photogimp.org
3.1 · GIMP 3.2.6

What it changes

What PhotoGIMP changes in GIMP, file by file

We unpacked PhotoGIMP 3.1, compared every file with what a fresh GIMP 3.2.6 writes, and installed it on three systems. This is the complete list of what changes, and what does not.

Checked with PhotoGIMP 3.1 · GIMP 3.2.6Updated Tested on Windows, macOS and Linux5 min read
On this page 11 sections
  1. 1. The toolbox: one column, Photoshop’s order
  2. 2. Keyboard shortcuts
  3. 3. The window layout
  4. 4. Preferences
  5. 5. Starting tool, brush and tool options
  6. 6. The splash screen
  7. 7. Leftovers in the files
  8. 8. Linux extras
  9. All files
  10. What PhotoGIMP does not change
  11. Questions

Short answer

In one paragraph

PhotoGIMP is 31 settings files. They give GIMP a Photoshop-style toolbox (one column, Photoshop’s order), new keys for 29 commands (23 of them Photoshop’s), a single-window layout with Tool Options, Brushes and Layers docked on the right, a handful of preferences (larger layer previews, at least 8 undo steps, transparency added to opened images, a dark canvas border) and a splash screen. On Linux it can also add a “PhotoGIMP” launcher and icon. It does not change GIMP’s program files, add features or plug-ins, or touch your images.

Stock GIMP 3.2.6 before PhotoGIMP: tools in a grid, the Brushes dock top right.
PhotoGIMP 3.1 on GIMP 3.2.6 after our repair: the Photoshop-style toolbox is back.
Stock GIMP 3.2.6With PhotoGIMP
Real screenshots · Linux (Ubuntu 24.04, X11) · GIMP 3.2.6 AppImage Drag the handle. Same photo and GIMP version; only the settings folder differs.

1. The toolbox: one column, Photoshop’s order

File: toolrc. Stock GIMP 3.2.6 shows its tools as a grid of groups. PhotoGIMP lists them as one column in the order of Photoshop’s toolbar. Compared with stock GIMP it moves the Color Picker up next to Crop (where Photoshop has the Eyedropper), gives Healing its own slot, shows Scale for the transform group and Gradient instead of Bucket Fill, splits Blur/Sharpen from Smudge, and hides the Warp and Cage group.

Stock GIMP 3.2.6 toolbox grid
Stock GIMP 3.2.6
PhotoGIMP toolbox column
PhotoGIMP (on 3.2 with the fix)

Stock GIMP 3.2.6

  1. Move + Align and Distribute
  2. Rectangle Select + Ellipse Select
  3. Free Select + Scissors Select, Foreground Select
  4. Fuzzy Select + Select by Color
  5. Crop
  6. Unified Transform + Rotate, Scale, Shear, Flip, Perspective, 3D Transform, Handle Transform
  7. Warp Transform + Cage Transform
  8. Bucket Fill + Gradient
  9. Paintbrush + Pencil, Airbrush, Ink, MyPaint Brush
  10. Eraser
  11. Clone + Perspective Clone, Healing
  12. Smudge + Blur / Sharpen, Dodge / Burn
  13. Paths
  14. Text
  15. Color Picker + Measure
  16. Zoom

PhotoGIMP 3.1

  1. Move + Align and Distribute
  2. Rectangle Select + Ellipse Select
  3. Free Select + Scissors Select, Foreground Select
  4. Fuzzy Select + Select by Color
  5. Crop
  6. Scale + Unified Transform, Rotate, Shear, Flip, Perspective, 3D Transform, Handle Transform
  7. Color Picker + Measure
  8. Healing
  9. Paintbrush + Pencil, Airbrush, Ink, MyPaint Brush
  10. Clone + Perspective Clone
  11. Eraser
  12. Gradient + Bucket Fill
  13. Blur / Sharpen
  14. Dodge / Burn + Smudge
  15. Paths + gimp-vector-tool
  16. Text
  17. Zoom

Each entry is a tool group: click and hold (or right-click) a toolbox icon to reach the others in its group. On GIMP 3.2 this file needs the Paths rename, or GIMP ignores it.

2. Keyboard shortcuts

File: shortcutsrc. The 3.1 file has 39 entries. On GIMP 3.2.6 they give 29 commands a new key (23 of them Photoshop’s) and take the key away from 12 others. Tool letters follow Photoshop (V, M, L, W, C, I, J, B, S, E, G, O; T and Z already matched), and so do Ctrl+J, Ctrl+T, Ctrl+D, Ctrl+0, image and canvas size, fills and brush hardness ({ }). Brush size on [ ] is already GIMP’s default. The Paths tool gets P only on master; in 3.1 it has no key. Everything else keeps GIMP’s default. Full list and live keyboard.

