some poppies. Click picture for a larger image.

Another factor that swayed my personal decision on which program was right for me was research. There are so many forums out there giving praise to Paint.NET. I didn't see as many positive posts for the competitor, but I did see some. These two programs are both good, and I feel my time was well spent test-driving them. In the end, I feel I've picked the best free software for this amateur photographer.

One final note: GIMP works on a variety of operating systems including Linux and Mac OS X, as well as Windows. Paint.NET is limited to Windows only.

Cari Cooney lives in Iowa and has published more than 30 articles.