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In a previous post I gave you a list of 85+ Free Killer Resources Every Designer Should Know, which had a great response. Now, in the same line, I have smashed 45 Freeware Design Programs among literally thousands and thousands. It was a great quest, and it was worth it.

No, it won’t replace your fancy CS3, nor Flash, nor 3D Studio Max.
(Remember, we are getting something out of nothing :)

Some of them are pretty decent alternatives, not only for those who are not willing to spent some big Bucks, but also for those who need some specific tasks done, like resizing a batch of picture without needing to run the almighty Photoshop.

Personally, I also find them quite useful when friends & family or clients (or any non graphically skilled person) ask to do minor/boring tasks (like reducing a red eye). Well, you can hand them one of this apps that can do the trick with a minor learning curve so they will be pleased and you will be relieved.

Hope you can find some gems among them.

Image editing

• The GIMP 2.2.13

GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a freely distributed piece of software suitable for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition, and image authoring. It is a powerful piece of software with capabilities not found in any other free software product.

Note: You will need to download both GTK+ Runtime Environment and The Gimp installers. Install GTK+ before installing The Gimp.

Overview | Download

• GIMPshop 2.2.8

GIMPshop is a modification of the free/open source GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP), intended to replicate the feel of Adobe Photoshop. Its primary purpose is to make users of Photoshop feel comfortable using GIMP.

Overview | Download

• Picasa 2.7

Transfer, find, organize, edit, print, and share images, all with this easy-to-use product. Watch Picasa automatically organize all your pictures into elegant albums by date. Having all your photos in one place means no more time wasted searching for folders or files. The program works with JPEG, GIF, BMP, PSD, and movie files and is compatible with most digital cameras; it detects your USB driver and imports pictures into albums. Editing tools include cropping (standard or custom), removal of red-eye, and enhancing–even switching from color to black and white. Create slide shows set to your MP3s. Integration with Picasa’s free Hello instant picture-sharing software lets you share hundreds of photos in seconds and chat in real time.

Download Picasa with the Free Google Pack

• Paint.NET 3.08

Paint.NET is free image editing and photo manipulation software designed to be used on computers that run Windows. It supports layers, unlimited undo, special effects, and a wide variety of useful and powerful tools.

Overview | Download

• ColorPic 4.0

Ever tried using a color picker on a high resolution monitor? It’s impossible. That’s why this color picker has a magnifier attached. Grab palettes of up to 16 colors at once and use four advanced color mixers to select a spectrum of possibilities.

Overview | Download

• Magnifier 3.0

Ever needed to see what’s going on the screen down to the pixel level? That’s where the Magnifier comes in. Simple and easy to use, the Magnifier is always handy for when you need to see all the details. Magnifier has the following features: no popup adverts or spyware, easy to use with any other program, resizable magnification area, adjustable zoom factor, overlay a grid.

Overview | Download

• Easy Thumbnails 2.91

Create thumbnails and scaled copies of all your images. With Easy Thumbnails, you can find and process images individually, in groups, or in whole folders using a simple file selector and built-in image viewer. Use slider controls to rotate images and adjust contrast, brightness, sharpness, and other attributes. Thumbnails can be created in any existing folder or a new folder, and you can identify them clearly by adding a prefix or suffix to their names.

Overview & Download

• FastStone Photo Resizer 1.4

FastStone Photo Resizer is a free image converter and resizer intended to enable users (especially digital-camera owners) to convert, rename, resize, crop, rotate, change color depth, add text, and watermarks to images in a quick-and-easy batch mode. The application supports major graphic formats including BMP, JPEG, JPEG 2000, GIF, and PNG. Drag-and-drop mouse operation is well supported.

Overview | Download

• ImageDiff 1.0.1

ImageDiff is a pixel by pixel image comparison tool. ImageDiff allows you to compare two images side by side, and see a difference mask showing you the exact pixels that have changed. Features include: Compare images of different formats, including JPG, GIF, BMP, and TIF, PNG. Compare images of different proportions and imageDiff will scale and calculate the difference automatically.

Overview | Download

• IrfanView 4

IrfanView is a fast and compact image viewer/converter. It is trying to be simple for beginners and powerful for professionals. Many supported file formats and features. Features include: multi-language support, Thumbnail option, slideshow, toolbar skins, fast directory browsing, batch conversion/editing, multipage editing, file search, change color depth, scanning, cut/crop, IPTC edit, capturing, lossless JPG operations, effects (sharpen, blur, Adobe Photoshop filters), EXE/SCR creating, many hotkeys, command line options and plugins.

Overview | Download

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Related posts:

1. 12 Gems of Freeware Design Programs
2. 24 Free Mac Design Programs
3. 40 Best Open Source Graphic Programs
4. Design Watch: Design Contests @ Zenhabits/Nielsen Norman Group/Asian Heritage/Karmaloop
5. American Design Awards Semi Annual Design Contest

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