3. The window layout

File: sessionrc. It keeps single-window mode on ((single-window-mode yes), which is also GIMP 3.2’s default), so images open as tabs in one window like Photoshop’s documents, and sets up the docks:

  • Left: the toolbox, 66 pixels wide (one column).
  • Right, top: Tool Options, Fonts, Brushes, Patterns and Gradients as tabs.
  • Right, bottom: Layers, Channels and Paths as tabs, with 32-pixel previews.

It also stores window positions and sizes from the computer the files were made on (a large screen: the main window at 1888×1011, Preferences 1746×896, Keyboard Shortcuts 1417×1416). On smaller screens some dialogs open partly off-screen; the fix.

4. Preferences

File: gimprc. Every setting PhotoGIMP changes, next to GIMP 3.2.6’s own default (read from gimp --dump-gimprc):

SettingPhotoGIMPGIMP 3.2.6 defaultWhat you notice
Interface languagelanguage(not set)Empty means “use the system language”.
Config format versionconfig-version3.0.0(not set)Written by GIMP 3.0. GIMP 3.2 sees an older profile and shows its welcome screen once.
Minimal undo levelsundo-levels85GIMP always keeps at least this many undo steps (it keeps more while the undo memory limit allows).
Undo History preview sizeundo-preview-sizemediumlargeSmaller thumbnails in the Undo History dock.
Layer preview sizelayer-preview-sizeextra-largemediumBigger layer thumbnails, closer to Photoshop’s Layers panel.
Add an alpha channel to imported imagesimport-add-alphayesnoOpened images get transparency right away, like a Photoshop layer, so erasing gives transparency instead of the background color.
Thumbnail sizethumbnail-sizelargenormalBigger previews in the Open dialog.
Raw image importerimport-raw-plug-in${gimp_plug_in_dir}/plug-ins/file-raw-placeholder/file-ra…(empty)Points at GIMP’s placeholder, so raw files open with whatever raw processor you have installed (darktable or RawTherapee).
Monitor resolution (horizontal)monitor-xresolution14096140 ppi instead of 96. GIMP uses it only when “dot for dot” is off and it is told not to take the resolution from the system, which it does by default; so usually no effect.
Monitor resolution (vertical)monitor-yresolution14096As above.
Show layer boundarydefault-view.show-layer-boundarynoyesHides the yellow dashed line around the active layer.
Show canvas boundarydefault-view.show-canvas-boundarynoyesHides the canvas outline.
Snap to canvas edgesdefault-view.snap-to-canvasyesnoMoving things snaps to the canvas edges, like Photoshop’s snapping.
Canvas padding modedefault-view.padding-modecustomdefaultUses a custom color around the image.
Full screen: show layer boundarydefault-fullscreen-view.show-layer-boundarynoyesSame as above, in full-screen mode.
Full screen: show canvas boundarydefault-fullscreen-view.show-canvas-boundarynoyesSame as above, in full-screen mode.
Full screen: snap to canvas edgesdefault-fullscreen-view.snap-to-canvasyesnoSame as above, in full-screen mode.
Full screen: padding modedefault-fullscreen-view.padding-modecustomdefaultSame as above, in full-screen mode.
Brush, pattern and gradient area in the toolboxtoolbox-foo-areayesnoShows the current brush, pattern and gradient under the colors, as in the screenshots.
Canvas padding colordefault-view.padding-colorcustom, rgb(27, 27, 31)from the theme (dark grey in the default dark theme)A dark grey around the image, like Photoshop’s pasteboard.
Full screen: padding colordefault-fullscreen-view.padding-colorcustom, rgb(27, 27, 31), stored with an embedded ICC disp…theme defaultSame dark grey, in full-screen mode.

Two of these you will notice right away: opened JPEGs get an alpha channel (the Layers panel shows them with transparency support, and the eraser makes holes instead of painting the background color), and the canvas around the image is dark grey instead of the theme color.

5. Starting tool, brush and tool options

Files: contextrc and the 18 files in tool-options/. GIMP starts with the Rectangle Select tool and the “2. Hardness 050” brush with Pressure Size dynamics. The Paintbrush and Eraser start at size 52 and hardness 0.5, the Crop tool’s fixed aspect ratio is preset to 1920:1080 (it only applies when you tick “Fixed”), and Scale uses linear interpolation. These are starting values; GIMP saves your own as you work.

6. The splash screen

File: splashes/splash-screen-2025-v2.png. GIMP shows a random image from this folder while it loads, so with PhotoGIMP you see this instead of GIMP’s artwork. Artwork by Adriel Filipe Design.

