Logo for Project:Graphics LabGraphics Lab/Resources/Software

The Graphics Lab is a project to improve the graphical content of the Wikimedia projects. Requests for image improvements can be added to the workshop pages: Illustrations, Photographs and Maps. For questions or suggestions one can use the talk pages: Talk:Graphics Lab, Talk:Illustrations, Talk:Photographs and Talk:Maps.
This specific page is a list of free graphic programs that are useful in manipulating images for the graphics lab. If you have a question about a particular point in one of the programs, asking on WT:GL may help. For general help, try searching for "[program] tutorial" or "[] help" or similar.


Free Software (GNU General Public License)
Name and Function Operating system(s) Download
Inkscape, the general standard for creating and editing SVG files Windows; macOS; Linux All
GIMP, similar to Adobe Photoshop. Used for the retouching of images, and creating raster graphics (PNG, JPEG). Can also be used to create animations (GIF) when the GIMP Animation Package (GAP) is installed. Windows; macOS; Linux; Solaris; BSD Windows, Linux/BSD/Solaris macOS
hugin, for the stitching of panoramic images together into one big image, correction of perspective and various other things. Windows; macOS; Linux; BSD; Other Unix Systems All
QGIS, to create GIS maps' layers: topographic background, shaded relief, states/provinces polygons, rivers/lakes/coasts, urban areas, etc. PNG or SVG. Windows; macOS; Linux; etc. All
Open Jump GIS, to create SVG or PNG maps and GIS vector datasets. Windows; macOS; Linux All
Blender, for the creation and editing of 3D images. Windows; macOS; Linux; Solaris; IRIX; C source All
Scribus, a free desktop publishing application (DTP). Windows; macOS; Linux; Unix; OS/2; eComStation; ArcaOS All
POV-Ray, a free 3D ray tracer. Windows; macOS; Linux All
Dia, create and edit diagrams and graphics that only require basic shapes. Supports exporting to vector (SVG) and various raster file formats. Windows; Linux; macOS All
Examples of images created with the above programs.


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