Graphics software

A screenshot from the vector graphics editor Inkscape

In computer graphics, graphics software or image editing software is a program or collection of programs that enable a person to manipulate visual images on a computer.

Computer graphics can be classified into two distinct categories: raster graphics and vector graphics. Many graphics programs focus exclusively on either vector or raster graphics, but there are a few that combine them in interesting ways. It is simple to convert from vector graphics to raster graphics, but going the other way is harder. Some software attempts to do this.

In addition to static graphics, there are animation and video editing software.

Most graphics programs have the ability to import and export one or more graphics file formats.

The use of a swatch is a palette of active colours that are selected and rearranged by the preference of the user. A swatch may be used in a program or be part of the universal palette on an operating system, it is used to change the colour of a project, that may be text, image or video editing. Vector graphics animation can be described as a series of mathematical transformations that are applied in sequence to one or more shapes in a scene. Raster graphics animation works in a similar fashion to film-based animation, where a series of still images produces the illusion of continuous movement.

History

SuperPaint (1973) was one of the earliest graphics software applications.

Fauve Matisse (later Macromedia xRes) was a pioneering program of the early 1990s, notably introducing layers in customer software.^[1]

Currently Adobe Photoshop is one of the most used and best-known graphics programs, having displaced more custom hardware solutions in the early 1990s, but was initially subject to various litigation. GIMP is a popular open source alternative to Adobe Photoshop.

Other applications include:

• JPhotoBrush Pro, Java-based multi-platform, freeware.^[2]
• Corel Paint Shop Pro

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See also

• Raster graphics editor
• Comparison of raster graphics editors
• Vector graphics editor
• List of vector graphics editors
• List of raster graphics editors
• Comparison of vector graphics editors
• Graphic art software
• Image conversion
• Photoshop
• Graphics hardware

References

1. ^ Macromedia Matisse, Reign of Toads
2. ^ JPhotoBrush Pro