So, I installed Gimp, it is a few years (as the MX designation on my Macromedia - remember them? - software may hint) since I last tried Gimp. It has improved beyond recognition, back then it was ugly, difficult to use and crashed the machine often - in short, no advert for open source software. Now it is good looking, stable, and most tasks (once I began to learn different menu structure and keystrokes) are fairly easy. Brilliant!I just wish I could find a good way to export a picture as JPG, but then Gimp is not designed as a Fireworks replacement, but one for Photoshop, I guess... Does anybody know a better freeware way to adjust photos and export them for the web? Or a quick way to export JPG and GIF from Gimp?
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Hi Tim, I use GIMP all the time. Simply do a save as and change the extension to jpg.
By 
Graham Doel, at
July 21, 2008 11:39 PM
Hi, Graham, that's what I am doing, but since Gimp then asks me to export the file first it is a multi step process. Also I miss the information Fireworks gives about the filesize as I change the quality.
But I recognise that I am once again examining the teeth of donated equines - Gimp is an all purpose graphics tool and brilliant as such. Firefox is aimed at web use and brilliant at that more restricted task.
By 
Tim, at
July 22, 2008 6:44 AM
When you change the extension to .jpg (or .jpeg) and click Save, the Gimp wants to know what JPEG quality to use---this extra step is understandable. If you then tick the box to "Show preview in image window", you get not only the filesize, but also (as the words suggest) a preview of the image at the quality you've chosen (but you might have to move other windows out of the way to see it). Moving the Quality slider will update both the filesize and the preview.
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By , at
July 22, 2008 2:24 PM
Oops, sorry, stupid of me, yes there it is ;)
Blame my oversight on it being the start of a new semester and trying to get pics ready for the first class as well as blogs... Now I am even more sold on Gimp!
By Tim, at
July 22, 2008 4:30 PM
Actually, I think that bit's a bit unintuitive---if you want to know the filesize, you have to ask for a preview---so I can't blame you for missing it at first.
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By , at
July 22, 2008 5:33 PM
For quick and dirty format conversions, resizing and cropping I use IrfanView. Does the trick for most simple tasks and is quick to start up.
By Stephen G, at
July 23, 2008 9:08 PM
Thank you both, Irfanview is also brilliant! Now I do not need to install ANY of the graphics programs I have bought and used over the years ;)
By Tim, at
July 25, 2008 6:27 PM
