A new version of GIMP is available for download.
GIMP 2.10.22 is described as a “bug fix release” but includes a number of notable new features too, not least of which is support for opening and saving AVIF image files.
What’s AVIF? I’ll admit that I wasn’t familiar with it. Google tells me it’s a variation of the HEIF format (popularised by Apple devices) that uses AV1 compression. It’s being positioned as the next big web image format — and GIMP 2.10.22 supports opening and saving images using it.
The file format improvements don’t end there, either.
GIMP 2.10.11 also comes with better support for the .psp file format used by Paint Shop Pro. This includes showing raster layers from files saved in recent versions; support for 16-bit integer, grayscale, and indexed images; and conversion of PSP blend modes to GIMP layer modes.
Creatives can also (optionally) export multi-layer .tiff files with layers cropped to image bounds; new .bmp exports will now include colour masks (where applicable); there’s better detection of .jpg and .webp image formats; and the editor picks up the ability to import and open .dds files even if they have invalid header flags.
These and other changes in GIMP 2.10.22 at-a-glance:
- Better HEIC & AVIF support
- Improved multi-layer TIFF exporting
- Better handling of the Exif “Orientation” metadata
- New “Sample merged” option in the GEGL operation tool
- Switched matting engine for Foreground Select tool
- Progressive performance logs and dashboard updates
- Plugin support in the official Flatpak build
Download GIMP 2.10.22
GIMP is free, open source software available for Windows, macOS, and Linux You can (as always) download the latest version from the official GIMP website:
Linux users (including those on Ubuntu) can install the latest GIMP from Flathub. This is the project’s officially recommended way to get the latest version of the app on most distros.
If you’re a fan of more traditional app install (i.e., apt) methods then there is an unofficial PPA you can use maintained by PandaJim. His PPA packages the latest stable release of GIMP for use on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS and above.
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/gimp
Finally there’s an unofficial Snap package too though (as always) this has not been updated to the latest release at the time of writing.