GIMP can always be downloaded for FREE on the official GIMP website downloads page here. There are other sites that repackage GIMP and sell it – which is perfectly legal – but the program is always available for free.

Your layers panel is called a “dockable” panel, meaning it can be moved around in GIMP or closed out. Sometimes, this panel does not appear by default (either because of a glitch or because you closed it out on accident). To re-open it, go to Windows>Recently Closed Docs>Layers, Channels, Paths, Undo… If you don’t see this option, go to Windows>Dockable Dialogues>Layers.

To open an image in GIMP, go to File>Open and select the image file from your computer using the “Open Image” dialogue box. Once you have found the file, click the “Open” button.

When you go to File>Save, GIMP will save your composition as the native .XCF file format – which only opens in GIMP. If you want to save your compositions as a different file type, go to File>Export and click on the “Select File Type By Extension” dropdown. From here, you can select a wide variety of file types, including the common JPEG, PNG, GIF, and PDF file types.

We do not offer photo editing services for free or for pay. However, we have plenty of photo editing tutorials that you can watch to help you with your photo editing projects! Or, you can enroll in our GIMP Photo Editing Course on Udemy.