The PhotoGIMP splash in GIMP 3.2.6, captured during our Linux test.
Real screenshot · Linux (Ubuntu 24.04, X11) · GIMP 3.2.6 AppImageThe PhotoGIMP splash in GIMP 3.2.6, captured during our Linux test.PhotoGIMP: 3.1 · taken 2026-10-31

7. Leftovers in the files

A few files are ordinary GIMP files that were exported along with the rest. They are harmless but explain some details:

  • theme.css is regenerated by GIMP at every start. PhotoGIMP’s copy points at a Flatpak GIMP 3.0 and the dark theme on the machine it came from; GIMP replaces it with its own the first time it starts.
  • plug-in-settings/ holds the last-used options of the JPEG and PNG import/export dialogs and the unit editor; filters/ holds one Brightness-Contrast preset.
  • gimprc contains (config-version "3.0.0"), which makes GIMP 3.2 show its welcome screen (usually once), and an embedded display color profile in the full-screen canvas color, from the monitor the configuration was made on.

8. Linux extras

PhotoGIMP-linux.zip adds two things outside GIMP’s settings folder, used with the Flatpak GIMP:

~/.local/share/applications/org.gimp.GIMP.desktop (excerpt, release 3.1)
Name=PhotoGIMP
Icon=photogimp
Exec=flatpak run --branch=stable --command=gimp --file-forwarding org.gimp.GIMP @@u %U @@

Because the file has the same name as the Flatpak’s own launcher, it replaces GIMP’s menu entry: GIMP appears as “PhotoGIMP” with the PhotoGIMP icon (photogimp.png in 16, 32, 48, 64, 128 and 512 pixels under ~/.local/share/icons/hicolor/, plus two stray copies the zip also contains). On Windows, the release offers photogimp.ico for the same purpose; you set it on the shortcut yourself.

All files

File in 3.1SizeWhat it does
contextrc304 BThe active tool, colors, brush and other context on startup.
filters/161 BA saved Brightness-Contrast preset.
gimprc5.0 KBGeneral preferences: undo levels, previews, import behaviour, default view options.
plug-in-settings/ (5 files)945 BLast-used settings of the JPEG/PNG import and export dialogs and the unit editor.
sessionrc3.2 KBWindow and dock layout: single-window mode, panel positions and sizes.
shortcutsrc42.0 KBKeyboard shortcuts, remapped to Photoshop’s Windows defaults.
splashes/1.47 MBThe PhotoGIMP splash screen shown while GIMP starts.
theme.css454 BA theme file GIMP writes itself; GIMP replaces it at every start.
tool-options/ (18 files)3.1 KBSaved options for individual tools (brush size, hardness, crop and text settings).
toolrc5.9 KBToolbox order and tool groups, arranged like Photoshop’s toolbar.

What PhotoGIMP does not change

  • GIMP’s program, menus, filters and tools: the same GIMP 3.2.6, only rearranged.
  • Features: no content-aware fill, adjustment layers, smart objects, generative AI or new file formats.
  • Plug-ins: none included (the 2020 releases had Linux-only Resynthesizer binaries; PhotoGIMP 3 has none).
  • Your brushes, fonts, palettes, patterns, scripts and plug-ins.
  • The menu names: GIMP’s menus stay GIMP’s (Colors, not Image → Adjustments).
  • Anything outside GIMP’s settings folder, except the optional Linux launcher and icons.

Questions

Does PhotoGIMP change GIMP’s theme or icons?

It keeps GIMP’s default dark theme and symbolic icons; it does not install a Photoshop-like icon theme. What looks different is the layout, the darker canvas border and the bigger layer previews.

Does PhotoGIMP change the menus to Photoshop’s?

No. Menus keep GIMP’s names and structure. For where Photoshop’s commands live in GIMP, see Photoshop to GIMP.

Can I use only part of PhotoGIMP?

Yes. Copy only the files you want: shortcutsrc for the shortcuts, toolrc for the toolbox order, sessionrc for the layout. Each works on its own.

Why do opened images have an alpha channel?

PhotoGIMP sets import-add-alpha to yes. Layers then behave like Photoshop layers: erasing makes transparency. To turn it off: Edit → Preferences → Image Import & Export → uncheck “Add an alpha channel to imported images”.

Keep going

ShortcutsEvery PhotoGIMP shortcut on a live keyboard, with the Photoshop key next to it.Make GIMP look like PhotoshopPhotoGIMP or by hand: every setting that matters.PhotoGIMP vs GIMPSame program, different setup. What really differs.Is it safe?What is in the zip, the official source, and unofficial copies to avoid.Uninstall & resetRemove PhotoGIMP, restore a backup, or reset GIMP to defaults.GIMP 3.2 fixWhy PhotoGIMP 3.1 half-works on GIMP 3.2, and the tested fix.

Found something wrong or out of date? Tell us: hello@photogimp.org. We fix mistakes within a day.