After two years of development, The launch of "Pinta 3.0" has been announced The new version of the raster graphics editor that keeps the spirit of simplicity and efficiency alive, while embracing modern technologies and a visually renewed interface.
For those who do not know about Pinta, you should know that this is an open source application designed for image editing and manipulation, inspired by Paint.NET, which offers a simple and intuitive interface aimed at users looking for a lightweight yet functional tool for basic graphic design tasks.
Main novelties of Pinta 3.0
One of the most notable aspects of Pinta 3.0 lies in its completely redesigned interface, now based on the GTK4 and libadwaita librariesThis change not only transforms the visual appearance of the program, but also significantly improves the user experience. adopts the GNOME HIG design guidelines, making it a more intuitive tool, familiar to users of GNOME environments and closer to proprietary graphical suites.
On Linux, the application implements client-side window decoration, which allows you to integrate the toolbar and menus into the title area. The menu has been reorganized into three accessible sections from the top right corner, while responsive layout automatically adjusts to the screen size and orientation, providing a consistent experience on both large desktops and small screens.
Themes, iconography and performance
Version 3.0 introduces a new set of symbolic, modern and consistent icons with the GNOME aesthetic. A light and dark theme switcher is also added, with the option to adapt to the operating system's theme.
In terms of performance, they have been applied Multiple optimizations to improve interface responsivenessAdditionally, support for trackpad gestures has been added, such as the pinch-to-zoom gesture, a feature highly requested by users on laptops and touchscreens.
One of the most requested features by the community returns with this release: the plugin support, allowing you to extend Pinta with new effects or support for more formats.
They have also been incorporated improvements in image processing, such as the use of the nearest neighbor interpolation algorithm for sharper scaling, and support for exporting in PPM format, a useful option in scientific or technical workflows.
Screenshot, Wayland, and usability improvements
Pinta 3.0 modernizes its screenshot tool, Now supports the XDG Screenshot portal, a crucial improvement for systems running the application in sandbox mode. Support for the Wayland protocol has also been strengthened, consolidating its integration with next-generation graphical environments on Linux.
The element alignment grid has been redesigned, allowing you to configure cell sizes, and the ability to hide the right toolbar has been added, providing more workspace. Meanwhile, the left and top panels automatically adapt to the window size and reorganize tools into columns if space is limited.
La color selection has been completely redesigned, and now offers both full and compact modes. You can work with RGB and HSV values, adjust transparency, and quickly access recently used colors thanks to a separate palette.
Keyboard controls have also been improved: : It is possible to adjust the brush size using the [ and ] keys, and an option to modify the active selection using sliders has been added from the “Edit” menu.
When saving multi-layered images in formats such as PNG or WEBP, the system now displays a layer merging warning, helping to prevent unexpected data loss.
Among the tool improvements, the text feature offers greater compatibility with IME input systems, the curve tool now allows you to create solid lines, and the stamp tool retains offset between strokes, making it easier to create repetitive work or patterns.
New effects and more creative possibilities
- Pinta 3.0 expands its creative capabilities with a host of new graphic effects. These include:
- Dithering: to reduce color depth and achieve a retro style.
- Voronoi Diagram: Create unique geometric patterns.
- Object blur and object outline: ideal for highlighting elements in the image.
- Object alignment: allows you to precisely position graphic elements.
- Fractal and cloud effects have also been improved and now allow the use of custom gradients, expanding the design possibilities.
Finally, it's worth noting that Pinta 3.0 requires .NET 8.0 as its technology foundation, ensuring compatibility with the latest versions of the framework and improving stability and performance across all platforms.
Finally, if you want to know more about it, you can check the details by going to following link
How to install Pinta 3.0 on Ubuntu and derivatives?
For those interested in installing this application on their system, you can do so either from Flatpak, Snap, or from a repository. Starting with the latter (repositories), simply open a terminal and type:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:pinta-maintainers/pinta-stable sudo apt-get update
Done this now we are going to install the application with:
sudo apt install pinta
Another way to install Pinta is with Flatpak, which requires support. To install Pinta, type:
flatpak install flathub com.github.PintaProject.Pinta
Finally, another method of installing Pinta is with Snap:
sudo snap install pinta