[ubuntu-uk] Could Linux (and Ubuntu) do more to encourage students?

[Martin Fitzpatrick]

On 02/02/07, norman <norman at littletank.org> wrote:
> On Fri, 2007-02-02 at 21:53 +0000, Benjamin Webb wrote:
> > > > Are there any OS graphics programmes? one of my students was asking.
>
> There is a Gimp users group - gimp-users at lists.XCF.Berkeley.EDU
>
> I get the impression that, in most respects, Gimp is equivalent to
> Photoshop. I use Gimp for procesing digital photographs.

It depends (as with all things) what you do with it. For processing
digital photographs as you do Photoshop would be overkill and so Gimp
is perfectly adequate.  For more complex design (e.g. web/print
design) Gimp is a nightmare.

The Gimp's vector graphics are extremely limited (versus some good mix
in Photoshop) especially when it comes to shapes. For example, try
drawing a shaded curved-edged box in the Gimp - as far as I can tell
it is impossible (although I may be missing some tricks). In Photoshop
there is a tool.

Photoshop text transformation etc. is much more powerful, including
writing text along a path (vector stuff again) multiple font's,
colours, etc. in a text block. To create multi-coloured text in the
Gimp you literally have to do a letter at a time.

I would love to see a Photoshop equivalent on Linux but unfortunately
the Gimp isn't it - and doesn't look to be heading in that direction
over the past 5 years I've been using it.  Maybe Adobe will port?
......and cut the price by 99%!

Martin
-- 
Edinburgh, UK
http://www.mutube.com