GIMP 3.2 is just around the corner, and the developers have now rolled out the second development snapshot, version 3.1.4, which offers a pretty good preview of what we can expect in the final stable release. Two major features are planned: link layers and vector layers. Let’s shed some light on each of them.
Link layers allow you to import external files—such as an SVG you’re editing in Inkscape—and have them update automatically within GIMP. You can scale or rotate the layer without damaging the original, and if you’d rather keep it simple, you can always rasterize it later.
Vector layers work differently: you draw a path, turn it into a layer, and then adjust the fill, stroke, or transform it however you want, all while maintaining sharp, clean lines.
This release also brings a new GEGL Filter Browser. Instead of checking the website or digging through command-line tools, you can now see all available operations right inside GIMP—including ones added at runtime by plug-ins.
Painting tools also got an upgrade. GIMP now supports MyPaint Brushes v2, adds more than 20 new brushes to the default set, and introduces a “Gain” slider that simulates how hard you’re pressing down, even if you’re just using a mouse. The text tool has been improved as well: bold, italic, and underline shortcuts now work directly on canvas, and outline colors update live while you pick them.
File support keeps expanding. The team restored import for the HRZ format, added support for signed JPEG 2000 images commonly used in science, opened the door to PAA textures from Bohemia Interactive games, and reintroduced old Seattle Filmworks formats. TIFF handling is also improved, with enhanced support for visibility, blending modes, color tags, and grouped layers.
On the usability side, there are dozens of small fixes. The About dialog now respects your system’s 12- or 24-hour clock, the Animation Playback plug-in has a cleaner design with a proper slider, GIMP on macOS follows the system dark mode, and the Welcome screen no longer blocks common shortcuts.
Other tweaks include integer-only color displays in 0–255 mode, math in more input fields, and an option to stop GIMP from rewriting metadata unless you want it to.
Bug fixes cover high-DPI cursor alignment on Windows, missing print settings in sandboxed apps, and the return of the experimental Seamless Clone tool. The Raw Data dialog has been shortened for small screens, and slider cursors now behave more predictably.
Behind the scenes, a lot of refactoring is happening to prepare for GTK4. Some code has already moved to GtkListBox, and developers are cleaning up old APIs. Plug-in developers get new public functions for brush fade behavior and vector layers, plus a tweak that keeps the window title in sync when saving files.
Keep in mind, as a development release, GIMP 3.1.4 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 full details, refer to the official announcement.
