Graphics programs for Linux

[This article was contributed by Joe 'Zonker' Brockmeier]

With the 1.0 release of Scribus this week, we thought we'd take a look at the state of open source graphics applications. There's a wide variety of these applications, and they are rapidly maturing, though maybe not quite as quickly as some might like. The most popular, and most mature in terms of features and polish, open source graphics application is The GNU Image Manipulation Program, better known as the GIMP. For those who are unfamiliar with the GIMP, it's very similar to Adobe Photoshop in nature, and offers much of the functionality of Photoshop though it still lacks some features that make Photoshop attractive to folks working with high-quality print publications. The GIMP has been around for quite some time, but the open source community has lacked a full-featured desktop publishing (DTP) programs like QuarkXPress, Adobe InDesign or PageMaker, Adobe Illustrator and CorelDraw.

The 1.0 release of Scribus may help fill that gap. While it still needs some work, Scribus is similar to Adobe InDesign and QuarkXPress. Unlike Quark or InDesign, though, Scribus is available under the GNU GPL and runs on Linux. I've tried Scribus on and off for some time now, and it definitely shows promise. After downloading the 1.0 release, I was impressed by how far Scribus has come in a fairly short time. It offers all the features you'd need to produce a decent company newsletter or flyer, allows you to prepare a document for printing or convert to PDF for electronic publishing. Scribus saves documents in an XML-type format, and can export projects to PDF, Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) and/or Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) format.

There are a few glitches; some of the tools don't act quite as you might expect, and there are a few features that you'd definitely want in desktop publishing application that aren't in Scribus just yet. For example, the "text chain" feature doesn't seem to work predictably, and it doesn't seem possible to create a text box with multiple columns for text. But, a few shortcomings aside, Scribus is definitely a boon for folks who want to see Linux succeed on the desktop. While it may not be perfect, it should be good enough to attract a strong audience that will help to see it move forward in much the same way the GIMP has over the years.

Sodipodi is vector-based drawing application that looks very promising. Sodipodi is similar to Adobe Illustrator or CorelDraw, though it's not quite in the same league as those applications just yet. Judging by the images in the Sodipodi gallery, however, it has plenty to offer. Right now, Sodipodi is at the 0.32 release. It has quite a few features, and it's very usable, but it still needs to mature a bit before it's ready for "prime time." For example, Sodipodi only saves in the SVG format, and exports to PNG. It doesn't handle EPS or PDF right now, though EPS is on the tasks list. However, it has a full enough feature set, and is stable enough, that it can be used to create some really nice graphics.

Another GPL'ed Illustrator-like application that's been coming along nicely is Sketch. Sketch is also at a very usable stage, though it, too, has a ways to go before it will give Illustrator a run for its money. Like Sodipodi and Scribus, Sketch seems to be maturing at a fairly steady pace. Sketch is implemented mostly in Python, and is very stable. Sketch does write to EPS and Adobe Illustrator format, and reads XFig files, Adobe Illustrator files, Corel CMX, SVG and its own format, though it lacks support for TrueType fonts which may be a drawback for some users.

If you're interested in older graphics apps for Linux, there's Xfig. Xfig has quite a few features, though it doesn't seem to be under active development and it isn't the most user-friendly application.

OpenOffice.org's Draw is a suitable replacement for applications like Microsoft Publisher. It doesn't do all the fancy text-wrangling and so-forth that you'll find in Sodipodi or Scribus, but it's a nice and simple application for folks who want to create a office flyer, flowcharts and similar projects. Dia is another good application for producing diagrams for print or electronic publishing.

If your tastes are a little more simple, there are a few apps that are aimed at less complex projects. KPaint is a straightforward application that can be used to create very simple graphics, much like the Microsoft Windows Paint program. For those looking for programs for small kids, Tux Paint is a kid-oriented drawing program with a simple interface, sound effects and a restricted file interface that prevents users from accessing the host filesystem. As much as professional-quality graphics apps are necessary for Linux to succeed on the desktop, the low-end graphics apps need to be there as well. After all, who would want to deny their five-year-old the ability to mouse around and create pictures to e-mail to grandma?

The good news is that Linux graphics applications are starting to mature to the point that they're suitable for a fair range of uses. They're certainly good enough for home use, creating Web graphics and low-end DTP. The bad news is that open source graphics apps still need some work before they'll be ready to replace programs like QuarkXPress or Adobe Illustrator. Given enough attention, though, open source graphics applications could start finding their way into professional publishing houses within a few years.