GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a free and open source software image retouching and editing tool[4] and is freely available in versions tailored for most popular operating systems including Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac OS X, and Linux.

The latest stable release of GIMP is v2.8 and it seems that it includes many changes, most of them are related to the user interface. This version is available for all main operating systems.

We provide some of the main improvements in GIMP 2.8.

Single Window Mode

This is probably the biggest change available in new version. But it is not enabled by default, in order to turn it on you need to select in the menu:

Windows -> Single Window Mode

Group Layers

This is also one of the most wanted feature, especially by Photoshop users. Now you can group layers and show and hide sets of layers or change their position together, delete them or do whatever you want. This way you can save your time working on many layers at the same time.

Image Navigation

The single window features brings new navigation system for different tabs opened at the same time. Tabs are located above image with a little thumbnail representing image it contains. The navigation between opened canvases is much faster and easier thanks to this feature.

Customisable Toolbars 

Toolbars in the earlier GIMP versions couldn't be easily organized, or couldn't be organized at all. Users are now allowed to rearrange toolbars to suit their needs very easily. You can organize your workspace at your will.

Text editing on canvas

So far, GIMP displayed new window for adding text to the working canvas, but now users can edit text directly inside the canvas. 

Tip: You need to highlight the text in order to make changes take effect. 

Brushes

There are improvement in working with brushes and their organisation, too. They can now be easier find and one new feature, never present before, brushed can be rotated.

Users can tagg and categorize brushes, patterns and gradients and filter them by tags.

Very useful feature is that brushes have an outline of the area that a brush will cover.

Conclusion

It seems that this is the version with the most new long-awaited features so far. Improvements were made both in the user interface as well as in the code.

And what is the most important GIMP is still free software!