The latest version of open source Photoshop rival GIMP is finally nearing release

• GIMP 3.0 release date is nearly here after a long wait
• Open source image editor is a key Photoshop rival
• New logo and host of features coming for loyal users

The long-awaited release of GIMP 3.0 is coming, according to the team behind the open source Photoshop alternative.

The GNU Image Manipulation Program, previously known as the General Image Manipulation Program, unveiled a release candidate version of the platform on November 6.

“We are very excited to share the first release candidate for the long-awaited GIMP 3.0,” the developers said in a blog post announcing the release. “We’ve been hard at work since our last development update to get this ready, and we’re looking forward to everyone finally being able to see the results.”

GIMP 3.0 release

The announcement follows years of speculation over the release of the latest version of the Photoshop-style tool, with GIMP 2.0 released in March 2004.

Since then, there have been frequent updates, including GIMP 2.4X and 2.6X in 2007, 2.8X in 2022, and the most recent release, GIMP 2.10X, from 2018 until now.

The developers behind the tool said the software version is nearing completion and set to be released to the community after final testing and bug testing has been completed.

“If user feedback reveals only small and easy to fix bugs, we will solve those problems and issue the result as GIMP 3.0,” the developers said.

“However, we hope and expect a much larger audience to try out 3.0 RC1 – including many people who have only been using 2.10 up until now.”

“If larger bugs and regressions are uncovered that require more substantial code changes, we may need to publish a second release candidate for further testing.”

What this means is that, providing there are no significant issues flagged by users, the release of GIMP 3.0 could be imminent, or at least within the next few months.

What to expect with GIMP 3.0

So, what can users expect to see with the new release? First off, there’s a new logo, designed in collaboration between Aryeom and other contributors.

Developers said the iconic Wilber logo, which…