Continuing with the theme of essential free and open source software, today I tackle open source image editors. My two favorites (and there are plenty of great options, both free and commercial) are Inkscape and The GIMP.

Inkscape is a vector graphics editor (SVG files), while The GIMP edits raster graphics (JPEG, PNG, GIF, TIFF). Most people are familiar with raster (bitmap) graphics, which create images with pixels (familiar editors include MS Paint and Photoshop). Vector graphics are created with mathematical formulas, the primary benefit being that vector graphics can be scaled without losing definition (unlike raster images, which end up pixilated when scaled to larger sizes).

If you spend any time manipulating images, especially if you often need to scale images after you’ve created them, then here are nine reasons to check out this dynamic duo:

1. They’re free – yes, free as in beer, but most important, free as in speech.
2. They work – though they can sometimes grab a bit too much memory, they’re incredibly reliable.
3. They’re cross-platform – both run on Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X.
4. They’re powerful – you can do things with the GIMP that you can’t do in most free image editors, and most systems have no native support for vector editing at all.
5. They’re extendable – being open source, anyone can grab the code and write an extension. Popular programs like Photoshop require special authorization to create plug-ins.
6. Inkscape is accessible – Inkscape follows standards for usability, and pays close attention to user feedback on accessibility. (The GIMP can be a bit obtuse, but is a pretty quick learn. For those more familiar with Photoshop, a variant called GIMPshop may be helpful.)
7. The GIMP is portable – you can load it on a flash drive and take it with you to any computer, unlike most image editors.
8. Free tech support – Both have active communities of users and developers, willing to help resolve problems and offer advice.
9. Did I mention, they’re free?

I personally use The GIMP any time I need to edit a bitmap image, and I use Inkscape extensively in my web design work. Both have powerful features that other free editors don’t, and being free, they save hundreds of dollars otherwise spent on commercial applications. I consider both absolutely essential to my business.

Both applications are free to download (and do pretty much anything else with) from gimp.org and inkscape.org , which also have links to various support options. If you have experience with either application, please share them in the comments.

Disclaimer: I’m not affiliated in any way with either of these products, and receive no compensation for recommending them.