FREE Alternative To Adobe Photoshop
Hello WA Members!
You can do some cool graphics with Adobe Photoshop but it doesn't come cheap.
So, for us thrifty and resourceful Internet Marketers, FREE is always good.
Now there is a learning curve, but if you love to create graphics, banners, edit photos, or to anything "artsy," you'll have a blast learning about what it can do.
The first alternative is Gimp and can be found here:
They have tutorials there as well under "Documentation."
The second Photoshop alternative is Paint.net
Here's where you can find a list of Plugins for Paint.net. Plugins make it easy to create cool effects
http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?/topic/15260-plugin-index/.
Here's a quick tutorial on how to make a Banner with Pain.net
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjjDy7qHPz0
Go to Morgue File for free images you can use in your banners. Double check the License Terms but most are all FREE to use, even Commercially, with NO Attribution Required.
Pixabay has some nice pictures too. Just produce something and put it where your target audience is hanging out, i.e. Facebook groups
Have fun, but I warn you, it can get pretty addicting:)
-Charles
Recent Comments
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Yeah, there is a bunch of awesome web based ones out there now giving us many choices for image editing.
Only bummer is GIMP is more .psd file friendly, yes? I know Paint.net has a plugin to open .psd files but the editing is limited. Or, do you know something I don't? :)
But am definitely going to re-download Gimp and start getting a feel for it. Thanks for your instruction.
Also check out http://www.aviary.com/, when I was deployed on government computers I couldn't install anything and used Aviary as my Photoshop alternative.
Hey Kyle:
You've proved there is another benefit of putting out information and tutorials. If there's another way to do something, ESPECIALLY it it's better, faster, easier, or cheaper, the Original Poster will learn from comments (like yours). Thanks, I'll check that out.
TIP: Those are always great marketing words to use>>> better, faster, easier, or cheaper
OK, I have to get some sleep:( See you all later.
Yeah, absolutely. The powerful thing about posting stuff is that you can get collective input. There are 100 different ways to do things in the wild west that we call the Internet and having a discussion about certain topics can add some solidarity. :)
One thing that I forgot to add is that I use SnagIt for all my screenshots and tutorials...it is a wonderful tool,but it is also a paid one (they have a 30 day trial if you want to check it out). I know some others here are using it and find it useful...and something that anyone looking to produce quality screenshots efficiently might want to check out.
Awesome suggestions Charles! Although we typically use photoshop for more elaborate projects, I have used some of the free editors out there. Pixlr is a good one.
http://www.pixlr.com
These sorts of editors can be used to compress image size as well (speed up site) as well as edit screenshots that you take for the purpose of tutorials or training that you create here within the Open Education Project.
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I like Morguefile too, that's for sure- and it is great not having to worry about the attribution side of things as well-provided you pick the right image...