Graphics

If you can't afford to purchase software, you can still find free software to create and edit images. Some of this software is developed by individuals, and some is feature limited or an earlier version of a more advanced program.

Image editors and illustration software are the two primary categories of graphics software. While there are potentially many subcategories of graphics software, most applications fall into one or the other of these two main categories. This is because there are two very different types of graphics: vector and bitmap graphics.

When working with bitmap-based editors, you're working with a series of pixels in a grid-like pattern. It's helpful to think of this like painting on a canvas. Once the paint is laid down on the canvas it cannot be moved or changed without covering over it with new paint. The same is true of bitmap-based editing tools. This is why bitmap-based image editors are often referred to as "paint applications". These types of images are said to be resolution-dependent because the number of pixels in the image limits their size. Their size cannot be changed without adding additional pixels or throwing pixels away.

When working with vector-based editors, you're working with a series of individual objects. Each of these objects has its own unique properties such as fill, color, outline, shape, and size. All of these properties are completely editable as long as the image is saved in your software's native format. Size can be increased or decreased, colors can be changed, and so on; all without destroying the quality of the image.

The Gimp is a raster graphics editor used to process digital graphics and photographs.

Paint.NET is an open source, raster graphics editing, developed on the .NET Framework.

Picasa is a free software application that helps you organize, edit, and share your photos.

IrfanView is a compact freeware image viewer that can view, edit, and convert image files.