The GIMP development team has rolled out GIMP 3.1.2, the first development snapshot leading to the highly anticipated GIMP 3.2 release. While this early build isn’t stable enough for production work, it offers a compelling preview of features that will be refined and finalized in the upcoming 3.2 version.
A Glimpse of What’s Coming in GIMP 3.2
One of the more noticeable tweaks in this release is the ability to render brush and font previews using the current theme’s colors instead of the default black-on-white scheme.
In addition, GIMP now automatically detects and applies your system’s preferred theme (dark or light) on Windows and Linux—assuming your OS supports the feature. Users who prefer manual control can still override this in the “Preferences” or “Welcome” dialog.
A new “Overwrite” blending mode allows artists to replace pixels directly without blending transparency, ideal for pixel art and precise editing. Currently optimized for the Pencil tool, the team is fine-tuning its behavior for other tools based on user feedback.
Text editing also gets an upgrade with a new outline direction option, letting users choose whether outlines grow inward, outward, or in both directions.
GIMP’s non-destructive editing capabilities have been expanded to channels, allowing filters to be applied, rearranged, and modified without permanently altering the original data. Meanwhile, CMYK support now includes Total Ink Coverage calculations, a boon for print workflows.
On the file format front, GIMP 3.1.2 introduces:
- Photoshop pattern (.pat) import
- Photoshop Curves/Levels preset compatibility (.acv and .alv files)
- APNG animation support
- Multi-layer OpenEXR loading (useful for Blender exports)
- JPEG 2000 export (previously import-only)
- Playstation TIM texture support (for retro game modders)
- OpenRaster extensions (layer selection/locking metadata)
Plus, for those working with niche formats, GIMP now handles Jeff’s Image Format (.jif), Nokia’s Over-the-Air Bitmap, and AVCI/HEJ2 still images.
Lastly, several quality-of-life improvements have landed, including:
- Reduced lag in Foreground Selection when switching tools
- Smoother palette swatch deletion (auto-selects next swatch)
- Fixed theme conflicts that previously caused visual glitches
- “Lock pixels” now records undo steps
A standout fix reintroduces the unique color count feature—previously lost in GIMP 3.0—now accessible via the Histogram dockable.
Keep in mind, as a development release, GIMP 3.1.2 isn’t recommended for production work. However, adventurous users and testers are encouraged to download it, experiment with the new features, and report any issues.
For the full details, check out the official release notes.
The new “Overwrite” blending mode enables artists to apply direct pixel replacement without considering transparency, making it perfect for pixel art and detailed edits.Visit us S2 Akuntansi